# what kinda snake is it?



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I've got gobs of these in my back yard and they're all over my housing complex. The beags like to munch on em. Are they poison?


----------



## tmtrainz (Feb 9, 2010)

Most likely a copperhead. Yes, it's poisonous. To confirm this, since there's no head, turn it over and look at the scales on the underside, near the tail. Here's a link for what to look for. 

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/factsnake.htm 

Look about halfway down on the website, there's a picture comparing venomous to non-venomous. 

If it's truly a copperhead, and it's poisonous, the scales should be straight across.


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

that's what I was afraid of;


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, on the tv reality show "The Exterminators" Young Billy says if the eyes are slits they are poisonous, if they are round they are non venomous, Hmmmmmmmmmm or iis it the other way around, going from memory, hope I don't run into one and have it bass ackwards!! Yikes Anyways check it out and let me know if it's the other way around. I would never get close enough to one to see the difference anyway!! I've only seen a couple in my yard and they were bull snakes!! Regal


----------



## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like a classic copperhead:  copperhead  

... The Copperhead Snakes are not as toxic as other snakes ... 

another source 

A Copperhead snake bite needs medical attention, is extremely painful, and may cause extensive scarring and loss of use. Many people are bitten while trying to kill or handle the snake. Don't take chances -- avoid these snakes.


----------



## tmtrainz (Feb 9, 2010)

Regal, 

Check out the above link. Tells you all you need to know. Without the head, there's obviously some problems with identification of poisonous vs. non-poisonous snakes, which is why i suggested looking at the belly scales near the tail.


----------



## curlyp (Sep 4, 2009)

All snakes are poisonous until confirmed otherwise at the autopsy!


----------



## ZachsPappaw (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, looks like a Copperhead to me, very very bad news, can kill an animal including your dogs. Although the dogs look like their doing pretty good at reducing the population.


Good luck


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Last year I had one streak right toward me on my bench under the grape pergula. It didn't attack me and disappeared under the fence to my neighbor's yard. I see their skin hanging around the plants. The structures I'm building, unfortunately, will probably be great homes for these animals and require great caution. 

Fortunately, the hounds can usually smell the snakes from a few feet away. They freeze and proceed with caution and dart back and forth like a mongoose I once saw in a habu snake fight on Okinawa.


----------



## ZachsPappaw (Jan 3, 2008)

BTW, around here, their know to like a shady damp area like around an old rock wall, creek bed, old foundation, etc.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

In 7 years I've had 2 rattle snakes show up. 
I respect them and they respected me. I didn't bite them and they didn't bite me. 
I stayed and they moved on. 
John


----------



## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Most definately a copperhead. I got bit by one of the sumbitches when I was 20. Spent 36 hours in the hospital. I prefer rattlers, at least they are polite enough to let you know they are there.


----------



## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

I don't debate whether a snake is poisonous or not. To me the only good snake is a dead snake. I keep a .410 right next to my garage door to take care of these guys. I have killed a few in my layout.
Paul


----------



## post oak and otter lake (Dec 27, 2007)

I agree with Paul. We had one come on the patio yesterday. I guess he was upset because we did yard work Saturday. Our most common poisonous type is water moccasin, but we do have rattlers too. 

Roger


----------



## Bill C. (Jan 2, 2008)

Dumbbell markings on the back is one way to identify a copperhead. A lemon yellow tail means a young copperhead.


----------



## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

Posted By curlyp on 24 May 2010 09:36 AM 
All snakes are poisonous until confirmed otherwise at the autopsy!  


that's my man!
down here, many of us go by the distance.

in the pasture and in the bush every snake is usefull.
(they decimate propagation of rabies carriers)



around the house in the yard and the garden every snake is poisonous!
(the time you need to decide, what it is, is just the time a poisonous snake needs to bite)
where our children and our pets roam, we don't take risks.
we know enough persons, who have been bitten, to know how painfull and dangerous a bite can be.


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Gives me the heebiegeebies!


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm not much of a gun guy, but if I had that kind of problem, I'd also keep a .410 shotgun handy.


