


Note that the size range given for each species is the total length for mature (adult) individuals. If the picture and range agree with what your snake looks like and where you found it, then carefully read the "identification" section to confirm your identification. If not, your identification may be incorrect. If you find a picture that looks like the snake, then look at the range map to see if the species is known to occur in the area where you observed or caught it. One easy way to identify a Michigan snake is to compare it with the pictures in this bulletin. Consult the books on page 72 for additional information on snakes.
Coluber constrictor snakes michigan professional#
This book is intended for the general public and is not a detailed work for the professional herpetologist. This book is a reference for the identification of Michigan snakes, but other subjects-such as snake behavior, habitats, conservation and snakebite treatment-are included to help you better understand and appreciate snakes.
Coluber constrictor snakes michigan skin#
They have a transparent, immovable eye covering a dry, scaly outer skin that is shed in one piece a single row of wide belly scales and a skull with movable bones and loosely connected jaws that can spread widely so food can be swallowed whole. Snakes do not have legs, external ears or movable eyelids. They breathe air, get their body warmth from their surroundings, and hibernate in winter if they live where the temperature goes below freezing for long periods. Like all living reptiles, snakes have backbones (an internal bony skeleton) and scaly skin. Michigan has 18 species of snakes, only one of which is venomous, and it occurs only in the Lower Peninsula. Unlike the dinosaurs, snakes are still living today, so they can be observed, studied and enjoyed. Reptiles (an animal group that includes the turtles, crocodilians, lizards and snakes) are fascinating to many people, and snakes, along with the dinosaurs, are perhaps the most fascinating of reptiles. Nontechnical, contains illustrations and key to identifying snakes, as well as sections on biology of snakes, snakes and people, controlling problems caused by snakes and treating snakebites. Large color photos and text with easy-to-follow symbols for habitat, temperament, reproduction and distribution make this book useful for all ages. Field guide to Michigan's 18 species of snakes, including the state's only venomous snake - Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake.
