Local park holds program informing public of snakes

CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. – A local state park held a snake program to inform the public.

Marlie Montandon, a seasonal interpretive ranger at Chickasaw State Park, taught about snakes and the importance of knowing Tennessee laws. Montandon says the program discusses topics ranging from the type of snakes in Tennessee to how to tell the difference between a venomous snake and a non-venomous one.

“You see his eyes? They look like a humans eyes, so that is one way you can tell he is non-venomous,” Montandon said. “A venomous snake has cat-like eyes. Also, if the head looks like your thumb, it’s non-venomous and if it is more triangular shaped it is venomous.”

She also names a few species of snakes in Tennessee.

“There are four types of venomous snakes in Tennessee. The pygmy rattlesnake, the timber rattlesnake, the copperhead and cottonmouth,” Montandon said. “We have a total of 38 species of snakes in Tennessee and corn snakes is one of them. We also have king snakes and gray rat snakes.”

There are laws for killing and owning a snake in Tennessee.

“You cannot own a species native to Tennessee, so it’s illegal to own this corn snake. TWRA actually confiscated him from a pet store because someone was selling him, so it’s illegal to own one. It’s also illegal to kill any snake in Tennessee,” Montandon said.