Snakes are not exactly everyone's favorite animal. Most are either repulsed or afraid of them. The idea of a long slithering creature who can sink their fangs into you is not exactly comforting.
There are parts of the world where snakes are found in abundance. In such areas, either humans completely avoid such areas or in case of human settlement, an adequate measure is taken to prevent coming in contact with these reptiles. The idea of snakes in Alaska sounds ludicrous, but staggering new pieces of evidence would make you rethink the question that ’are their snakes in Alaska.'
So, the big question still stands that whether or not Alaska has snakes. If you look at the map of the world and the geographical settings of Alaska, you would know that it is virtually impossible for a reptile to survive in that place. Every official record that you search will tell you simply that there are no snakes in Alaska but then what happens if a person living in Alaska finds a snake in their backyard. Alaska resident George Pierce came across the remains of a visitor he was never expecting to see in his backyard.
(Image Courtesy: Leafly)
The frozen remains of a 1.5 ft long reptile were found by Pierce who lives in Kasilof while he was out walking his dog. He was surprised as that particular snake is not only poisonous but also generally found in warm weather areas.
Another shocking discovery was made by one Jim Stevenson who is a professional birder. Stevenson leads birding tour groups all over the USA and in his stay in Alaska. He discovered that contrary to popular belief the place actually has snakes.
Though this discovery does not mean that Alaska is swarming with snakes, the country has a temperature that does not give good climatic conditions for reptiles to live and thrive there. Creatures like skunks, scorpions, raccoons, fleas, ticks, and lizards are not found in Alaska. Apart from them, there is one variety of snake that is found in Alaska, and that is a Garter snake, this variety is a Colubrid snake genus and very common across the whole stretch of North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada to Central America.
(Image Courtesy: Snake Removal)
This is the only species of snakes that are present in Alaska and is among the northernmost species of snakes, just like the Crossed Viper, which is the most northernmost species of snake. This is because this particular type of snakes have a un-particular diet and can very easily adapt to different landforms and biomes wherever there is the proximity of water. They also hibernate in large groups, unlike their southern counterparts. Garter snakes are carnivorous and eat almost any creature that they can easily overpower. These snakes have been spotted in the valley of the Stikine River and the Taku River. There have been no reports of any poisonous snakes in Alaska.
What are your views on the presence of snakes in Alaska and do you know which is the deadliest snake in the world? Let us know your opinions using the comment box below.
(Featured Image Courtesy: Are There Snakes in Alaska)
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