‘Mistaken Identity, Fear, and Misunderstanding’: A Snake’s Life in Connecticut

They’ve been cast as movie villains, the most dangerous monster in Harry Potter world, and associated with evil as far back as the Garden of Eden.

But we’ve got snakes all wrong, according to Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

“Snakes are probably some of the most misunderstood animals in the outdoors,” says Rick Jacobson, Director of the DEEP Wildlife Division, in a press release. “There is no need to fear or hate these reptiles. If you leave snakes alone, they will leave you alone.”

Just as we humans venture outside more as the sun comes out and the weather warms up, so do snakes. And they won’t necessarily respect yard boundaries the way our two-legged neighbors do.

DEEP encourages Connecticut residents not to panic when they come upon a snake. They are unlikely to be venomous, as the state’s two venomous varieties (timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead) are very rare. Residents tend to assume snakes are deadly, meaning “hundreds of snakes are needlessly killed by people each year because of mistaken identity, fear, and misunderstanding,” according to DEEP.

Instead, if residents find a snake in their home they should pick it up carefully so as not to cause injury, place it in a bag and release it back into an area not far away. If you come upon one outside, “you should observe and enjoy it from a distance and allow it to go on its way” says DEEP.

More information about snakes and snake conservation in Connecticut, as well as an identification guide, can be found on the DEEP website at www.ct.gov/deep/wildlife.

Tell us in the Comment section: have you ever come across a snake? What did you do?

MORE: Georgia Town Battles Influx of Poisonous Snakes