The Most Dangerous Snake Found in Washington State

The Most Dangerous Snake Found in Washington State

As we officially approach wintertime in Washington state, snakes everywhere are hunkering down in their homes to hibernate for the winter. Some will take advantage of hibernation to hit up snake Tinder and begin their search for a mate to make some cute snake babies. Other snakes will simply take a nice long nap after enjoying a fun hot snake summer. Which one of the 12 species of snakes found in Washington is the most dangerous snake to be found here?

The honor of being named the most dangerous snake found in Washington state goes to, drum roll please…

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The Western Rattlesnake, a.k.a. Pacific Rattlesnake, a.k.a. Northern Pacific Rattlesnake.

DON’T HURT THE SNAKES!

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I get it, snakes are very scary. I can’t keep up with which ones are deadly or not, so they are all deadly to me. I freeze up like a deer in headlights when I come across one in my path. My legs go numb and tingly from fear. But they are important natural predators and they, too, have a special place in this world, especially when that place is FAR FROM ME.

HOW OFTEN DO WESTERN RATTLESNAKES BITE HUMANS IN WASHINGTON?

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A Western Rattlesnake is the most dangerous of all snakes found in Washington state but ONLY if you get too close. Humans aren’t their jam. They prefer to feast on “mice, woodrats, ground squirrels, and young rabbits and marmots.” (Bentler.US) Western (Pacific) Rattlesnakes rarely bite humans, so that’s the GOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE!

I AM A SNAKE GEEK. WHAT IS THE SPECIUS NAME FOR A WESTERN RATTLESNAKE?

The scientific species names for the Western Rattlesnake is Crotalus viridis oreganus and Croatus viridis.

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WHERE ARE WESTERN RATTLESNAKES FOUND IN WASHINGTON STATE?

Western Rattlesnakes live in Washington, Oregon, and California. In Washington state, they mainly like to live in their “hibernaculum” in Eastern Washington, but have been seen as far as Seattle. They have also been spotted in Idaho.

HOW LONG DO THOSE WESTERN RATTLESNAKE SUCKERS GET?

Adult Western Rattlesnakes can grow anywhere from 18” to four )4) feet long. That’s about the size of a ruler and a half to the size of an average 5th grader. As my kinfolk from The South would say, “Them suckers are long!” (Bentler.US)

DO’S AND DONT’S OF WASHINGTON’S MOST DANGEROUS SNAKE

1 . Don’t attempt to capture them, and don’t keep wild ones as pets.

2 . Don’t try to keep a Western Rattlesnake as a pet. They are protected by federal law.

3 . If you get bit by a Western Rattlesnake, go to the ER to get anti-venom. If you can’t get to the ER then call the WA Poison Center helpline at 1 (800) 222-1222. 

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LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I AM A SNAKE GEEK. IS THERE A PODCAST I CAN LISTEN TO ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE’S MOST DANGEROUS SNAKE, THE WESTERN RATTLESNAKE?

Calm your fangs, science geek! You can listen to this cool podcast from KUOW interviewing a wildlife biologist from the US Forest Service. It's about 35 minutes long. He speaks about the time he went searching for a den of Northern Pacific rattlesnakes in Washington state.

SEE ALSO: Washington’s 12 Species of Snakes. See Pics of The One That Can Kill You!

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I am not a snake expert by any means so if you see something in this article that needs to be corrected or any typos, please email me here.