Where Will You Encounter North Dakota Rattlesnakes?

Bismarck/Mandan what are the chance's of tripping over a poisonous rattlesnake?

For Bismarck, chances are awful slim...Mandan on the other hand, a little diligence would be advised.  The Missouri River is pretty much the eastern boundary for North Dakota's only venomous snake the Prairie Rattlesnake. There apparently have been random sightings North and East of the river.  But I've had conversations with people in Mandan that over the years have claimed to see them in their backyard gardens.

Maybe you seen a rattler around Bismarck/Mandan?  Please share your story with us in the comments.

But the farther west you travel in North Dakota, the more prevalent they become.  Thick prairie grasses or shady Badlands formations are your best bet to encounter a Prairie Rattlesnake.

The good news?  They want nothing to do with you and are pretty slow with a top speed around 3 MPH.  The easiest way to get yourself a snake bite?  Mess with them.  Go ahead, we'll wait for the screams.  Plus we ain't sucking out the poison because that's just silly- so says Mental Floss.  So be mentally alert and keep your eyes and ears open.  For goodness sake they've got a rattle on their tail warning you to go away!  Interesting little fact, the non-venomous Bull Snake attempts to mimic the sound of the rattle by pounding their tails on the ground and leaves.  Nature has pretty cool survival techniques.

North Dakota actually only has ten types of snakes.  There's three versions of Garter Snakes, Racer Snakes, Red-bellied Snake, Smooth Greensnake, Plains Hog-nosed Snake, Western Milksnake, Bullsnake, and of course the only venomous one of them all- the Prairie Rattlesnake.

Odds are you'll hurt yourself more panicking than just calmly strolling away.