There Are Two Snakes That Are Illegal To Kill In Indiana

Some say "the best snake is a dead snake." However, did  you know that it's illegal to kill two specific snakes in Indiana? 

I will be the first to admit that I am deathly afraid of snakes. Big, small, venomous, or not, I want no part of them. It's been documented a few times.

However, I know that snakes are a necessary evil to have around, because they get rid of those little pests. Even though I would still take my chances with a mouse over a snake...I saw what that one snake tried to do to J-Lo and Ice Cube in that one move. Never saw a mouse cause that kind of damage....but I digress.

Indiana is home to 33 native snake species  of which only four are venomous. Two of the 33 snakes are actually illegal to kill. As a matter of fact, in the state of Indiana, you cannot kill, harm, ore take any snake from the wild without a permit. Even with said permit, there are still two snakes that are off limits to possess or kill. Those are the copperbelly water snake - a non-venomous snake - and the massasauga rattlesnake which is venomous.

Why?

These are two of many snakes that are endangered and threatened species. This is actually a part of an agreement between Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois that helps to protect this snake’s remaining habitat.

According to SnakesForPets.com, there are two kinds of punishments that you could face if you were to kill these snakes. The first is for breaking the Endangered Species Act, and the second is for violating state law.

The fine for breaking the Endangered Species Act is pretty steep. The maximum penalty is $50,000 or one year in prison. In the worst cases, you’ll face a fine and a sentence.

As far as the fine fines you will face for breaking state law, it varies. The maximum penalty will most likely be paying a few hundred dollars for killing these snakes.

So if you stumble across these snakes in  your home, and your natural reaction is to get the shovel and kill the creepy creature, you should probably find another alternative to get rid of it....or do what I would do and sell the house because where there is one snake, there's more!