The 6 Venomous Snakes of Georgia
- Mark Robison
- Feb 7, 2021
- 9 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
Of more than 40 snakes that are native to Georgia, but only 6 of them are venomous, and only a couple are found throughout the state. Take a look at the gallery below to familiarize yourself with these species.
If you think you may have encountered one of these species in Northeast Atlanta and would like help confirming its identity or relocating it, please call or text me at 770-330-8372, and I'll be happy to help, free of charge.
1. Eastern Copperhead
Photo Credit: Peter Paplanus
Scientific name: Agkistrodon contortrix
Length: Adults 24 – 40 inches
Weight: usually 2 – 4 pounds
The eastern copperhead is the most likely of all the venomous snakes to be found in the metro Atlanta area. They are found throughout most of Georgia except the extreme southeastern part and also not present on any of the barrier islands along Georgia's coast.
They’re a large, heavy-bodied snake and, as the name suggests, are usually copper-colored with darker hourglass-like crossbands. Viewed from the side, these markings are said by some to look like Hershey's kisses - wider at the bottom and narrow points near the top of the spine.
Copperheads are responsible for the majority of snakebites in the Southeast each year, mostly due to their proximity to urban and suburban areas, but also because of their exceptionally good camouflage; people often don't see them or notice them until AFTER they have stepped on one and are bitten out of self-defense. It's important to note that Copperheads, like all other snakes of north American are NOT aggressive. They do not seek to engage with humans at all. They do not want to bite you. They would much rather stay very still and hope you don't notice them and just go away. But if you fail to notice and step on one, or if you put your hand on or very near one, you may draw a bite as a defensive response. Likewise, if your dog sticks his nose in the face of a copperhead, he may well be bitten - again as a defensive reaction. Two important seemingly contradictory facts should be remembered: 1. A bite from a copperhead should always be treated as an emergency and you should seek medical treatment immediately. And 2. The venom of the Copperhead is the least dangerous of all North American venomous snakes. Deaths from their bites are extremely rare, but the hemotoxic venom can cause severe tissue damage. Some bites do not inject venom at all - these are considered "dry" bites, but only a doctor should make that determination, and antivenin can counteract the effects and prevent lasting damage or even the need for amputation of a finger or extremity.
They’re found in a wide variety of natural habitats as well, proving as comfortable in dry, rocky areas as they are in cool, forested areas or wetlands. Like with all venomous snakes on this list, if you see one be sure not to engage and observe them only from a safe distance.
2. Cottonmouth
Photo Credit: Peter Paplanus
Scientific Name: Agkistrodon piscivorous
Length: Adults typically 24" to 36" in length (maximum recorded length is approx. 6 feet)
Weight: Usually 2-4 pounds, but large individuals might weigh as much as 10 pounds.
Geographic Distribution
In Georgia, cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) are well-established and widespread, particularly in the southern and western parts of the state. They are most common in the Coastal Plain region, extending along major river systems, floodplains, swamps, marshes, and forested wetlands according to the Georgia Department Of Natural Resources Division+1. While they can occur in western parts of northern Georgia, sightings are much less frequent there, and they are generally absent from the northeastern quarter of the state Department Of Natural Resources Division+1. The only part of the Atlanta area where they are known to have a stable breeding population is the extreme southwestern suburbs - near Fayetteville, Peachtree City and Newnan. They are not found in or around Lakes Altoona, Lanier or Hartwell. There are no confirmed sightings of Cottonmouths in Dekalb, Gwinnett, Forsyth or north Fulton counties - or points north and east of Atlanta.
Preferred Habitats
Cottonmouths are the only semi-aquatic pit viper in North America. Typical habitats include:
Swamps and marshes
Slow-moving rivers and creeks
Vegetated lakes and farm ponds
Retention basins, irrigation canals, and drainage ditches
They prefer shallow, slow-moving water with overgrown vegetation, fallen logs, and cover, which provides both hunting grounds and protection Department Of Natural Resources Division+1. Cottonmouths are ambush predators, often remaining motionless near water edges to strike at fish, amphibians, or small mammals ownyardlife.com.
