Hello! guys I hope that you all will be fine and doing good in your life. Today we will discuss about the difference between venomous and non venomous snakes.
Difference Between Venomous and Non Venomous Snake
Non-venomous snakes are the snakes that lack fangs and venom glands to help them catch their prey. But they have several rows of long sharp neal white teeth and a strong muscular body of which help them catch their prey.
When we see through physical traits then we identify them from the shapes of their head and the shape of their pupils, The venomous and nonvenomous snakes eat and catch their prey differently.
On the other hand, venomous snakes have the advantage of the venom and fangs. So, they strike a prey item once and then actually release it. Then they will wait for the venom to take effect and once the prey is immobilized they will then go ahead and eat it.
Most nonvenomous snakes are going to be constrictors so, they are going to bite onto their prey and hold it and immediately wap their body coils around it a couple of times and give it a good tight squeeze.
The non-venomous snakes do not actually crush their prey. What they are actually doing is every time that prey animal breathes out they tighten their coils up just a little bit more and prevent the animal from back in. So, once those animals stop moving they eat them.
Characteristics of Venomous and Non Venomous Snake
By reading the below information you can easily identify the difference between the venomous and non venomous snakes.
To tell if a snake is poisonous, look for three things:
Neck: Poisonous snakes have thin necks while non-poisonous snakes have heads and necks that are about the same width.
Eyes: Poisonous snakes have oval shaped pupils (the pupil is the black part of the eye) while non-poisonous snakes have the round pupils.
Tail: Poisonous snakes have a rattle or single scales at the end of their tails. Non-poisonous snakes have the split scales that look like a zipper.
You can also read about: What To Feed Mexican Black Kingsnake?
If you are unsure then stay away and call a local wildlife office. They can help you.
Snake rattles are made of interlocking pieces like as Legos. Each time a snake sheds its skin it adds another piece to the rattle. The rattling sound comes from these pieces vibrating against each other.

You cannot tell a snake’s exact age by its rattle but you can tell how many times it has shed its skin since the rattle last broke. Young snakes shed more usually than older snakes.
When snakes come out of hibernation then they stay near their dens for a couple of weeks and then shed their skin.
Researchers study snakes to learn about them. They sometimes put small tags under the snake’s skin to track them. To do this:
- They gently hold the snake still.
- They use a special reader to check if the snake already has a tag.
- If not then they insert a small tag near the snake’s belly.
- They also measure the snake from its nose to the base of its rattle.
Determination Of Snake
To determine if a snake is male or female then they count the scales under the tail. Females have fewer scales (less than 21) and shorter tails while males have more scales (21 or more) and longer tails. Sometimes, you can tell a female has recently had babies because of the extra loose skin on her tail.
Female snakes spend a lot of energy having babies and may take a year or two to recover. They don’t eat while they are pregnant, which can last several months.
Timber rattlesnakes are protected in Pennsylvania. Studies have shown that their numbers are okay so, they are not listed as endangered. Researchers continue to study them to make sure that they stay safe. They work with the hunters, universities and other groups to learn more about the snakes to protect them. They are even studying how to control fires that affect the snakes.
Types Of Venomous And Non Venomous Snake
There are many types and colors of snakes that exist in the world and in the USA there are 4 types of snakes. Every year more than 7000 plus Americans are bitten by these four types of snakes. These snakes are as follows:
Rattlesnakes
Copperhead
Cottonmouths
Coral snakes
Many of them are venomous and non-venomous. By seeing only color it will be difficult for you to identify whether the snake is venomous or non venomous.
There are only a few kinds of poisonous snakes in the United States and each kind has many different looking cousins. These cousins come in all sorts of sizes and colors which helps them to remain hidden in their homes such as the woods or the desert. So, just by looking at the color of a snake it is hard to tell that if it is dangerous or not.
For example, there is a poisonous snake which named as a coral snake. It has beautiful bands of yellow, brown and black color on its skin. But guess what? There is also a harmless snake called as scarlet king snake and it looks almost exactly the same so, this is the confusing thing in both of these snakes.
The only way to tell them apart is by carefully looking at the colors. The critical difference of color between coral and scarlet snake is that in a coral snake the red bands touch the yellow bands. But in a scarlet king snake the red bands touch the black bands.
Note: It is important to remember that it is always best for you to stay away from any snake that you do not recognize. If you see a snake then admire it from a safe distance and leave it alone.
Facts & Features Of Venomous And Non Venomous Snake:
- Venomous snakes have fangs and inject venom when they bite.
- Non venomous snakes lack fangs and do not inject venom. Venomous snakes often have triangular heads and slit like pupils.
- Non venomous snakes usually have round heads and round pupils.
- Some venomous snakes have rattles on their tails as a warning. Non venomous snakes do not have rattles. Venomous snakes may have bright colors or patterns.
- Non venomous snakes are often more camouflaged.
- Both types of snakes can bite if they feel threatened.
- It is best to leave all snakes alone and avoid them. If you see a snake, it is important to stay calm and move away slowly.
FAQ’s:
What is the 1 most venomous snake?
Introducing the most venomous snake in the world and epic predator of the Australian outback! The inland taipan is otherwise known as the fierce snake or small scaled snake. They can be marveled at in our Robert’s Reptile House, right here at Australia Zoo.
What snake has killed the most humans?
The killer of the most people. The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.