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Raised on a farm where we had them boogers, they really get pissed when they go through a hay baler, catching hay on the wagon behind the baler really makes you get an eye for them, when they get cut on the knife they really get viscious. Look for the hour glass on their back. The hour glass is almost a guarantee, the bull snake is similiar but browner. You can see the hourglass marking across the back on the above picture. 
They are also known to not avoid you and bite you, also the little ones have more poison in their bite, The bite really needs medical attention, watch the dogs. There is a powder/pellets you can sprinkle around your house or RR that helps to repell them. Magnesium powder I think is what it is. 
Watch them boogers. 
Dennis


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

If the snake has round pupils like humans, it is non poisonous, if the snake has pupils like a cats eye, it is poisonous. 
Ron


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Hold still you silly snake so I can see your pupils!

Somehow, Garth Harple comes to mind.


----------



## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

Mothballs seems to work good in keeping them away from the house for us here. If one of your dogs gets bitten give them a benadryl. I have always heard black snakes will kill all of the poisonous snakes around and keep them away, my grandfather actually saw a black snake kill a copperhead. We live in the country and I am bad for leaving the garage door open all day..... 

Johnny


----------



## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Lots of copperheads in Tenn. My cousin had a dog that got bit by one and the dog was sick for a while but he survived. But he developed a huge hatred of copperheads and he haunted them out, killed them and would bring their limp bodies back to my uncles. Everyday there would be a dead copperhead or two in the drive. I saw him kill one once and he was merciless. A great dog to have around on a hike through the woods.


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Yep. It is a Copperhead. We have them around here but they do not tend to be aggressive if left alone. Usually I only see little ones (not mamma or pappa).

The former owner's kid was bit by a Copperhead but that was because he was playing with (handling) it.

I probably have at least one under my deck now because when I spotted him a couple of weeks ago he was laying between the deck and the cross-ties. I got my 12 gauge (I never bother with anything smaller) but the sucker was laying on my switch wires and I did not want to shoot my wiring. 

I got a stick and lifted him up gently so I could lay him where I could blast him but he slipped off the stick and under the deck. Darn.

It is true that king snakes eat other snakes but I cannot help myself. If I see a snake I shoot first and figure out what kind of snake it was later.

Our daughter once spotted a king snake way up on the side of our house at least 15 feet above the ground along the grout line. I would not have believed it was possible if I had not seen it.

Snakes are in and can get into far more places than most folks realize.

Jerry


----------



## NedsTJ (Apr 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 27 May 2010 08:12 AM 

I got my 12 gauge (I never bother with anything smaller) but the sucker was laying on my switch wires and I did not want to shoot my wiring. 


Jerry


I would have replaced the wiring...


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By NedsTJ on 28 May 2010 10:57 AM 
Posted By Jerry McColgan on 27 May 2010 08:12 AM 

I got my 12 gauge (I never bother with anything smaller) but the sucker was laying on my switch wires and I did not want to shoot my wiring. 


Jerry


I would have replaced the wiring... 

If it had been a rattler (I have yet to see one in the wild) or a cotton mouth the wiring would have been history.

A little copperhead is one of very few snakes I would get close enough to pick up with a stick. Where there is one there WILL be others. It may be better for him to have gotten away because now I know he is around. If I had killed him I might have relaxed and accidentally found one of his siblings.

I could tell stories of snake hunting you would never believe. My former neighbor's wife did not until we brought a (BIG) garbage sack home full of dead snakes years ago. You would not believe how bad a garbage can full of dead snakes smells - it is about the worst thing I have ever smelled - and it really ticked my wife off big time (she is petrified of the tiniest of snakes).

I was a city boy from Chicago but I fell in with some very bad Arkies who taught me things no city boy knows. I discovered I really loved to go snake hunting. I used to go out on the deck with a .223 and wait for a snake or turtle to show up. I even have a shooting bench I built for the purpose. I have not done that in a long time. Now where did I leave that Mini-14?

Jerry


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Darn, no snakes in the pond but at least now the rifle is sighted in.


----------



## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Sheesh...now I'm wishing I'd never read this thread! 

We have a saying up here for a person (usually a women) who is really unpredictable and best avoided: "She's a bag of rattlesnakes". 
My sister lives in Costa Rica, home of some of the scariest snakes in the world (ie. terciopela sp?). No way could I ever live there... 
I have a healthy respect for all these creatures...who was it that said, "the bite of the rattlesnake is as necessary as the smell of a flower", or something like that? 