Human Interaction
Because cottonmouths inhabit areas that overlap with human activity, encounters can occur near:
Fishing access points and boat ramps
Backyard ponds and low-lying yards
Walking trails and livestock watering areas
Despite their reputation, cottonmouths are not aggressive and usually retreat if given the chance, displaying their characteristic white mouth lining as a warning when they feel threatened. They are frequently confused with several various species of water snakes due to similarities in appearance and habitat preferences.
3. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Photo Credit: Peter Paplanus
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes are the largest venomous snake species in North America.
Scientific name: Crotalus adamanteus
Length: Adults typically, 4-6 feet in length (maximum recorded length is approx. 8 feet)
Weight: Usually 3-5 pounds, but large individuals might weigh more than 10 pounds. The largest recorded weighed 34 pounds.
Natural Range and Habitat
These snakes are adapted to the southeastern Coastal Plain, preferring habitats such as:
Longleaf pine savannas and pine flatwoods
Scrublands, coastal forests, and barrier islands
Wet prairies, savannas, and edges of wetlands
Overgrown fields, abandoned farms, and areas near pine forests
They are terrestrial and spend most of their time on or near the ground, using logs, roots, and burrows for cover. They are also capable swimmers and can cross freshwater and even saltwater between barrier islands.
You won't find these snakes anywhere near Atlanta or in the northern half of Gorgia for that matter. Their range is limited mostly to areas along the coast and on Georgia's barrier islands.
4. Timber Rattlesnake
Photo Credit: Peter Paplanus Scientific name: Crotalus horridus
Length: 36 – 60 inches
Weight: Most adults weigh between 1.1 – 3.3 pounds (but the largest specimen recorded has been reported to be nearly 10 pounds)
Geographic Range
Timber rattlesnakes are found across the eastern United States, extending from southern New Hampshire and the Lake Champlain region of Vermont southward along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, central Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, southeastern Nebraska, southern and eastern Iowa, and southeastern Minnesota. Populations are patchy and isolated in areas such as Lake Erie Islands, southeastern New England, and north-central North Carolina. Historically, their range included southern Ontario and southern Quebec, but they are now considered extirpated in Canada.
Preferred Habitats
Timber rattlesnakes favor mature deciduous and mixed forests, often in rugged terrains with rock outcroppings, ledges, and dense undergrowth. In northern parts of their range, they occupy upland deciduous and mixed forests interspersed with rock slides, steep ledges, and riparian areas. In southern regions, they are found in bottomland hardwood forests, swamp borders, cane fields, eastern redcedar brakes, bayheads in flatwoods, and pine-oak communities. In Georgia, they are known or predicted to exist in almost the entire state, except a small area of extreme south-central Georgia along the border shared with Florida. They seem to avoid areas where there is a lot of human activity or development.
Microhabitat Preferences
Basking sites: Pregnant females often use open rocky ridges known as “basking knolls” to regulate body temperature before giving birth.
Hibernation: During winter, timber rattlesnakes brumate in limestone crevices and dens.
Water proximity: They are frequently found near swamps, wetlands, and streams, which provide prey and cover
The timber rattlesnake is also sometimes referred to as a canebrake rattlesnake here in the southern part of its range, where the color variation often includes a rust or orange colored stripe running laterally along the spine. In some northern parts of its range it can be very dark or nearly all black in coloration.
It is sometimes considered one of North America’s most dangerous snakes due to its long fangs, impressive size, and high venom yield. However, like the eastern diamondback, this snake will only attack if provoked. They are generally fairly tolerant of the presence of humans, unless they are provoked, and even then, they usually give plenty of warning with their distinctive rattle. Deaths from their bites are incredibly rare. While they exist all across much of the eastern half of the United States there are at least four different variations in their venom makeup depending on region. Within Georgia, their venom is both neurotoxic AND hemotoxic, so it’s very important that if bitten you seek medical care immediately.
