Snakes slithering across Indiana

<p dir="ltr">No need to pity Indiana's snake population, but let's acknowledge that misconceptions abound about the reptiles that commonly evoke terror and scorn. Of the many species of snakes native to the state, only four are considered venomous.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hoosier History Live will spotlight those four - including the most rare, the dreaded <strong>water moccasin</strong> (also known as the <strong>cottonmouth</strong>) - along with a range of others in the spectrum of snake species. We also will discuss a lizard that's often mistaken for a snake because it is legless.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src= "http://hoosierhistorylive.org/images/Eastern-hog-nosed-snake.JPG" alt= "Engbrecht calls the eastern hog-nosed snake"theatrical." Its defensive behaviors include flattening its neck like a cobra, striking, hissing, vomiting, defecating and playing dead. Courtesy Indiana DNR." width="291" height="608" align="right" />The insights will come from Nelson's guest, herpetologist <strong>Nate Engbrecht</strong> of the <strong><a href= "https://www.in.gov/dnr/">Indiana Department of Natural Resources</a></strong>.</p> <p dir="ltr"> Some tidbits about a few of the snakes that can be found on Hoosier soil (or in the water):</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"><strong>Common gartersnake</strong>: Harmless to humans, it is "probably our most familiar local snake species," Nate says. Some Hoosiers call it a "gardener snake" or "garden snake."</li> <li dir="ltr"><strong>Water moccasin/cottonmouth</strong>: "A lot of people think they see water moccasins in Indiana, but the species is very rare," Nate says. "It has been documented at only one or two Indiana sites, and has not been verified in the state in over a decade. We have a number of non-venomous water snakes that are probably what most people are seeing." Documented sites have been in <strong>Dubois County</strong> and in <strong>Harrison County</strong>, along the Ohio River. But Nate emphasizes that only the Dubois County site is thought to still have the possibility of resident wa