How To Identify Oklahoma's Venomous & Dangerous Snakes

It's amazing how often I still hear people repeat old, stupid anecdotes when it comes to Oklahoma's native snake populations... Things like "The only good snake it a dead snake..." rabble rabble... Simply put, that's not the case. Even the "bad" snakes are good, I'll explain.

While we've been over how Oklahoma's non-venomous snakes provide so many positive benefits to our ecosystem... eating bugs and nuisance animals including venomous snakes, the question then becomes "Why shouldn't I kill a venomous snake?"

To tell you the truth, even I have a hard time coming up with a reason NOT to kill a venomous snake. Living in an urban environment, I'd be hesitant to let a venomous snake pass freely through my yard out of concern for the neighborhood kids and pets.

All the same, these necessary natural villains tend to do more good than harm. They keep rodent and rabbit populations in balance, but they also make good-looking belts and boots.

It's different than if you're out in their world of natural wilds and just stumble across one. Seeing a sunning venomous snake isn't the most uncommon thing you'll see on the trail up Elk Mountain... but determining how lucky you are based on how rare the sighting is should be Oklahoma Outdoors 101.

If you don't know our resident venomous snake crowd, particularly the diverse species of rattlers that call the Sooner State home, here's a quick photo guide.

Oklahoma's Venomous Snakes

If you spend any amount of time outdoors in Oklahoma, it's always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the natural world around you. While only seven of Oklahoma's native 46 species of snake are venomous, it's those seven species that are seen the most in the wilds of the Sooner State.

Fun & Kid Friendly Oklahoma Vacation Destinations

Far too often, some bored Karen whose only personality trait is complaining about everything will say something along the lines of "There's nothing to do in Oklahoma..." That's simply not true. There is a ton of stuff to do in Oklahoma that you and the kids will love, you just have to know where to find that stuff and have the gumption to hop off the couch and go do some of it.

The best Lawton, Fort Sill Facebook pages & groups to join, follow & be a part of.

If you just moved here, welcome to Lawton, Fort Sill we're glad you're here. It can be difficult moving and starting up in a new place. Trying to make friends, find things to do, get more information about the town itself, and just get acquainted with all the goings-on. We're here to try and help you out with a list of the best Lawton, Fort Sill Facebook pages and groups you should join, follow and be a part of.