Keith


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Snakes you say! Ca'mon down.










Or, how about a little gator tail, fer supper?


















Just what makes you think being a surveyor in Florida, isn't fun eh?


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 28 May 2010 04:58 PM 
Snakes you say! Ca'mon down.






I think I would have to take the plug out of the 12 gauge but I just might get away without having to reload.

Can I come?

Can I come?

Can I come?

Whatdayasay huh???









That looks like a barrel of fun or is it tube candy?


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

The rattler's aren't the worry, it's the Florida 'Cottonmouth' Water Moccasin, them little feller's are down right aggressive. They'll not only stand their groound and strike, they'll outright charge and chase after you.

Oh, and don't think that it's only snakes that can climb, gators can too, yep right over 6-7 foot chainlink fences.


----------



## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

This thread is just plain WRONG! LOL


----------



## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 28 May 2010 04:58 PM 
Snakes you say! Ca'mon down.










Or, how about a little gator tail, fer supper?


















Just what makes you think being a surveyor in Florida, isn't fun eh? 








Steve, is that for real!!!! The snakes I meant. Are they some sort of pipes in the second photo. Imagine entering one of them on a sunny day. By the time your eyes adjusted you'd be gone.


----------



## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Dan

Yes sir, both of the photographs are for real nothing was staged, they were taken at different sites on different road projects that my son was the chief surveyor on. Well I guess you could say the gator photograph was staged, cause he sure wouldn't stay put if he had his druthers, for that matter I figure the people wouldn't be just standing around so casually either.









The snakes were in a corrugated culvert pipe going under a road, and yes in the gator picture those are pipes. While I'm not certain but I believe that what you see in the snake picture has to do with mating where they all pile like that.


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

And then there are the HUGE Burmese Pythons etc. working their way north from the Everglades...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...111456.htm

"Wildlife managers are concerned that these snakes, which can grow to over 20 feet long and more than 250 pounds, pose a danger to state- and federally listed threatened and endangered species as well as to humans,"

They even eat gators.


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

The snake saga continues. Haven't seen a copperhead again----yet; but, 

My next door neighbor came running over to report a 5 foot long black snake in front of his driveway. He ran upstairs, got his .45 handgun and shot at it as it retreated under his concrete porch (concrete porches in our neighborhood all seem to have dirt eroded out from under them. I didn't see all this, as I arrived a few minutes later. He said he hit the body of the snake and saw some meat chunks fly. When I arrived, he was hooking up a hose from his truck exhaust to the hole under the porch to carbon monoxide him. 

I told him he shouldn't have even bothered with the snake b/c it's not poisonous. But he insisted it was and said it could be a cottonmouth. However, my understanding is that cottonmouths only live as far north as southern virginia and we're in northern virginia, and furthermore, that cottonmouths inhabit water's edge. We're about 500 yards from the water and up on top of a hill. But as I didn't actually see the snake, I don't know. 

I told him that nonpoisonous snakes kill rats, which sometimes find their way in people's garages here, and that furthermore, they sometimes kill poison snakes. 

He said any snake on his property will be killled. 

Anyway, he has a small video camera that he taped to a stick and stuck down in the hole under the porch. We didn't see the snake and I told him it probably has a hole inside that hole in which he retreated. 

He then threw some M-80 firecrackers in the hole for good measure. 

Dave V


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I suspect it was not a cottonmouth. They tend to have a somewhat distinctive shape (fat with a narrow tail). I would NOT want to be anywhere around a mad one - especially in an enclosed space. 

In all my time in swamps and other snake infested areas I have only ever come close to being bitten twice. Both times by cottonmouths. Once was on a cold February morning when duck hunting. I never expected a snake then until I almost stepped on a coiled cottonmouth as I stepped over a large log. The other time I actually had a cottonmouth come right at me when I had a foot stuck in a beaver dam. Fortunately I had a 12 gauge magnum fully loaded. The friend who was near by still laughs about it and reminds me of what he heard "OH MOTHER - BOOM BOOM BOOM."

