Hobbies And Interests
Garter and Grass Snakes
Garter snakes are small and have stripes from head to tail. They feed on rodents, frogs, worms and toads. Wisconsin's garter snake species are Chicago garter, Eastern garter, Eastern Plains garter and Butler's garter. The state's Northern ribbon snakes and Western ribbon snakes resemble garter snakes but have longer and thinner striped bodies. Grass snakes are named for their green and white coloring and also are called smooth green snakes. They hunt for insects, slugs and caterpillars in grass that camouflages the snakes. The Eastern hognose snake also lives in Wisconsin's grasslands and has large dark spots and an upturned nose that it uses to dig for toads. It rolls over and plays dead when threatened.
Burrowing Snakes
People seldom notice burrowing snakes because they spend most of their time underground or under dense leaf litter. They are small and eat insects, worms, slugs, snails and larvae. Their brightly colored markings, such as red or yellow rings near their head or on their belly, scares predators. Wisconsin's burrowing snakes include Northern ringneck, prairie ringneck, Northern red bellied, brown snake and Western worm snake.
Constrictors
Wisconsin constrictors consume large quantities of rats, mice, pocket gophers, ground squirrels and grasshoppers, helping to manage rodent and insect populations. Constrictors kill by wrapping tightly around their prey's body and squeezing. The constrictors that live in Wisconsin include bull snake, Western fox snake, Eastern milk snake, black rat snake and blue racer.
Water Snakes
The queen snake lives in clean, spring-fed streams in southeastern Wisconsin. It has three black stripes on its back and a yellow stripe on each side. The white and reddish-brown rings of the Northern water snake distinguish it from other Wisconsin snakes. Northern water snakes live statewide in large waterways. People often mistake Northern water snakes for water moccasins.
Poisonous Snakes
The timber rattlesnake and the Eastern massasuaga are pit vipers. They have venom glands attached to large hollow teeth, allowing them to deliver poison when they bite. The small-bodied Eastern massasuaga is only in low swamplands in southern Wisconsin. The large-bodied timber rattlesnake lives in rocky terrain along the Mississippi River. These species prefer to keep their distance from people and are easily identified by their tail rattles. According to the Devil's Lake State Park website, "There has only been one verified death in Wisconsin due to a rattlesnake bite and only one bite is averaged every four years in the state."