Hello a lady from Texas wrote me asking about this snake. I am no snake guy, can anyone ID this snake for her and is it poisonious? She dont have a pond and lives in Texas. Thank You

My guess is a Black Rat Snake; any seconds?

I'll second the "BLack Rat Snake".

http://snrs.unl.edu/herpneb/snake/basicsnakekey.html

Good ID from the link Shorty;

It's either that or a "Rattle Headed Cotton Moccasin".

CR

Or the famous " Copperheaded Rattlemocassin " . See below.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...ite_id/1#import

"Rattle Headed Cotton Moccasin".


AKA "Real Bad Snake"

That reminds me, has anyone heard from Ed Richter? Haven't seen any posts from him for a long time now. As I recall, it was Ed who told the story of his swim with a real bad snake.

Thank you everyone, I have to think its the Black Rat Snake, following all the links its prob also called a chicken snake. I will let the womaon know its prob a safe snake but I am sure no matter what its still a scary thing to a woman. Thanks again.

if that head is not smashed flat then i would say it is a pit viper of somekind there is a definant tryagle to the shape of it.

Don't worry its definitely a black rat snake, we have them around our place all the time, they are completely non-venemous. They can still cause a scare, watch out, they will eat your chicken eggs!

My vote is a very dead rat snake.

I have 2 that are hanging around the coop, ones got to be 6' and the other is about 3' If they get to the eggs before I do they will eat a half dozen eggs all of them if I don't check them each day. I have 13 hens that lay almost everyday a little slow with the heat. I caught on and chucked him out to the dogs and you could clearly see the egg in his body, but when I threw him out to the dogs he regurgitated that egg out in about 10 seconds. The dogs didnt know what to think about it and let it go. I dont mind so much since I cant eat a dozen eggs a day and I havent seen a single field rat ot mouse since they started hanging around

The largest specimen I ever saw of rat snake nearly killed me ( by shock) one time when I was stepping out of the shower about the same time a 5 footer, (it seemed) decided to unfurl itself from behind the toilet and crawl across the bathroom floor.

I nearly tore the shower curtain down trying to clear the room.

I still laugh every time I think about it.

CR

Chip - I got a chuckle out of that too.

: )

Do these snakes live in NC? I saw a few that could resemble it near my pond early is the season sunning. At first I thought a piece of garbage or a stick then WOW..... a freakin snake.

Jeezus, Chip. If that'd happened to my wife, she'd be looking for a new house...probably a new husband, too.

Matt,
That happened when I was with my first wife, and my first house.
Chip

Joey,
I'm pretty sure Rat Snakes are in NC as well, they are beneficial as long as they don't sneak up and scare you.
Chip