Every Major Venomous Snake in the US, Explained in 13 Minutes

Around 7,000 to 8,000 Americans are bitten by venomous snakes every year, and you've probably walked past one of these 8 snakes without knowing. Meet the venomous snakes of the United States, from the Copperhead to the Eastern Diamondback, and learn how to identify them and stay safe. In this video: where each snake lives, how it hunts, what its venom does, how to tell it apart from harmless look-alikes, and what to do if you're ever bitten. ⏱️ CHAPTERS You've probably walked past one 1. Copperhead 2. Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin) 3. Timber Rattlesnake 4. Sidewinder 5. Eastern Coral Snake 6. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake 7. Mojave Rattlesnake 8. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake What to do if you're bitten 🐍 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How Copperhead camouflage and freezing behavior put people at risk How to tell a Cottonmouth from a harmless water snake Why the Timber Rattlesnake is protected in many states How the Sidewinder moves across hot desert sand Why the Coral Snake's venom is different, and why the rhyme can't be trusted How to tell a Mojave Rattlesnake from a Western Diamondback Why the Eastern Diamondback, the largest venomous snake in North America, is in decline 🔬 SCIENCE & SOURCES Bites and deaths per year in the US: CDC/NIOSH, "Venomous Snakes." https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-wor... Who dies from US snakebites: Greene SC, Folt J, Wyatt K, Brandehoff NP. "Epidemiology of fatal snakebites in the United States 1989–2018." American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2021;45:309–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2020.0... Copperhead tail luring: Pisani GR, Riedle JD. "Ontogenetic changes in tail-length and the possible relation to caudal luring in northeast Kansas copperheads." Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 2018;121(3–4):403–410. https://doi.org/10.1660/062.121.0417 Heat-sensing pits (pit vipers): Gracheva EO et al. "Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes." Nature, 2010;464:1006–1011. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08943 How the Sidewinder climbs sand: Marvi H et al. "Sidewinding with minimal slip: snake and robot ascent of sandy slopes." Science, 2014;346(6206):224–229. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1255718 Mojave Rattlesnake venom variation (neurotoxic vs. hemorrhagic): Strickland JL et al. "Evidence for divergent patterns of local selection driving venom variation in Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus)." Scientific Reports, 2018;8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35... Eastern Diamondback and rattlesnake roundups: Means DB. "Effects of rattlesnake roundups on the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)." Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 2009;4:132–141. 🚑 IF YOU'RE BITTEN (educational summary) Stay calm, call 911, keep the limb still, and remove rings or watches before swelling starts. Do not cut the bite, suck out venom, or use a tourniquet or ice. Get to a hospital as fast as possible. In the US you can also reach Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. 💬 Which of these 8 would you least want to meet? Tell me in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for more animals that look harmless until they aren't. ⚠️ This video is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Any suspected venomous snakebite is a medical emergency. #VenomousSnakes #Snakes #Rattlesnake