Biodiversity of Alabama: Poisonous and Parasitic Species

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Biodiversity of Alabama Poisonous and Parasitic
Species
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• 79. Copperhead
• Agkistrodon contortrix
• hourglass markings
• most common poisonous snake in the woods of north
  Alabama
• Ambush predator
• Least poisonous venom of all North America
  snakes, but bite is painful
• Not aggressive, but camouflage is so good that
  people can get bitten if they come upon it
  without seeing it

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• 80. Timber Rattlesnake
• Crotalus horridus
• chevrons on back are characteristic
• One of the pit vipers has heat-seeking organs
  on head to detect prey, such as small mammals
• Numbers are declining
• Powerful venom, but not aggressive, usually gives
  warning display before attacking

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• 81. Cottonmouth or water moccasin
• Agkistrodon piscivorus (name means fish-eater)
• pattern or solid black,
• inside of mouth white, shows open mouth in threat
  display
• found near water
• aggressive

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• 82. Coral snake
• south Alabama only
• red on yellow, kill a fellow
• Not much of a threat to humans because they are
  so shy and fangs are short
• Compare to Scarlet Kingsnake red on black,
  venom lack

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• 83. Black Widow
• found in undisturbed protected areas (old
  woodpiles, stumps, dry drains, old stacks of
  newspapers, etc.)
• red hourglass on abdomen
• neurotoxin affects nervous system

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• 84. Brown Recluse
• also found in undisturbed areas like the black
  widow
• dark brown violin shape on thorax (fiddleback)
• Necrotic effect of poison (eats away tissue)

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• 85. Order Hymenoptera
• Flying stinging insects bees, wasps,
  yellowjackets
• Includes fire ants (also invasive)

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86. Poison Ivy

• grows as a low weedy plant, a climbing vine or a
  shrub
• Leaves of three, let it be.
• Hairy vines on trees are also poisonous

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87. Poison Sumac

• a woody shrub or small tree growing 20 ft tall.
• Grows only in wet areas, such as swamps, bogs
• All parts of the plant contain a resin that
  causes skin and mucous membrane irritation to
  humans.
• When burned, inhalation of the smoke may cause
  the rash to appear on the lining of the lungs,
  causing extreme pain and possibly fatal
  respiratory difficulty
• Has compound leaves, with 7-13 leaflets per leaf

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• 88. Leech
• parasite on freshwater organisms
• produces an antisthetic (numbs site) and
  anticoagulant (keeps blood from clotting)

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• 89. Deer tick
• very small (adults are the two on the left below)
• Bites host to get a blood meal before reproducing
• may transmit Lyme disease causes bulls
  eye-shaped rash, then joint pain, fever, flu-like
  symptoms