Black Snake or Cottonmouth?

[bleys]

stopped by the parents and just about poo a brick when I almost stepped on 2 fairly large black snakes in their garage.. (about an inch in diameter, so maybe 3.5 feet?)

if they are black snakes, then I don't give a fug and they can do their thing.. but as little as I come across snakes in general, I'm concerned if they were cottonmouths since they were white underneath..

their head was more oblong than triangular or spoon shaped.. I also didn't notice any white markings on their head other than their bottom being all white. from what I've always heard, most venomous snakes do not cohabitate with each other, but I don't know how true or relevant that really is..

[PanthaSan]

Sure it wasn't a "Pure Alabama Black Snake"?

I heard they weren't too bookoo.....

[sunbunny]

Was the body skinny or kinda chunky?

[Dpantherman]

They're all the same to me, and I treat them as such...RUN.

[sunbunny]

If they were solid black, I doubt they're cottonmouths. Probably rat snakes or racers.

That being said, I almost wrecked this morning because I freaked out when a huge ass snake slithered in front of my car. And yes, my husband has already told me I'm safe in my car and I should have just ran over it. I freaked. Don't judge me.

[boo7382]

Ill take having cotton mouth over the big black snake anyday

[PanthaSan]

Ill take having cotton mouth over the big black snake anyday

:lol:

No comment....

[4Corners]

[sunbunny]

Get one of them to pose next to these pics so you can identity it.

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/snakes.html

[bleys]

sunbunny, they were a little chunky.. which makes me think they are just typical rat snakes.

I saw 3 down in Florida last year that were skinny, and fast as hell.. I thought those were cottonmouths. also, appeared to have more of a triangular head. however, they could have been racers for all I know..

I really have no idea between the various black snakes that exist, other than if the head is bigger than the body, white markings on head, and vertical eyes most likely mean poisonous..

Get one of them to pose next to these pics so you can identity it.

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/snakes.html

after looking at that site, they have to be rat snakes.. glad, otherwise I should have been bitten, which is always a bummer.

[blackcatgrowl]

Use this:

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/SnakeID/search.asp

I was mowing the lawn a couple weeks ago, and happened upon a little grey dude with patterning I wasn't too sure about. He looked like a baby, but I found him right up against the wall of the house and didn't want a poisonous snake growing up in my back yard. I thought he might be a baby copper head.

So, I cornered him with a spatula and grilling prongs, caught him by the back of the head, and gently put him in a plastic container with a lid

I brought him in the house and used the search above to check him out. Using that search, I finally figured out he was a harmless brown snake (Storeria dekayi)

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/Stodek/Sto_dek.html

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=030041

He was non-poisonous, so I tossed him back into the woods behind my property line. Hopefully he's out there now eatin some bugs.

[Dpantherman]

Ill take having cotton mouth over the big black snake anyday

:frown5:

[bleys]

Use this:

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/SnakeID/search.asp

I was mowing the lawn a couple weeks ago, and happened upon a little grey dude with patterning I wasn't too sure about. He looked like a baby, but I found him right up against the wall of the house and didn't want a poisonous snake growing up in my back yard. I thought he might be a baby copper head.

So, I cornered him with a spatula and grilling prongs, caught him by the back of the head, and gently put him in a plastic container with a lid

I brought him in the house and used the search above to check him out. Using that search, I finally figured out he was a harmless brown snake (Storeria dekayi)

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/Stodek/Sto_dek.html

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=030041

He was non-poisonous, so I tossed him back into the woods behind my property line. Hopefully he's out there now eatin some bugs.

said it was a rat snake..

amazing how many colors a black snake can have (based on these sites)..

had a similar experience cutting the grass.. too many nonpoisonous snakes have the same markings as poisonous.. this one looked just like a copperhead, but turned out was harmless. have seen quite a few like this.

[4Corners]

Use this:

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/SnakeID/search.asp

I was mowing the lawn a couple weeks ago, and happened upon a little grey dude with patterning I wasn't too sure about. He looked like a baby, but I found him right up against the wall of the house and didn't want a poisonous snake growing up in my back yard. I thought he might be a baby copper head.

So, I cornered him with a spatula and grilling prongs, caught him by the back of the head, and gently put him in a plastic container with a lid

I brought him in the house and used the search above to check him out. Using that search, I finally figured out he was a harmless brown snake (Storeria dekayi)

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/snakes/Stodek/Sto_dek.html

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=030041

He was non-poisonous, so I tossed him back into the woods behind my property line. Hopefully he's out there now eatin some bugs.

good find on that site.

I was able to ID a snake I saw while I was running a couple weeks ago.

Northern Water Snake I believe.