You will often see a snake's tongue flickering in and out of its mouth. This is neither a sign of venom release, inherent viciousness or an impending bite, but is the snake's way of gathering information. The forked tongue "tastes" the chemicals in the air and brings them back to the roof of the mouth to the Jacobson's organ. Since the snakes tongue is forked, they can detect "odors" from both left and right directions which helps to pinpoint prey and then follow it.
Snakes play an important part in our ecosystem as prey and also predator. As predators they help keep nature in "balance" while dining on fish, frogs, toads, mice, rats, birds, slugs and many other animals. There are no vegetarian snakes. As prey they are dined on by hawks, owls, eagles, wild pigs, skunks and humans. Automobiles and habitat clearing can also cause unintentional snake destruction.
Though a few reptiles, such as the pit vipers, have live births, many snakes lay soft leathery eggs on land. This leathery exterior keeps the eggs from drying out; which is important because the eggs are abandoned by the mother shortly after they are laid. Most baby snakes are born with an egg tooth on the tip of the snout, which helps to slice the egg shell when it is hatching time. This egg tooth will then drop off. One of the first things hatchling snakes do is to shed, usually within two days to three weeks of hatching. Then they begin to forage, searching for food. When hatched, baby snakes are miniature versions of their parents. From the minute they come out of the egg, hatchling snakes must feed on their own and fend for themselves. However, nature has equipped them with everything they need for survival at birth.
There are forty species of snakes here in Louisiana, divided into three distinct families: Viperidae, Elapidae and Colubridae. We have also grouped them according to four different habitats: arboreal snakes, burrowing snakes, terrestrial snakes and water snakes. Identifying snakes is an important aspect to learning how to coexist with them. Being able to identify snakes includes recognizing the different body shapes, head shapes, habitats (where they are found), markings and behavior.
Most snakes are more scared of you than you are of them and will often flee at the sight of a human. The majority of snakes found in Louisiana are harmless. The people most at risk for venomous snake bites are those who catch and handle the venomous species. Never pick up any snake you are not sure about.
Some people think the only good snake is a dead snake. The unfortunate snakes these people encounter are sent to their reptilian maker. Actually, snakes help us a lot in Louisiana by getting rid of pests (such as rats that eat crops and carry diseases) and being food for other creatures. Learning more about snakes helps us to see them in a less threatening and more fascinating light. Then we can truly admire our native snakes for their beautiful colors, intricate patterns, and the unique place they have in our Louisiana environment.
