Five Wildlife Refuges Where Field Herpetologists Can Find Snakes

Dec 26, 2011
Keith Darling-Brekhus

Prairie Rattlesnake - Roy Wood

Wildlife refuges are often overlooked by herpetologists, but they provide prime snake habitat for many species.

Unlike birdwatchers, field herpetologists do not pay much attention to National Wildlife Refuges. Yet some of the best undisturbed reptile habitat in the country is on these federal lands. While collecting is strictly prohibited, wildlife refuges can be excellent places for field herpers who simply wish to collect memories and pictures. Most of the refuges around the country support at least some snakes, but five of the best refuges and their featured species are as follows:

Laguna Atascosa NWR, Texas

For large snakes, there is no better place in the United States than the thorn-scrub plains of South Texas. Here North America's largest serpents have room to roam. The big prize is the Texas Indigo Snake, a beautiful serpent that can reach eight feet in length. The equally large, but more common and less colorful Bullsnake also resides here in abundance. In addition, Laguna Atascosa is also home to a thriving population of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes. In South Texas, rattlesnakes between six and seven feet long are not uncommon, so once again this is a terrific place to find really large native snakes. Other species that visitors might come across include Mexican Racers, Whipsnakes, Texas Coral Snakes, Rat Snakes and Desert Kingsnakes.

Mingo NWR, MIssouri

In the Southeast part of Missouri, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge sits at the confluence of the Ozark Mountains and the flat swamplands of the Bootheel region. The bluffs at the edge of the refuge serve as wintering homes for a plethora of snakes, especially the venomous Western Cottonmouth, which can be seen by the dozens in spring and fall along the crevices of the bluffs that line the Western border of the refuge. The Cottonmouths share their den sites with Broad Banded, Yellowbelly and Diamondback Water Snakes as well as Mud Snakes, Copperhead, Rat Snakes and Canebrake Rattlesnakes. While less famous in the herping world than "Snake Road" in neighboring Southern Illinois, the concentrations of Cottonmouths here are just as impressive.

Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms NWR, Kansas

These are actually two separate refuges but they are near each other and essentially have the same habitat and the same varieties of snakes to observe. Bullsnakes, Crayfish Snakes, Prairie Kingsnakes and Garter Snakes are commonly seen here, but the most sought after find is the elusive Western Massassagua Rattlesnake. While the Massassagua is becoming rare in some parts of the country, it continues to thrive in the marshy plains of West Central Kansas and it is comparatively easy to find in the spring in both Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms.

Hailstone NWR, Montana

Montana is too far north for most people to think of as a place teeming with snakes, but do not be fooled. This lightly visited refuge has snakes, lots of them. Prairie Rattlesnakes are abundant in the rocky outcroppings so watch your step. The refuge has a nice prairie dog town which provides plenty of food for the rattlers. While there is not much variety here, in addition to the ubiquitous rattlers, Bullsnakes and Racers can also be found on the refuge. Access is not always open to the public, so check before making a trip there.

Wildlife Refuges Provide Ideal Habitat for Snakes

While few people probably visit our nation's wildlife refuges specifically to look for snakes, the refuges are some of the best habitat in the country for finding them. So whether you are a herpetologist or a bird-watcher who feels your visit might be enhanced by coming across some interesting reptiles too, the nation's wildlife refuges are a great opportunity for viewing wild snakes in their native domains. Laguna Atascosa, Mingo, Quivira, Cheyenne Bottoms and Hailstone are five of the best.