These Are the Killers! Check Out Louisiana’s 7 Venomous Snakes

Last week, I had a young friend come to my place so he could fish in our pond. He hadn't been there long when I asked him if he was catching any fish.

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"Yes sir", he said, "but there are a couple of snakes down there where I caught them and I'm not sure if they are moccasins or not, so I just left them alone."

I walked to the area of the pond he referred to and discovered they were only water snakes, non-venomous, but it struck me that this is the time of year that man and snakes seem to have the most interaction.

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

Of course, the first question that pops in our heads when we run across old "no shoulders" is, "Is he poisonous?"

Every year about this time, Facebook is inundated with pictures of snakes featuring captions with the same question.

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.