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Snake ID needed

Posted on 6/14/24 at 5:51 pm
Posted by Bow dude72
Member since Mar 2017
2711 posts
Posted on 6/14/24 at 5:51 pm
LINK
My parents sent the picture to me. Water snake?

The snake is under 2 feet long.
This post was edited on 6/14/24 at 5:53 pm
Posted by Bama and Beer
Baldwin Co, AL
Member since Oct 2010
85017 posts
Posted on 6/14/24 at 5:52 pm to
He's eating good

This post was edited on 6/14/24 at 5:54 pm
Posted by aTmTexas Dillo
East Texas Lake
Member since Sep 2018
23155 posts
Posted on 6/14/24 at 7:49 pm to
Yes. Nerodia something.
Posted by TheDrunkenTigah
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2011
18165 posts
Posted on 6/14/24 at 7:53 pm to
Yeah, plain-bellied water snake.
Posted by AyyyBaw
Member since Jan 2020
1210 posts
Posted on 6/14/24 at 8:46 pm to
Yep, watersnake, nonvenomous
Posted by Spankum
Miss-sippi
Member since Jan 2007
60925 posts
Posted on 6/14/24 at 10:26 pm to
He’s lucky he is not around my house….that’s all I am sayin.
Posted by Bama and Beer
Baldwin Co, AL
Member since Oct 2010
85017 posts
Posted on 6/15/24 at 6:22 am to
I guess some guys get off by doing and or saying "a good snake is a dead snake"

All I hear is "my wife is terrified of them and so am I but I'm going to kill any snake and post it to my instagram to show I'm a man"

Now a venomous snake is a different thing

Hell, 3 weekends ago, my son played with a 2 foot rat snake in a bush for 15 minutes, told him it was a good snake and I just walked away. The conversation went like this after I walked back 5 minutes later

"pick him up"

Him: "will he bite?"

"yep but it won't hurt"

Him: "will there be blood?"

"Maybe"

Walked back and he was trying to grab him . He didn't succeed
Posted by Finch
Member since Jun 2015
3708 posts
Posted on 6/15/24 at 6:51 am to
Hopefully he asks you every time…..
Posted by davyjones
NELA
Member since Feb 2019
35256 posts
Posted on 6/15/24 at 8:14 am to
Upland water snake.
Posted by Longhorn Actual
Member since Dec 2023
2931 posts
Posted on 6/15/24 at 12:15 pm to
Y'all sure about it being just a water snake? I'm usually the last guy to confuse banded water snakes with cottonmouths, and I know water snakes will flatten out their heads, but that picture seems inconclusive to me.

Those brow ridges are pretty sharp and even the vertical lines on the face are inconclusive. I've seen plenty of cottonmouths with vertical markings like that.

A clearer picture would be nice to see eye/pupil shape and pits/no pits a little better.
Posted by Bama and Beer
Baldwin Co, AL
Member since Oct 2010
85017 posts
Posted on 6/15/24 at 12:41 pm to
Here's a cottonmouth I killed within the month. You tell me

Posted by Longhorn Actual
Member since Dec 2023
2931 posts
Posted on 6/15/24 at 6:09 pm to
quote:

Here's a cottonmouth I killed within the month. You tell me



I'm not sure of your point. I have killed scores of cottonmouths. There is a ton of variation in color/pattern - from solid black older snakes to young ones that look similar to copperheads (since they're cousins and all), the less defined pattern and the dot in the middle being the big distinguishing marks.

Seen plenty of variation in the head/mouth too. Other than the pretty distinct Zorro mask, I've seen them with solid/light lower jaws, and some with black on the lower jaw.

Posted by TigrrrDad
Member since Oct 2016
7971 posts
Posted on 6/16/24 at 12:12 am to
quote:

Y'all sure about it being just a water snake?


100%
Posted by MasterJSchroeder
Berwick
Member since Nov 2020
1243 posts
Posted on 6/17/24 at 8:19 am to
quote:

TigrrrDad


quote:

100%


Its official
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
86626 posts
Posted on 6/17/24 at 9:11 am to
quote:

Those brow ridges are pretty sharp and even the vertical lines on the face are inconclusive
The lines on the lower jaw are conclusive. The blotching pattern is conclusive.

quote:

would be nice to see eye/pupil shape
Everyone needs to abandon this. The ID is conclusive on all nerodia vs. cottonmouth way before we get there. It amazed me how many people bring this up. It's not ever a thing i look at.

Posted by Cuz413
Member since Nov 2007
10130 posts
Posted on 6/18/24 at 9:08 pm to
quote:

Y'all sure about it being just a water snake?


Water snake on the left.




Look for the vertical bars on the mouth



Cotton mouth with the Zorro mask

Posted by aTmTexas Dillo
East Texas Lake
Member since Sep 2018
23155 posts
Posted on 6/18/24 at 9:26 pm to
quote:

Everyone needs to abandon this. The ID is conclusive on all nerodia vs. cottonmouth way before we get there. It amazed me how many people bring this up. It's not ever a thing i look at.


Watersnakes do have round pupils. And Agkistrodon do have vertical elliptical pupils. Watersnake heads look different though they will flatten to look triangular. I am a layperson snake identifier. I don't know all the other characteristics you herpetologists use.
Posted by aTmTexas Dillo
East Texas Lake
Member since Sep 2018
23155 posts
Posted on 6/18/24 at 9:47 pm to
You guys could also spend a little time leaning what a Loreal pit looks like. If you see an eyeball and two openings in front of it, think pit viper. One hole, think nostril. They are not that hard to identify. But don't get too close.
Posted by TigrrrDad
Member since Oct 2016
7971 posts
Posted on 6/19/24 at 11:15 am to
quote:

It amazed me how many people bring this up. It's not ever a thing i look at.


Exactly - the head just looks so distinctly different on a cottonmouth, there really aren’t any specifics you need to look for. Once you’ve seen a few, you should know instantly.
Posted by aTmTexas Dillo
East Texas Lake
Member since Sep 2018
23155 posts
Posted on 6/19/24 at 2:49 pm to
quote:

Cotton mouth with the Zorro mask

And vertical elliptical pupil.
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