TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
POISONOUS SNAKES OF TEXAS
AND FIRST AID TREATMENT
OF THEIR BITES
BULLETIN NO. 31
Originally published February 1950
Revised February 1952
Reprinted May 1960
Revised July 1963; May 1964
Reprinted Jan. 1967
Reprinted Jan. 1969
Reprinted August 1970
By
JOHN E. WERLER
Director, Houston Zoological Gardens
Published by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Austin, Texas
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- INTRODUCTION 4
- PRECAUTIONS AT HOME 5
- PROTECTION IN THE FIELD 7
- RECOGNIZING THE POISONOUS KINDS 8
- THE PIT VIPERS 12
- THE COPPERHEADS 13
- Southern 14
- Northern 16
- Broadbanded 18
- Trans-Pecos 20
- THE COTTONMOUTH 22
- Western Cottonmouth 22
- THE RATTLESNAKES 25
- Western Massasauga 26
- Western Pigmy 28
- Western Diamondback 30
- Timber 34
- Canebrake 36
- Banded Rock 38
- Mottled Rock 40
- Blacktailed 42
- Mojave 44
- Prairie 46
- THE ELAPID SNAKES 48
- Texas Coral 48
- VENOMS 52
- DIAGNOSING THE BITE 53
- SEVERITY OF THE BITE 54
- FIRST AID TREATMENT 55
- SUGGESTIONS TO PHYSICIANS 57
- BIBLIOGRAPHY 61
- FILMS 62
INTRODUCTION
This Bulletin has been prepared in response to many requestsfrom hunters, ranchers, telephone construction personnel, Boy Scoutsand others who spend much time outdoors, for a concise and illustratedguide to the poisonous snakes of Texas. The informationpresented is merely an outline of the poisonous snakes foundwithin the state and is not intended to replace the several excellentsnake books now on the market.
Sixteen species and subspecies of poisonous snakes, belongingto four general groups, are found in Texas. Th