Northern watersnake venomous?

**bulrush** · 03-17-2009, 12:19 PM

I live in west lower Michigan. We have Norther Water snakes here. I have heard they are not venomous. But I also have heard they are venomous but their venom fangs are in the back of their throat, and most human parts are too large to get back there to have venom delivered to the human.

So, how likely am I do get envenomed by a NWS?
And how poisonous is the venom?

I do snake surveys in a local park. I have only seen one NWS in this park so far. What this means is I have to catch the snake to measure it. Then I release it.

**old soldier** · 03-18-2009, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by bulrush

I live in west lower Michigan. We have Norther Water snakes here. I have heard they are not venomous. But I also have heard they are venomous but their venom fangs are in the back of their throat, and most human parts are too large to get back there to have venom delivered to the human.

So, how likely am I do get envenomed by a NWS?
And how poisonous is the venom?

I do snake surveys in a local park. I have only seen one NWS in this park so far. What this means is I have to catch the snake to measure it. Then I release it.

not venomous, we have them also and I have seen the over 5 ft long. I never heard about any snake with fangs in the back of their mouth, they wouldn't be any good for defence.They are also all around Lake Erie. they can put a nasty bite on you with their little teeth though.

**bulrush** · 03-18-2009, 01:47 PM

Snakes with rear envenomed fangs need to "chew" their prey to deliver their venom, but they do exist.

**chiye tanka** · 03-18-2009, 07:54 PM

There are many rear fanged snakes, the most well known is the hognose. It's venom is equal to that of a bee sting, nothing to worry about for most people.

**wareagle69** · 03-18-2009, 08:14 PM

very agressive but non venumous

**snakeman** · 03-18-2009, 08:45 PM

They are not venomous. They do not have rear fangs. Some rear fanged snakes can be very dangerous ike the coral snake. Although it is rare it is deadly(same family as cobras). Although NWS are non venomous, they do have an anti coagualent in their saliva which causes exesive bleeding. It will not hart you enough to go into shock or any thing or suffer from blood loss, it just hurts. They are very mean though. Every one I have handled has struck at me every chance it could. If you have to catch them, I usally use a pillow case to transport it.

**LowKey** · 03-18-2009, 09:16 PM

They sure are a mean biter.
As kids, we used to feed em wounded sunfish when fishing.
We did have to be careful not to confuse them with a dusty Copperhead though.
You probably don't have to worry about that in Michigan...

**bulrush** · 03-19-2009, 02:29 PM

No. We only have 1 type of rattler up here and there have been no "official" sightings since 1984 (per DNR). I'm sure they are out there, but only in very remote areas.

Lowkey, I prefer to catch the NWS on the ground, so I can use a stick to pin its head down. Then I grab its neck to prevent biting. These guys don't poop on you, do they? That's just nasty.

**skunkkiller** · 03-19-2009, 03:08 PM

timber rattlers here in wisconsin are deadly and I don't know why you would not have them in mi.

I know there are alot of places for them to hined.

**Aurelius95** · 03-19-2009, 05:09 PM

My wife, whose background is environtment education, and was a biology major in college, taught me the 6 venomous snakes in GA. The 3 C's and the 3 R's.
Cottonmouth
Copperhead
Coral Snake

Timber Rattler
Pygmy Rattler
Eastern Diamondback Rattler

Nothing to do with Northern Michigan, but I just like to share knowledge.

**chiye tanka** · 03-19-2009, 08:11 PM

Coral snakes are not rear fanged, they have very short fixed fangs.

**Rick** · 03-28-2009, 08:50 AM

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**earlthegoat2** · 03-28-2009, 10:55 PM

When I lived in Michigan a long time ago a friend of mine brought in a dead Mausasauga (SP) rattle snake into biology class. It had been killed on the road. This was in the mid nineties. I guess we should have called the DNR. In Michigan though the DNR probably would have arrested you for touching it.

**Runs With Beer** · 03-29-2009, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by bulrush

No. We only have 1 type of rattler up here and there have been no "official" sightings since 1984 (per DNR). I'm sure they are out there, but only in very remote areas.

Lowkey, I prefer to catch the NWS on the ground, so I can use a stick to pin its head down. Then I grab its neck to prevent biting. These guys don't poop on you, do they? That's just nasty.

Most snakes will poop on you when you pick them up, Its part of there defence.

**crashdive123** · 03-29-2009, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by Runs With Beer

Most snakes will poop on you when you pick them up, Its part of there defence.

So would I if there was something big enough to reach down and pick me up.

**bulrush** · 04-02-2009, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by earlthegoat2

I guess we should have called the DNR. In Michigan though the DNR probably would have arrested you for touching it.

You got that right.

Most snakes will poop on you when you pick them up, Its part of there defence.

I thought it was just garters.

**old soldier** · 04-03-2009, 08:14 AM

Our water snakes stink terrible after they are dead an hour, I had one on my old ford fairline hood for about an hour and i pulled toward the ditch and put the brakes on hard, the snake rolled off the hood like a log into the ditch, I was trying to put my boat in the water and he acted like he owned the lake til i smacked him with an oar. he was almost 6 ft long. this was back in the 60s.

**tennecedar** · 04-03-2009, 09:14 AM

When I was participating with SAR, I went to the Hiawassee river 4-5 times a year to teach a class. I found the water snake to be THE biggest danger thru the whole class. The snakes themselves are harmless. More than once we have brushed against low hanging limbs to have one drop into a raft. The students (grown men and women) invariably began to swing their paddles wildly at the snake. I never saw a snake actually hit but I was black and blue before I could bail off the back of the boat. I've enjoyed many lunch stops on the river with the little guys sunning themselves on the rocks next to me. I never bothered them. They never bothered me.