Timber rattlesnakes are ambush predators, relying on camouflage in these habitats to hunt small mammals, birds, and amphibians. Their distribution is increasingly fragmented due to human activity, but they remain adaptable within suitable forested and rocky environments
5. Pygmy Rattlesnake
Photo Credit: Peter Paplanus
Scientific name: Sistrurus miliarius
Length: 14 – 22 inches
Weight: 150 grams
The Pigmy Rattlesnake can be found throughout almost all of Georgia other than the very northernmost part of the state. They’re most common in the Coastal Plain area, but it isn’t unheard of for them to inhabit the Piedmont region as well. They prefer areas near water sources, such as creeks, marshes, and swamps. They spend most of their time well-hidden among leaf litter and with their color and patterning they can be very hard to spot.
They’re sometimes encountered crossing roads on summer evenings. While it does have a rattle, due to its small size it can be difficult or impossible to hear, and even if you are looking for the rattle, it can be very hard to see (it's really that small!).
Pigmy Rattlesnakes can be very vividly colored. Those in Georgia are most commonly orange or red with large black or brown spots on their back, although melanism is very common and they are occasionally all black. While a bitte from any venomous snake should be considered a medical emergency, there is no documented case of a human dying as a result of a bite from a pygmy rattlesnake. Their venom is technically more toxic than the copperhead, but the venom yield in this tiny snake is far less than what would usually be delivered in a bite from a copperhead.
While they technically are said to exist in and around the Atlanta area - encounters in the city or surrounding suburbs are so rare as to be essentially nonexistent. Knowledgeable herpetologists who go looking for these snakes in the central Piedmont region and the greater Atlanta area have an extremely difficult tie locating them there.
6. Eastern Coral Snake
Photo Credit: snakecollector
Scientific name: Micrurus fulvius
Length: adults typically 18" to 30" (exceptionally large adults up to 48")
Weight: 1 -3 pounds
The eastern coral snake is different from all other Georgia venomous snakes because it is the only one that is not a pit viper. Instead, this slender, mid-sized snake with a smooth appearance and bright red, yellow, and black rings is an elapid - more closely related to cobras and mambas than to rattlesnakes and copperheads. A common rhyme is often used as a mnemonic device to help distinguish it from several other tricolored snakes that look similar and share the same habitat but are completely harmless. “Red touches black, friend of Jack; red touches yellow will kill a fellow.” As you can see from the photo above, the yellow bands are touching the red bands, and that is unique and different from the very similar-looking scarlet king snake, which has yellow or cream-colored bands that are separated from red bands by black bands - the yellow and red do not touch. But it should be noted that there are two problems that really happen to make this NOT WORK: 1. I the excitement of the moment of encountering a snake that you think MIGHT be a venomous coral snake, it is very easy to remember this rhyme wrong! Also - I have a folder full of photos of wild coral snakes with aberrant colors and patterns that do NOT follow the typical pattern. So you could remember this rhyme correctly and decide that you are safe to handle this snake and instead find yourself making a scary and VERY expensive trip to the hospital. You may have heard that venomous snakes have vertical, cat-like pupils, or triangular head shapes. Not this snake. Not at all. And truly those two traits can be wrong for lots of other snakes as well. Bottom line: unless you can really use three or more features that positively identify a snake as being non-venomous, you should NOT try to handle them freely. Most people who are bitten by coral snakes were foolish enough try to catch and/or handle them. Unlike the myths around coral snakes, they have fixed fangs (not fold-away like vipers) in the front of their mouths and can strike quickly and deliver venom very fast. They do NOT have rear-fangs and they DO NOT have to "chew" on you to deliver their venom.
Habitat and Distribution
The Eastern Coral Snake is found in scattered areas in the Coastal Plains of Georgia and they are relatively elusive snakes. They’re most often encountered in the spring and fall. These snakes are very secretive and like to burrow, so they are rarely seen and are really not aggressive at all.
This is another snake that is not found anywhere near the Atlanta area, so if you live anywhere in the metro Atlanta area, you can cross this one off your list of potential threats. But even if you live in the part of Georgia where these beautiful snakes can be found, these snakes pose very little threat to you. If you are lucky enough to see one, as long as you aren't foolish, and give it some room, you have nothing to fear from it.
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