The Lone Star State is famous for its tornadoes, country music, the Alamo, cowboy culture, and, as of a few years ago, Sheldon Cooper, a fictional figure.
Black widow spiders, alligators, mountain lions, and scorpions are among the animals and predators found in Texas.
Not to mention snakes, which are probably everyone’s biggest nightmare. Even though there are many innocuous snake species in the area, there are also some deadly ones to be aware of, particularly in Texas’ lakes.
The following waters are among the state’s most snake-infested.
Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake is a 25,400-acre wetland that flows along the Texas-Louisiana border. Until the US removed them in the 19th century, the local Caddoans lived in the area around the lake and gave it its name.
Caddo Lake is thought to have formed as a result of the New Madrid earthquakes in 1811–1812. But according to geologists, the lake was created by the Great Raft.
The waterways are infested with snakes and threatened by a weed called Salvinia molesta, sometimes known as Great Salvinia, which destroys life just below the water’s surface.
According to a research, tourists may come across any one of the 32 snake species that call the lake and its surroundings home.
The North American racer, western rat snake, and northern cottonmouth are the most prevalent species. Timber rattlesnakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, and crayfish snakes are other common snakes.
Lewisville Lake
Lewisville Lake, a vital water source for Dallas, was constructed to handle flood overflow. With three dining options and six marinas, this reservoir serves large visitors during the summer.
Snakes such as speckled kingsnakes, western coachwhips, and yellow-bellied racers are frequently encountered by visitors to the lake.
Additionally, the lake serves as a home for poisonous snakes such as the copperhead and western cottonmouth.
The majority of snakebites in the United States are caused by these two species, which are very similar to one another. When copperheads are startled by guests, they become especially hostile.
Diamondback water snakes and broad-banded watersnakes are two other snake species found in Lewisville Lake.
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend is another snake-infested reservoir in Texas. The largest artificial body of water in the South is located on the Sabine River between Louisiana and Texas.
This implies that snakes are able to swim and float in large bodies of water. This lake is home to at least seven species, including southern copperheads, eastern cottonmouths, Texas coral snakes, and prairie kingsnakes. Here, some people have reported seeing western pygmy and canebrake rattlesnakes.
Another 186,000-acre fishing paradise is Toledo Bend Reservoir, where largemouth bass concentrations peak in the spring.
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Lake Texoma
About 726 miles upstream on the Red River, Denison Dam created Lake Texoma, one of the biggest bodies of water in the United States. With almost 6 million tourists annually, this reservoir is also quite well-liked.
Everyone who visits Lake Texoma should be on the lookout for snakes in addition to the regular sight of alligators. Western diamondback racers and copperheads are slithering about here.
At the lake, the much-dreaded rattlesnake also appears. Other species include pygmy rattlesnakes, western ribbon snakes, shiny snakes, Texas coral snakes, and more.
Cottonmouths, western diamondback racers, and rattlesnakes are all deadly in addition to the venomous copperhead.
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Lake Sweetwater
At its deepest point, Lake Sweetwater is 45 feet deep and encompasses 630 square acres. People from Texas and the wider US use the nearby recreation area because it has an 18-hole golf course and other amenities.
This tranquil lake is the ideal location for anyone who wants to go boating or fishing.
Snakes are common in the surroundings and the water, though, much like in most other lakes in Texas.
Every year in March, some 25,000 people come the lake to witness the World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup.
When farmers and ranchers in the region attempted to eradicate the rapidly growing western diamondback rattlesnake population in 1958, this custom was born.
These days, the rattlesnake hunters compete to locate the enormous snake, which they then transport to the Nolan County Coliseum Complex.
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Conclusion
Snakes are abundant in most of Texas’ lakes. These enormous water bodies are home to more than 105 distinct snake species and subspecies, making them ideal habitats for both venomous and non-venomous snakes.
Moreover, even though this may sound frightening, these snakes support Texas’s biodiversity. Since these animals are essential to the biological balance of lakes, it is imperative that we treat them with respect and give them plenty of space whenever we come across them in the wild.
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