ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- Twenty-one species of snakes are known to reside at Arnold Air Force Base.
The rarest of these is the Northern pine snake, which is listed as a threatened species in Tennessee. The pine snake is a large-bodied snake that can grow up to 6.5 feet long. It is not venomous, but if threatened will coil, fill its lungs with air and make a loud bloodcurdling hissing sound while shaking its tail like a rattlesnake. This may scare off predators such as skunks or foxes but usually gets them killed by people.
Many of the larger-bodied snakes, like gray rat snakes, will shake their tails in leaf litter when disturbed and are easily mistaken for rattlesnakes. Timber rattlesnakes have never been documented on base, most likely because there is not good habitat here for them. They do occur in areas not too far from the base where there is appropriate habitat. Some snakes, like the eastern hognose snake can also be mistaken for rattlesnakes based on coloration. Hognose snakes will also flare out the skin around their head and neck similar to a cobra. If that doesn’t dissuade the threat, they will roll over and play dead.
The only venomous snake that has been found on Arnold AFB is the northern copperhead. The copperhead has brownish crossbands on a tan-to-orangish body and is well-camouflaged amongst fallen leaves on the forest floor. The head is much wider than the neck, a feature of the pit vipers. Other snakes, like water snakes, will flatten their head, making it look broader, and many harmless and beneficial snakes are killed because they are misidentified as copperheads. The copper-colored head and cat-like pupil are good distinguishing characteristics of the copperhead. Copperheads live in a variety of habitats and will take cover under scattered wooden boards, tin sheets and other debris.
Sometimes venomous snakes don’t inject any venom when they bite. This is called a dry bite. The snake needs its venom to capture food, so there are costs associated with injecting venom for defensive purposes. There is no set rule for when a venomous snake will dry bite, so always seek medical help if you are bitten.
It is important to remember that snakes serve an important ecological function. They also benefit humans directly by eating rodents that cause property damage, spread infectious diseases and damage crops. Many also eat insects. Aquatic snakes help maintain healthy fish populations by weeding out sick fish before others can be infected. King snakes are actually immune to pit viper venom (e.g. copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths) and will eat them and other snakes.
Snakes are currently under threat from an emerging fungal pathogen called Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, or more simply called Snake Fungal Disease. Some of the typical symptoms include lesions, flaking and swelling of the skin. The effects can cause more frequent shedding of the skin, which burns energy and can sometimes cause lesions around the eyes and/or nostrils, affecting their ability to hunt.
Recognizing the benefits of snakes and the potential loss posed by this emerging pathogen, the Department of Defense initiated a nationwide study to determine its prevalence. Arnold AFB is participating in the study by capturing snakes on base, taking samples by swabbing their bodies, and submitting them to a central laboratory for analysis. Unfortunately, a gray rat snake sampled on base in 2018 tested positive for the fungus. Funding for the DOD-wide project was again available for 2021 and 2022, with DOD bases nationwide, including Arnold AFB, participating. For more information regarding the DOD’s work with snakes, other reptiles and amphibians, visit https://www.denix.osd.mil/dodparc/.