A lot of snakes in Tennessee? (Murfreesboro, Bristol: living, vacation, health)

[Phil P]

Are there many snakes in Tennessee? if so, are they poisonous or nonpoisonous?

[julian17033]

There are many snakes in Tennessee, a very large number in which are poisonous and quite deadly.
Having relatives in Bristol and being an avid runner and hiker, I have encountered many rattlesnakes and Cottonmouths during my visits.

My cousin who lives outside Bristol to the southwest knows people involved in the snake handling religious sects in the area.
They hunt snakes for their religious services.

See here; http://nashville.about.com/cs/animalspets/a/snakes.htm
And here: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...see/55354206/1
And here; http://theapologeticsgroup.com/histo...dle-tennessee/

[Reactionary]

There are venomous snakes in Tennessee, including rattlesnakes, water moccasins (cottonmouths), and copperheads; there are also more than 30 other species of snake. I guess you could say there are "many snakes", but it depends on where you go and what you're doing as to whether or not you'll see one. If you're in the backwoods or on a river/creek in the summertime you'll have a fair chance of seeing one. IIRC less than half a dozen people have died in the past 50 years from snakebite.

The last snake I saw in Tennessee was last summer near downtown Murfreesboro on the greenway at the Cannonsburgh village tourist site.

[Phil P]

Thanks for the posts. Those snake handling people are ridiculous. Why on earth would they do that. You would think after seeing enough people die of snake bites because they "didn't have enough Holy Ghost" they would stop.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Phil P

Thanks for the posts. Those snake handling people are ridiculous. Why on earth would they do that. You would think after seeing enough people die of snake bites because they "didn't have enough Holy Ghost" they would stop.

This is VERY rare and only in certain types of small-town Pentecostal churches. It's not like you would visit a church one day and discover that they are handling snakes.

As others have said, there are 3 types of venomous snakes that area common here. In my almost 50 years of living here, i have seen a copperhead once, and it slithered away from me as fast as it could.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

This is VERY rare and only in certain types of small-town Pentecostal churches. It's not like you would visit a church one day and discover that they are handling snakes.

As others have said, there are 3 types of venomous snakes that area common here. In my almost 50 years of living here, i have seen a copperhead once, and it slithered away from me as fast as it could.

Good. I hate snakes so much! Tennessee looks like a beautiful place and I want to see it. Now I know I don't have to fear snakes there. In Costa rica, another beautiful place, I saw 4 venomous snakes (one that slithered right by my feet!) and 1 poison frog (about 1 foot from my hand on a hand rail) on a one week vacation. That was a little too much for me.

In colorado springs, we only have garter snakes. Not too much to fear here.

[nashvols]

Snakes of Tennessee

[WinterStar]

A woman in Newport, Tennessee once told me that a local Pentecostal Church pays her $150 for each Rattlesnake she brings in. Their way of showing the power of faith. The woman, by the way, had no fear of these snakes. In the Smokies the only poisonous snakes are the Northern Copperhead and Timber Rattlesnake, which is why I truly enjoy the ease of winter hiking.

[keithps]

Originally Posted by Phil P

Good. I hate snakes so much! Tennessee looks like a beautiful place and I want to see it. Now I know I don't have to fear snakes there. In Costa rica, another beautiful place, I saw 4 venomous snakes (one that slithered right by my feet!) and 1 poison frog (about 1 foot from my hand on a hand rail) on a one week vacation. That was a little too much for me.

In colorado springs, we only have garter snakes. Not too much to fear here.

There are snakes here, but they don't blanket the place. Additionally, the poisonous snakes aren't that deadly. A healthy person could survive a rattlesnake or copperhead bite without medical treatment (though I'd highly suggest it). In fact, copperhead bites are rarely treated with anti-venom since the risk of a reaction with the anti-venom is more hazardous than the venom.

[Reactionary]

Colorado Springs has more than just garter snakes. According to these guys there are rattlesnakes in El Paso County:

List of Colorado Snakes