Do you know how many U.S. states have venomous snakes? And I'm talking about venomous snakes, not just snakes in general. 

If you don't know, go ahead and take a guess. I can hear your thoughts churning… 

Okay, Alaska's too cold, and several of the northern states are probably too cold, too. All southern states have snakes but do they all have venomous snakes? Hmm, what about Hawaii? 

I bet your guess is in the 30s range, right? Yeah, I'm sure there are more states with snakes, but you asked about venomous snakes!

Well, unless you only eliminated 4 states from your list, you'd be wrong. 46 of the 50 United States have venomous snakes!  (I'll tell you which 4 at the end.)

That's why, no matter where you're traveling, you should be up on your snake safety. Venomous or not, you need to know how to avoid snakes and what to do if you encounter one. This knowledge can keep you, your kids, and your pet safe!

Types of Venomous Snakes in Each State

Chances are, the first venomous snake you'd think to find in America is a rattlesnake. For good reason. We have 32 different species of rattlesnakes in the U.S., but they're not the only potential threat. 

Some rattlesnakes in the U.S. don't have "rattle" in their name, including sidewinders and massasaugas, but they are still rattlesnakes.

Then there are the copperheads and cottonmouths (aka water moccasins). These snakes are pit vipers like rattlers but do not have a rattle at the end of their tail. Although, some are known to shake their tail like rattlesnakes!

Last, there are the coral snakes. These colorful snakes are most closely related to cobras and mambas and have a very toxic venom.