How can you tell a snake is poisonous by its eyes? About 8,000 people across North and South America are bitten by rattlesnakes each year, but with only about five fatalities per year. It could be poisonous. Slitted Eyes | Venomous snakes will have slitted, or elliptical eyes, much like a cats. Black snakes are not only excellent at guarding farms and hunting pests, but they are also highly gentle species. The pit in pit-viper refers to the heating sensing pit located between the eye and the nostrils on the snakes head. Like a cat's eye, venomous snakes have thin, black, vertical pupils surrounded by a yellow-green eyeball while non-venomous snakes have rounded pupils. Cottonmouths dont go out of their way to attack humans as theyd rather run away. But trust us on this, youll know a rattlesnake sound when you hear it. But if any snake does that to you, lets just call it a day shall we? Are Garden Snakes Poisonous Cat Eyed Snake! This is especially important for ambush predators like many venomous snakes which strike at prey that is moving quickly. Does that mean that all venomous snakes have elliptical pupils or that all snakes with this trait are venomous? Primarily nocturnal and terrestrial, they are capable of climbing and are strong swimmers. I am David, a snake enthusiast living in Naples, ABBR. Although snakes will not eliminate pests, they do help keep their numbers in check. As weve seen above, nearly all snakes have triangular heads. Do All Poisonous Snakes Have Cat Eyes - All Animals Guide