North America does not have any indigenous species of venomous snakes that are long and slender, so it can be immediately known that a shed fitting this description will be from a nonvenomous snake, for example.
Also take note of the girth of the shed, as some species of snakes are heavier or shorter bodied than others, which may be relatively longer and slender. Take note of the overall size of the shedding, as this can oftentimes rule out small species, although this will not account for possible young or juvenile snakes of the same large species. Other minor families found in some areas of North America include the Boidae (two species, found in the southwestern to northwestern United States and southwestern Canada), and the Elapidae (primarily the venomous coral snakes).Įxamining the overall shedding can oftentimes provide some additional clues or information into the species of snake that left it. With this stated, there are two main scientific families of snakes found in most areas of North America and Canada Colubridae (which include the vast majority of harmless and/or nonvenomous North American snakes), and the Crotalinidae (which include the heavier bodied species of pit vipers including rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths). If there is a shedding found that still is unfamiliar, or cannot be keyed out using any of the information below, the Madison Area Herpetological Society is always more than glad to assist in further identifying or keying out the shed to the best of our ability and information given. The article will focus only on shedding inquiries for native, or indigenous snake species in North America, as these tend to be the most commonly encountered and likely candidates for the vast majority of such IDs in the U.S. a freshly deposited shed that is still soft or wet. Sheds from snakes can also be fragile, and easily torn by the wind, other animals, or other natural elements, etc and will often become more brittle over time vs. It can be much more difficult to accurately ID or pinpoint the species if only fragments of a shed are available, although it may still be easy or possible in some cases depending on the species. Many snakes in adequate health will shed their skins in a single, or several large pieces, making identification of their sheds more possible.
While it can often be difficult to determine a species from an imprecise photo lacking details and/or without a precise location given (such as the state and region the shed was found in), it can also oftentimes be possible to accurately identify a shedding if these details (to be briefly discussed and highlighted below) are included in the description and/or photos of any given shedding ID inquiry. Oftentimes, a photo may be taken or included, and the question and/or concern of whether the snake is venomous or nonvenomous is also very frequently asked. One very commonly seen and asked question and topic that recently has been asked with greater frequency both online through Facebook, social media, and other forums, as well as in person, is identifying snakes based on their shed, or sheddings being found or left behind.
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