The only state where venomous snakes don’t live

Alaska has many things, like beautiful landscapes and incredible natural views. But no snakes. No, there’s not a single native land snake there, venomous or not, which is quite a big contrast compared to almost every other state. What could be the reason for this? It may not be what you think.

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Where venomous snakes live in the U.S.

Venomous snakes exist in every state, barring Alaska. Rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths & coral snakes have all carved out territories in warm areas across the country, with nearly every state having a type of snake. Some of them have several. However, once you head far north, those ranges taper off fast, disappearing completely at Alaska’s border.

Maine and Hawaiʻi

However, there are two other outliers that are easy to overlook. Maine used to have timber rattlesnakes, but they disappeared ages ago, while Hawaiʻi never had native land snakes at all. But sometimes a sea snake drifts in with the current. Yet Alaska takes it further by not having any native venomous land or sea snakes whatsoever.

Cold limits snake biology

Snakes don’t make their own body heat because they’re cold-blooded, so they rely on the sun & warm surroundings to stay active. That’s not great in a place where most of the year is cold. Without reliable warmth, snakes can’t move fast or digest food properly, making it rather difficult for them to survive.

Too short a warm season

Even when Alaska does thaw out, it doesn’t last long, as the warm months are quick, and cool nights creep back in before you know it. That short summer makes it tough for snakes to find enough time to eat or grow. They can’t even mate. Yet in most of the U.S., there’s a big window for all that, which is why they tend to prefer living in other areas.

Permafrost limits winter dens for snakes

Another issue is the permafrost, in which a big part of Alaska’s ground stays frozen year-round. This causes practical problems for reptiles. Snakes need a place underground where they can ride out the cold without freezing solid, but permafrost doesn’t give them much to work with. The thawed soil in the summer is too shallow, so there aren’t many good places for winter shelter.

State law blocks importing venomous reptiles

The state also takes animal control rather seriously & it has rules that ban people from bringing in venomous snakes unless they have a special permit. And almost nobody gets those. Such regulations cut down the chance of anyone accidentally or intentionally letting something dangerous loose.

How snake sightings get reported in Alaska

Every once in a while, a snake turns up somewhere unexpected in Alaska. This is usually because it hitchhiked on a truck or in a shipment. Most of these cases involve non-venomous species that accidentally traveled north. However, officials still track everything closely, as it’s their way of making sure nothing slips under the radar.

The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article: