Watch Out! These 7 Venomous Snakes Lurk in Louisiana

It happened yesterday at my home in Haughton, Louisiana. There he was; old no-shoulders!

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As I was perched high on my tractor clipping the edge of our pond, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and immediately I could tell that was a "Nope Rope". And not only was it the first snake I've spotted this year, it was a massive water moccasin.

Though I have a fervent fear of snakes, I'm normally okay with spotting them at a distance, but since I became a grandfather, my fear isn't much for me anymore, but for my granddaughters.

While I was unable to take this one out, I certainly made mental note that the temperatures have warmed enough to pay diligent attention when the girls are over and we're anywhere around the pond.

The warm months have people enjoying all sorts of outdoor activities, and our likelihood of a snake encounter increases exponentially.

Of course, it's this time every year when we snakes begin to show up that we'll see Facebook inundated with pictures of snakes and most everyone wants to know "What kind of snake is this?" and "Is it poisonous?"

Louisianansportsman.com published an article a couple years ago that tells us:

Forty-eight species of snakes can be found in Louisiana, but only seven of them are venomous.

The motto of Louisianasnakeid.com, says it best, "We fear what we don't understand. Education is our goal."

In Louisiana, it's not a question of "if you'll encounter a snake" but more of "when you encounter a snake", Real World Survival Gear published a great video to help you identify the 7 venomous species in Louisiana.

But for quick reference, take a look at the pictures in this guide.