They are at the top of my fear - hate - kill list. 
The problem with shooting one with a revolver (or rifle) is that even if you hit it, there is a good chance that you may not kill it or stop it - especially a 5 foot one (very large if a cotton mouth). I have shot big snakes with a 30-06 (from a safe distance) only to see them get away.

If he did kill it you will soon know it as the smell of a dead snake is pretty bad and you can smell it at quite a distance.


Jerry


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Shoot first look later at them. Only good one is a dead one. later RJD


----------



## Dieselguy (Apr 29, 2010)

If the black snakes that some of your are reporting are Eastern King Snakes, then definitely let those ones live. Their diet is principally other reptiles and they will eat other venomous snakes (copperheads, rattlers, etc). I've lived with King Snakes on our property for many years and they are good to have around (unless you're into bird houses). They will flat crawl straight up a tree and clean out the eggs from a bird house which was the first time I saw one. I've encountered them many times on our property and never been bitten. I was trimming the bushes one day and came upon a female with all of her young just laying in the top of the bush. I got really close to them before I noticed her and she never made a move on me. We also have copperheads and rattlers, so if our King Snakes take a few of them out that is OK with me. 

Rick


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Posted By Dieselguy on 01 Jun 2010 02:05 PM 
If the black snakes that some of your are reporting are Eastern King Snakes, then definitely let those ones live. Their diet is principally other reptiles and they will eat other venomous snakes (copperheads, rattlers, etc). I've lived with King Snakes on our property for many years and they are good to have around (unless you're into bird houses). They will flat crawl straight up a tree and clean out the eggs from a bird house which was the first time I saw one. I've encountered them many times on our property and never been bitten. I was trimming the bushes one day and came upon a female with all of her young just laying in the top of the bush. I got really close to them before I noticed her and she never made a move on me. We also have copperheads and rattlers, so if our King Snakes take a few of them out that is OK with me. 

Rick 

Rick,

That's exactly what I told my neighbor but he would have none of it. I'd rather have an eastern king snake around clearing out rats and poison snakes than a dead eastern king snake. But it was all for naught.


----------



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I once startled a large King snake by the house. Even today years later I cannot believe how fast he flew to and through a bush, up a tree and up on the house somewhere. If he had wings he could not have been faster. Had he come toward me I would not have made two steps but all he wanted to do was to get away. I don't recall any cottonmouths trying to get away (just me from them).

The DirecTV guy told me he found a 6' snake skin in the attic, I've found a skin between the brick and cinder block wall and about a 3' King snake in my crawl space (with me). Sorry but that last one had to go.

I have found one coiled above the front porch light and another coiled in the decking above my layout. I am not comfortable with them but I try to leave them alone. They are a LOT faster than I am. Unlike the Cottonmouths the King snakes I have seen have been long and pretty uniformly slender. 

I'm no expert but the poisonous ones seem to try to avoid people and residences while the non-poisonous ones seem to be more inclined to go anywhere. Maybe I can thank unseen King snakes for never seeing any large copperheads. 
There are actually VERY FEW venemous snake bites in the USA. Ofteh they are the result of accidental (or intentional) provocation.


Jerry


----------



## wolfpackherbs (Jun 27, 2010)

If your in Florida it looks alot like a Florida Pine snake.. not poisonous but they sure can make you hurt yourself getting away from them.


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I frist met sneaky snake about 5 years a go. I was working on road bed. There was a short BZZZT. I looked aroun and saw nothing. Then there it was again. Then I saw him. He was about 4 feet away

He was coiled up on a rock just looking at me. He was not excited just laying around. I got up and went to get the camera . He started to leave. 

I saw him last summer. It is about twice as long.

He is camera shy 












Every time I have seen him since he has let me know he was around. 

There is a powder you can get called Snake Stopper Snake Repellent.

It gives them a bad taste when they flick thier tong.

It contains Cedar Oil, Cinnamon oil, and Clove oil.

It is in powder form.

I smells nice. ( to humans) 

I had Mrs Sneaky Snake and her off spring under my train shop. I spread this heavely around the shop and She packed the kids and left 

JJ


----------



## wolfpackherbs (Jun 27, 2010)

I 'd stay clear if that fellow he is a diamond back rattler and can be deadly.


