Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Snakes o' Plenty

Ed,
I would suggest taking pictures of the snakes in your pond if you're opposed to killing them & look them up. I am unfimiliar with the types of water snakes in your area but as Shawn stated most people encountering a snake in the water consider it a cottonmouth. Around here our common water snake looks enough like a copperhead that even I hesitate before picking it up. Cottonmouths are usually short & fat with a stubby tail. I have seen them in varying hues of grey or brown sometimes with yellow undersides. They are an ugly snake.
There's no easy way to identify the snake from a distance without much practice especially considering the encounter is usually emotional. Look up the snakes most common to your area .. study the pictures every day .. you will eventually be able to identify any snake in your area.

Ric