Can you kill a snake in your yard in Mississippi? As theweatherheats up and people spend time outdoors, run-ins withsnakesare increasingly likely.
It is legal to kill most snakes found in Mississippi. But there are rules about when you need a license. Some species have federal protection.
Mississippi is home to more than50 types of snakes. A small number arevenomous.
Most snake-related interactions can be avoided by just walking away or letting themslitherto safety. Still, there are times when you might need to keep kids and pets safe.
Here's what we know about the rules protecting wildlife, venomous snakes that live in Mississippi and which species are protected.
Can you kill a snake in your yard in Mississippi?
Yes, Mississippi residents can kill a snake in their yard. Mississippi landowners, or people who live on the property, can kill a snake on their property, whether it's venomous or not.
It's one of a few specific exceptions when the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks allows killing a snake without a hunting orfishinglicense.
Nongame snakes and animals that have come inside a resident's building, damage plants and yards or hurt pets or livestock can be killed. Nonresidents are allowed to kill wildlife that enters a building they lease or rent.
If a venomous snake poses "a reasonable danger to human life," MDWFP regulations allow people to kill it.
In any of these cases, the animal's body has to be disposed of or allowed to decay in nature. You can't keep it as a trophy or sell it.
Mississippi landowners, or people who live on a property, can kill a snake on their property, whether it's venomous or not.
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When you need a license to kill a snake
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks oversees regulations for hunting and the management ofnongame speciesin the state.
Everyone needs the appropriate hunting/fishing license to harvest snakes for personal use, according to MDWFP information. No more than 20 nongame snakes and lizards can be taken a year. No more than four specimens of a species or subspecies should be taken from the wild in a year.
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Venomous snakes found in Mississippi
TheMississippi Poison Control Centervia the University of Mississippi Medical Center listsvenomoussnakes and other animals, like spiders, stingrays and jellyfish.
The list of dangerous snakes includes:
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Timber rattlesnakes
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Pygmy rattlesnakes
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Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes
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Water moccasins (also called Cottonmouths)
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Coral snakes
Snake Snap lists eight snakes with venom. The site includes specific variations of some species: Western Cottonmouth and Northern Cottonmouth, along with the Dusky and Western variations of Pygmy Rattlesnakes.
Snakes you cannot legally kill
TheEndangered Species Acthelps protectnative wildlifeand plants from dying off entirely. The MDWFP lists several animals that are protected, including the black bear, Florida Panther and gopher tortoise. All sea turtles, sawback turtles and two kinds of bat are also protected.
These snakes are protected because they're listed as an endangered species:
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Black pine snake
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Eastern indigo snake
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Rainbow snake
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Southern hognose snake
The Eastern Indigo Snake hasn't been seen in decades in Mississippi. It's now considered rare in the state or extirpated, meaning locally extinct.
Bonnie Boldenis the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her atbbolden@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger:Is it legal to kill a snake in your yard? What Mississippi law says
