How Georgia snakes are adapting to climate change

• Climate change is forcing snakes to adapt their behavior due to extreme weather like droughts and wildfires.
• During extended droughts, snakes conserve water by spending less time on the surface and moving to wetter habitats.

Extreme weather events such as intense, prolonged droughts and larger wildfires associated with climate change are forcing snakes and other wildlife to adapt in Georgia.

“Snakes are adapted to handle short periods of drought,” said Daniel Sollenberger, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division. “Bigger snakes, especially, are pretty good at retaining water. But they do need to drink some water.”

During extended droughts, snakes conserve water by changing their behavior, Sollenberger said.

“One of our researchers is radio-tracking eastern diamondback rattlesnakes,” he noted. “Eastern diamondbacks are normally upland snakes that live in fairly dry, open, sunny environments. But even those snakes — at least a portion of them — have retreated into a nearby river, which isn’t a habitat you normally associate them with.”

Snakes, said Sollenberger, are very adaptable creatures, even in the wake of more frequent and intense wildfires like the one that devastated a large swath of south Georgia in April.

Sollenberger said, fire itself isn’t new to Georgia. He said much of Georgia and the Southeast historically saw regular seasonal fires, often sparked by lightning in spring and summer. Snakes are generally adapted to those natural patterns, he added, which differ from the more severe wildfires seen in recent years.

Species that live in areas that have experienced frequent fire over hundreds of years have largely adapted to it, Sollenberger said.

“Anything that doesn’t tolerate fire doesn’t live there anymore, and most of the species that do are pretty well adapted to handling it,” he said. “Those fires historically were lower intensity because frequent burning prevented fuel from building up. Without all that fuel, fires don’t burn as hot.”

What are some common snakes in Georgia?

There are 47 species of snakes in Georgia, only seven of which are venomous, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Some of the most commonly seen nonvenomous snakes include:

• Eastern indigo snake
• Rat snake
• Brown snake

Venomous snakes found in Georgia include:

• Copperhead
• Northern cottonmouth
• Florida cottonmouth
• Eastern coral snake
• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pigmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

What to do if you see a snake

• Do not attempt to handle the snake. Give it space.
• If you want to identify it, do so from a distance.
• Online resources such as georgiawildlife.com/georgiasnakes, which includes DNR’s “Venomous Snakes of Georgia” brochure, can help.
• Snakes are predators that feed on small mammals, amphibians, insects, and even other snakes.
• There is no need to fear nonvenomous snakes. Georgia’s native nonvenomous species are protected by state law, and the eastern indigo snake is federally protected.
• If a clearly identified venomous snake poses a danger to people or pets, visit georgiawildlife.com/preventing-wildlife-conflicts for a list of private wildlife removal specialists.
• Many bites occur when a snake is cornered or captured and defending itself.

Snakes are common across Georgia, including urban and suburban areas, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division. As development and population growth continue, encounters between humans and snakes are likely to increase.

“To keep yourself safe and allow our native wildlife to thrive,” Sollenberger said in a news release, “give all snakes the space they require and the ability to escape on their own.”

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@usatodayco.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.