Don't Do This if You Encounter These Snakes in Mass (photos)

With the beautiful weather we have been experiencing on a regular basis, folks are out and about exploring the beautiful Berkshires. There are plenty of hiking trails to take advantage of and people are doing just that. Obviously, as you are out soaking in nature, you probably come across wildlife every so often. Bear sightings alone are running rampant this year.

The question may come up every once and a while as to if there are any venomous/poisonous snakes in Massachusetts. The answer is yes but according to Mass Audubon there are only two and both species are extremely rare and localized as they are both endangered in the Bay State.

The two species of snake that are venomous are the Northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and the Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus).

As you may suspect, it is illegal to kill, harass, or possess either of these species of snake.

If in the rare instance I encounter these snakes on my travels, what should I do?

If you found/find a venomous snake, call the Massachusetts Environmental Police at 1-800-632-8075 (dispatchers are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week).

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Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.