HELENA — Montana may be known for its animals, like bears and moose, but on World Snake Day, Montana Wild shed light on some other animals that call it home.
"I came out because I heard that you get to touch a snake and you get to learn more about them, and I really like snakes. I would like a corn snake as a pet," said 11-year-old Serena Light who was roughly 30 people attending a Tuesday presentation.
"I think people are normally scared by them and try to kill them, but spiders and snakes are actually more scared of you than you are of them," Light said.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP), the Treasure State has ten native snake species, of which only one is venomous — the Prairie Rattlesnake.
FWP says that people are most likely to see Gartersnakes when outdoors.
Western Milksnakes, Plains Hog-nosed Snakes, and Smooth Greensnakes are the least common native snakes because they are a species of concern.
FWP says they are not classified as endangered, but "these species are considered 'at risk'" and "the concern is for the future of the species in the state of Montana and not necessarily to the future of the species nationally."
"We want to be able to keep the snakes here. They're all eating different animals [to] help control those pests because we all don't want mice in our house," said Josie Salois, an Americorp Montana Wild Educator.
Montana Wild's "Snakes of Montana" presentation looked at what makes a snake a snake and the differences between reptiles and amphibians.
Since Montana sees subzero temperatures over the winter, the presentation also discussed how snakes survive the challenging weather.
"Rattlesnakes, Gophersnakes, and sometimes North American Racers will all hibernate together, and they hibernate to stay warm – that way, they don't freeze," Salois said. "Depending on how warm it is out, they'll all come out in a mass hoard, and it will kind of look like the ground is moving. It happens within minutes, so if you come across one, you're either really lucky or unlucky depending on how much you like snakes."
Even though some people fear snakes, education can bring respect to these important animals.
"We grow up in a society where people are afraid of snakes, so the education aspect is really important. That's the best way to respect and be able to understand them better and why they're important to the ecosystem and the environment," said Salois.
FWP says that other than professionals, people should avoid getting near all wild snakes and other animals.
You can find more information about snakes native to Montana here.
FWP also recommends using the Montana Natural Heritage Project's website or app from a safe distance as an entry tool for when you see wild snakes.