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By wolfpackherbs on 01 Jul 2010 12:41 PM 
I 'd stay clear if that fellow he is a diamond back rattler and can be deadly. 

His Deadlyness has not rubbed off on our base ball team of the same name.


----------



## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Today was probably the day i came closest to being bitten.

I had an appointment with my doctor and decided to take the red Expedition. 










When I tried to start the engine nothing happened. This was not that unusual because I had put one of those NAPA battery switches on it to turn the battery off when I was not going to drive it for awhile. Unfortunately the NAPA switches are **** as I have several of them and they often fail making me unscrew and re-screw them down.

I bought the Expedition at an auto salvage so the hood does not pop up when released plus there is nothing to hold the hood up.

As I slid my fingers under the hood lip to lift it, my fingers touched something alive and moving. 

As I jumped back the body of a snake slid out from the end of the hood.










I looked closer but could not tell what kind of snake it was.












http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jerrysrr/Miscellaneous/snake2b.jpg

I managed to see the head (he was watching me) but it was in the dark under the hood but it appeared to be triangular.

My choices were to 
1. take another vehicle to the doctor's office
2. get a camera
3. get a gun

The camera was closest so I took the photos. 

The gun came next and I had stopped to pick up a "grabber" to try to grab the snake and hold him while I blew his brains out.

Unfortunately when I touched him with the grabber he jumped inside the motor compartment. I had no way to hold the hood up and I was not about to look around for him inside the motor compartment.

As I waited with the shotgun he did not seem interested in leaving the Expedition and I had no idea where he was hiding. 

Finally I decided I needed to get to the Doctor's office but rather than leave the snake I decided to take the red Expedition and perhaps kill him with the fan or fan belts. If not, as the motor and exhaust got hot I figured it would fry him and drive him from under the vehicles. Half way to the doctor's office I parked and watched with the mirrors hoping to spot him leaving (I still had the 12 gauge). No luck.

I went to the doctor's office and parked at the far end of the parking lot (so if he was still on-board the snake would not get into someone else's vehicle).

When I finished with the doctor - you guessed it - the Expedition would not start again - so I had to reopen the hood, reach in and reconnect the **** NAPA battery disconnect and start the vehicle.

At this point I have no idea what happened to the snake. Judging by his head and tail (and the fact that he was not afraid of me) I suspect it was a cottonmouth but he seemed thinner and longer than I would have expected a cottonmouth to be.

Now I've got to worry about the ******* somehow getting into the caboose or under the gazebos and layout. I think it is time for me to get back to looking for and shooting snakes in the pond.

Jerry


----------



## robteed (Jun 23, 2010)

I was walking up a mountain in Colorado with my son, he was 15 at the time and into rock climbing. I had cowboy boots on, he had tennis shoes. He says " Dad, you should 
buy a pair of rock climbing shoes"...Thats code for "I want a pair of rock climbing shoes dad, lets go shopping". I replied " I like my boots!" He says "Why" probably because 
I was slipping on the rocks a little. I said "Snakes!". Less then a minute later I hear a rattle and my son yelling"rattlesnake". I instantly looked over at him thinking he was 
near the snake but hes pointing at me! I look down and I am standing on a rattlesnake, his tail is sticking out from under my boot and his body is wrapped about 3 times 
around my boot! I see him strike 3 times before it hits me of whats happening! I'm sure this all has taken place in less then 5 seconds. I instantly did an Air Jordan about 
4 feet into the air straight up " I'm looking down and thinking _ Where am I going to land!" Anyway, I hit the dirt running. Got about 5 feet away from the snake 
and started grabbing rocks from under the sage brush. Throwing rocks as fast as we can, the snakes coiled and striking everything we can throw at it. This went on for 
less then a minute before my sons asking if there could be more under the brush. That question brought our snake killing to an end. 
I sat on a rock to see if I had been bitten as the adrenalin was rushing so bad I couldnt tell. Pulled off my boot and could see puncture marks in the leather at the very 
top edge. My son walked in my steps all the way down the mountain. This was just outside of Ft. Collins Colorado. A week later a woman walking her dog in town was 
bitten and died. I HATE SNAKES!


----------

