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The land mass of Texas and its geographic complexity enables numerous species of native and exotic herps to coexist. Texas provides a home for 231 different species. Amphibians and reptiles together are known as herps or herptiles, while the specific regional or local diversity is referred to as herpetofauna. Both of these groups are often found and observed in similar places.
Collections of herptiles in Texas began in the late 1800s. The “Father of Texas Herpetology,” John Strecker, compiled the first checklist of Herps in 1915, eventually publishing 60 articles related to this dynamic category of fauna.
Warming temperatures in Central Texas is a signal that snakes will be on the move searching for food, water, shelter and of course acceptable mates. On a recent drive to town, a large Rat Snake - Elaphe obsoleta - and a Western Ribbon Snake - Thamnophis proximus - were observed crossing the road on the hunt for more fertile ground. Friends have also observed venomous rattlesnakes and colorful coral snakes touring their property for birds, frogs, lizards, rodents, or squirrels.
Within Texas there are 75 different species of native snakes and one exotic non-venomous species originating from Africa and Asia. Of these, 11 venomous species exist in Texas including eight different rattlesnake species and the well known three “Cs” - copperhead, coralsnake, and cotton-mouth.
Both amphibians and reptiles have a specialized structure called Jacobsen’s organ. This organ is highly developed in squamates - lizards and snakes - as an olfactory sensor. Often while observing a snake many have witnessed a tongue-flicking behavior. By capturing air molecules with their tongues and inserting these molecules into this organ, snakes are able to sense their surroundings more clearly with these chemical cues. Another unique structure of herps is having only one opening to the digestive, reproductive and urinary tracts combined, which is called the cloaca. All herptiles, birds, cartilaginous fish and a few mammals have this one orifice, unlike most mammals who have two.
Snakes also have very specialized heads, enabling them to swallow large prey. Their skulls are very loosely constructed with a multitude of movable joints that allow significant flexibility. It is a myth that snakes unhinge their jaws from the skull when eating; the mandibles always remain hinged. However, the mandibles are not fused together. allowing the squamate to shift the opening behind the tongue (glottis) which flows to the windpipe, permitting them to breathe when their mouth is full. As they swallow their catch, their sharp, curved teeth hold the jaw in place one side at a time.
It takes an average of 4-5 days to digest food, including the bones, which are dissolved by stomach acid (pH of 7.5+). So meals are very infrequent - every 1-2 weeks - but quite large for their body size. It’s truly amazing to watch a snake eat its dinner!
Commonknowledge of snakes and herps in general includes the fact that they are all cold-blooded or classified as ectotherms. This refers to their ability to regulate temperature based solely on the environment they live in versus mammals and birds which depend on their own metabolism to regulate their temperature (endotherms). It is interesting to note that this distinction has allowed snakes to evolve with elongated forms, unlike endotherms who can only survive with less body surface area.
Snakes are seemingly imperishable since they have slithered across our planet for at least 167 million years according to fossil records. Climate change will not diminish their numbers since they are already well adapted by conforming to the surrounding extreme environmental temperatures (thermoconformers) with limited food supplies.
Climate changes may not reduce populations of squamates but many other factors may result in their decline. Loss, alteration or fragmentation of habitat is a prevalent concern.
Environmental contamination from pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers used on both residential and commercial landscapes are damaging for all species. The introduction of invasive or non-native species, either accidentally or from pet reptile commercial trade, is also a risk. A brown treesnake was found in Corpus Christi (1990s) after living for 7 months inside a cargo hold from Guam.
One of the main considerations around springtime is to be aware of your surroundings as you explore through a natural area. When the body temperature of herps is close to their preferred temperature, squamates' stamina and speed is increased, thus, their primary defensive behavior is to move away from any danger.
When snakes have very low body temperatures, flight is not an option for defense since locomotion is impaired. So snakes change their behavior by standing their ground, bluffing, striking and potentially biting, especially when harassed.
Therefore, we as humans should allow these formidable creatures to mosey on their way and let them live out their life of a few years in the wild while we simply move away and carry out our daily routine. If we, or our pets, are truly in danger, dispatching an aggressive snake is warranted. However, this option is rarely necessary.
Be vigilant and watchful out there for undulating movements of snakes!
Eastern Hognose.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
