All venomous snakes native to Missouri are members of the pit viper family. Pit vipers have a characteristic pit Iocated between the eye and nostril on each side of the head. Their pupils are elliptical in shape and they have a pair of well developed fangs. Our venomous species all have a single row of scales along the underside of the tail. Although the venomous snakes have a somewhat triangleshaped head, several harmless species, like the water snake, garter snakes and hognose snakes, can and do flatten their head and cause them to appear triangular in shape.
Harmless snakes lack the sensory pit and fangs.
They have round pupils and a double row of scales along the underside of their tail. The diamondback rattlesnake and coral snake are not found in Missouri. The most common venomous snake in Missouri is the copperhead. There is no record of a human death caused by a copperhead bite in this state. Snakebite is not a serious problem in Missouri.