re: Water snake? Pics included.

This is not far from the truth. Venomous(pit vipers) will have single row of scales after vent. Non will have double row.

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Some lurker is going to get bitten checking for this

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Maybe I should put a disclaimer on my post..



It's pretty difficult to tell a venomous snake from afar, but even as a kid you were taught the ways to tell them up close. Most people don't ever get close enough to individual snakes to make a decent distinction though.

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I still look down when walking through tall grass even though we don't have snakes up here

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that is one of the things I really enjoyed about fishing the high-mountain trout streams in colorado...beaver ponds full of trout and not a snake to be seen...similar ponds in LA would be just teaming with turtles and snakes..

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Most people don't ever get close enough to individual snakes

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:raiseshand:

I usually check the teeth.
Poisonous snakes have one set of teeth on the top with fangs.
Non poisonous snakes have 2 row of teeth on the top.

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that is one of the things I really enjoyed about fishing the high-mountain trout streams in colorado...beaver ponds full of trout and not a snake to be seen...similar ponds in LA would be just teaming with turtles and snakes..

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That's the beauty of those mountain streams....Water is clean, air is fresh, no trash and nothing underfoot that sports fangs. I would rather have a bear in the area than a snake.

I just put a stick on their head then pick them up and force their mouth open with the stick, then rub the stick on the teeth to see how big the fangs are.

Works on chicks too...