Name that snake

longshadowfarms · #1 09/30/08, 01:03 PM

Here we go again with a "name that snake" thread. Ran across this little beast today while walking the dog. I'm pretty sure the dog stepped on him from looking at his injuries and knowing where we walked. There was a little brother or sister curled up not far away who was in good health but it was slightly lighter in color and the head was DISTINCTLY triangular!

Boy do I ever hate snakes! I'm still tingling from this encounter! DH's first words were, "You know, there are no snakes in Alaska." Guess where he's trying to get me to move! We do supposedly have rattlers in the area but they are quite rare. Didn't see anything on the tail that would resemble a rattle. Unfortunately the other one was already gone by the time I got back with the camera. This one is now in my freezer waiting for a guy who is trying to determine how many rattlers are around our area. What do you guys think?

Name that snake - Homesteading Questions

Name that snake - Homesteading Questions

suitcase_sally · #2 09/30/08, 01:44 PM

http://nyfalls.com/wildlife/Wildlife...es-snakes.html

Oggie · #3 09/30/08, 01:57 PM

I think that "Sammy" might work because it works for either Samuel or Samantha.

GBov · #4 09/30/08, 02:15 PM

Young rat snake is my best guess, without it in my hands I cant say for sure but the checkers on the belly are a bit of a give away.

GBov · #5 09/30/08, 02:17 PM

Oh, I ment to say the reason the head would look triangular is because a young snake is quite thin but the head isnt so it stands out.

Pitty the poor little thing got stood on

fishhead · #6 09/30/08, 02:28 PM

It's hard to tell the size so could you get a picture of it draped around your neck for scale?

missourimelodie · #7 09/30/08, 02:29 PM

Poor little guy. I think he needs to come home with me. Rachel sure misses her little rat snake. Or maybe she just misses terrifying her 15 yr old sister with it. Never saw a 7 year old girl that liked snakes and bugs so much.

longshadowfarms · #8 09/30/08, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

It's hard to tell the size so could you get a picture of it draped around your neck for scale?

Evil!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sally, our snake doesn't look like ANY of those listed on the NY snake list.

Bearfootfarm · #9 09/30/08, 03:31 PM

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...X%26ie%3DUTF-8

Young Black Rat Snake
Totally harmless and eats LOTS of mice

Ravenlost · #10 09/30/08, 04:31 PM

Rat snake. Rattlesnakes have rattlers on the ends of their tails.

shellyr44 · #11 09/30/08, 04:36 PM

Where in the Finger Lakes do you live? We live in Groton, over between Ithaca and Cortland. We get those snakes a lot. They are found a lot around foundations and in old basements (have found them in ours). They are harmless but they still freak me out. Some one told me that they are called king snakes but I don't think so.

longshadowfarms · #12 09/30/08, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...X%26ie%3DUTF-8

Young Black Rat Snake
Totally harmless and eats LOTS of mice

Looking closer at more pics of the rat snake, that sure does look like it. All the pics I looked at seemed to have slightly different color variations. This pic below also looks to have the triangular shape to the head. That would explain a lot! Less heart-stopping action there!

The body didn't look heavy enough for a rattler either. We do also have milk or corn snakes around here. They are colored a bit differently though and the head shape is different. Not sure I've ever seen a rat snake around here but we have plenty of corn/milk snakes!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P...0508-7264B.jpg

MELOC · #13 09/30/08, 06:12 PM

research milk snakes and corn snakes. we have those and people kill them all the time thinking they are copperheads.

MELOC · #14 09/30/08, 06:15 PM

look at the pupils of the eyes. if they are round, you have no worries. if they are vertically slit, like a cat's eye, it is most likely poisonous.

Slats · #15 09/30/08, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longshadowfarms

This one is now in my freezer waiting for a guy who is trying to determine how many rattlers are around our area. What do you guys think?

Poor snake.

It's was harmless and was just trying to make a living. It breaks my heart when people kill snakes because they aren't knowledgeable about snakes in their area, and kill them "just because" it's a snake. What a waste. That's so sad.

**Tiempo** · #16 09/30/08, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slats

Poor snake.

It's was harmless and was just trying to make a living. It breaks my heart when people kill snakes because they aren't knowledgeable about snakes in their area, and kill them "just because" it's a snake. What a waste. That's so sad.

Ditto

Toads tool · #17 09/30/08, 07:27 PM

I think we should name him Maurice.

MELOC · #18 09/30/08, 07:29 PM

perhaps..."gangster of love"?

Slats · #19 09/30/08, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toads tool

I think we should name him Maurice.

We could do that, but the snake would still be just as dead. I really doubt there will be a headstone for a snake from someone that doesn't understand or knows now to co-exist with snakes.

Poor snake.

longshadowfarms · #20 10/01/08, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slats

Poor snake.

It's was harmless and was just trying to make a living. It breaks my heart when people kill snakes because they aren't knowledgeable about snakes in their area, and kill them "just because" it's a snake. What a waste. That's so sad.

If you go back and read the first post, you'll see that the snake was already dead when I stuck it in the freezer. It was just a little thing and the dog stepped on it without my even knowing it. Much as I hate snakes, I do recognize that they have valuable work to do and I never kill them deliberately.