Reptiles
Eastern Fox Snake
Pantherophis gloydi · also called fox snake
A hiker spots a coppery-headed snake buzzing its tail against dry leaves near a Great Lakes marsh and backs away, certain it must be a rattlesnake, when in fact the eastern fox snake making all that noise has no rattle, no venom, and no real defence beyond a convincing bluff.
Overview
The eastern fox snake, Pantherophis gloydi, is a harmless, non-venomous constrictor native to wetland and adjacent grassland habitat around the Great Lakes in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and southern Ontario. Its uncanny rattlesnake-mimicking tail vibration, musky defensive odour, and unfortunate habit of being killed by people who mistake it for a dangerous species make it one of the more misunderstood snakes in the region.
A convincing bluff with no bite behind it
Lacking any venom or rattle of its own, the eastern fox snake relies entirely on looking and sounding like something far more dangerous, a bluff effective enough against predators but one that too often backfires when people are the ones being fooled.
Status
Endangered across much of its limited Great Lakes wetland range, with populations declining as marshes and wet meadows are drained or developed, leaving surviving populations increasingly fragmented.
Eastern Fox Snake: common questions
Why is the eastern fox snake often killed by mistake?
This species has a coppery-orange head and a blotched brown body pattern that leads many people to mistake it for a copperhead or a rattlesnake, and when alarmed it vibrates its tail rapidly against dry leaves to produce a buzzing sound resembling a rattlesnake's rattle, a combination of appearance and defensive behaviour that often results in this entirely harmless, non-venomous species being killed out of unnecessary fear.
Is the eastern fox snake dangerous to people?
No, this species has no venom at all and kills its prey exclusively through constriction, posing no real danger to people beyond a defensive bite if it is handled or cornered, which is far less serious than the bite of the venomous species it is often mistaken for.
Why does the eastern fox snake smell musky?
When threatened or picked up, an eastern fox snake releases a strong musky secretion from glands near the base of its tail, a smell some observers compare to a fox, that likely serves as a defensive deterrent to predators and gives the species its common name.
Why is the eastern fox snake considered endangered?
This species is closely tied to marsh and wet meadow habitat around the Great Lakes, a naturally limited range that has shrunk considerably due to widespread wetland drainage and shoreline development, leaving remaining populations fragmented and increasingly dependent on the protection of the wetland habitat that still survives.