Stonington — Snakes have long been misunderstood.

Take the milk snake — one of Connecticut's 14 snake species — for example.

It's so named because, in ancient times, farmers were certain it was the snakes' fault when their cows produced less milk than usual.

And, though that belief has been debunked — the snakes hang around barns for the mice and rats, not to steal milk — it's misunderstandings such as these that local snake expert Mike Sanda hopes to defeat.

Speaking at the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Sunday night, Sanda — a chef at The Brazen Hen of Westerly by day — detailed each of the state's snake species, some of which were on hand for attendees to see up close.

He explained how only two of the species, the timber rattlesnake and the copperhead, are venomous. The others, though they can flatten themselves like vipers and shake like rattlers, merely emulate the more dangerous snakes when threatened in hopes their predators will go away.

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Toward the end of his interactive presentation, Sanda showed a video of the eastern hognose's defense mechanism, evoking laughs from the crowd: if its hissing and faux rattling don't scare a potential enemy off, the snake throws its mouth open, sticks its tongue out and slowly rolls over, playing dead and emitting a cadaverous stench to go along with the act.

Sanda said snakes in general "pose no threat to human beings whatsoever."

"They're not out to get people — they go in the opposite direction when they see you if they can," he explained. "The only reason a snake would try to bite you is if you were to try to pick one up or threaten it in any way."

People needlessly kill hundreds of snakes each year without realizing the snakes are not harmful, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

"Part of having a program like this is to help people lose their fear and gain an understanding and an appreciation for the species of snakes that we have here in Eastern Connecticut," said Elissa Bass, director of marketing and communications for the center.

She added that snakes are beneficial in many ways, one of which being that they act as a form of natural pest control.

Sanda, who said he's not a practiced public speaker, grew up in Stonington and has been interested in snakes since he was a kid.

"Whenever we can have people come in who are experts in local habitats, environments, animals or wildlife, we love to do that," Bass said. "The more we can educate people to appreciate what is in their backyard, or in their driveway or under a rock in their patio, the better off everybody is."

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle