TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT POISONOUS SNAKES OF TEXAS AND FIRST AID TREATMENT OF THEIR BITES BULLETIN NO. 31 Originally published February 1950 Revised February 1952 Reprinted May 1960 Revised July 1963; May 1964 Reprinted Jan. 1967 Reprinted Jan. 1969 Reprinted August 1970 _By_ JOHN E. WERLER Director, Houston Zoological Gardens [Illustration: Texas State Seal] Published by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 PRECAUTIONS AT HOME 5 PROTECTION IN THE FIELD 7 RECOGNIZING THE POISONOUS KINDS 8 THE PIT VIPERS 12 THE COPPERHEADS 13 Southern 14 Northern 16 Broadbanded 18 Trans-Pecos 20 THE COTTONMOUTH 22 Western Cottonmouth 22 THE RATTLESNAKES 25 Western Massasauga 26 Western Pigmy 28 Western Diamondback 30 Timber 34 Canebrake 36 Banded Rock 38 Mottled Rock 40 Blacktailed 42 Mojave 44 Prairie 46 THE ELAPID SNAKES 48 Texas Coral 48 VENOMS 52 DIAGNOSING THE BITE 53 SEVERITY OF THE BITE 54