Most Kansans know to tread lightly when walking in the woods.

 

 A Chautauqua County resident recently captured video footage of a timber rattlesnake in a shed near their home.

 

Snake sightings in southeast Kansas are not rare, but just how many of them are dangerous? Of the 42 different species of snakes that are found in the Sunflower state, only 5 are venomous and only four of those are commonly found in the southeast part of the state.

 

Herpetologists at Fort Hays State university say copperheads are the most likely snake to be seen in southeast Kansas with the broad-banded variety seen in Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Montgomery, Wilson, and Woodson Counties. The timber rattlesnake has been spotted 49 times in Chautauqua County, and the Western Massasauga has been seen as well.

 

Bites by venomous snakes are rare as snakes tend to avoid humans even in the wild. Humans are nine times more likely to be hit by lightning than bitten by a venomous snake.

 

To learn more about what to do if you encounter a snake, go here.