I've encountered several of these critters around docks - some type of water snake. I found 3 of them in a fish trap, all alive, and one had a bluegill in his mouth.
Anyone know for sure what kind of snake ?

Probably a northern water snake, they are good at catching and eating BG.

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

I have them in my pond in texas also.

I just found this snake in my new pond today:


It looks like the same type of snake as yours squeeky. I assume it's some type of non-poisonous water snake. They're welcome in my pond if they're not venomous. (Snakes don't eat much)

GW, you are correct. The round pupils and small, rounded head indicate a non-poisonous species.

Even though you guys are down south, it sure looks like a northern water snake. They aren't poisonousness, but they are real ill-tempered. I had one up against my back door last year that decided he wanted to fight when I walked up.

He lost.

They leave a real nasty wound that needs to be attended to if you should get bitten. Around here it isn't unusual for them to get to about 5-foot long.

My wife and daughter reported a Northern tried to get in the rubber raft with them a couple of years ago. They have been reptiles non grata at the pond since then.

Had one wrap around my leg one day at the pond. He was irritated that I was bush hogging I guess. I got off the tractor to see him and I got a real good look. The dancing ending when I winged him into the pond.

This snake didn't seem to be afraid of me as much as he tolerated my presence. I got within about 3 feet of him and he just swam up the bank a little ways. I'll see how I feel about them if one bites me.

Check this out.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8751498154522972298

Shorty...
Do you think it was successful in the full swallow? Do all snakes have the ability to unhinge?

A resounding yes to both questions Brettski.

Those are the single species of snake that don't survive long in our ponds. Wife hate's the things, and they are pretty aggressive. Have had them try to get in the boat every time I fish one local lake.

I leave bullsnakes, garters, etc. alone, but those things get the lead sedative. GBH's are hell on 'em as well...I've seen them kill the things, but they don't seem to eat 'em unless they're small.

To each his own...

Don't try and grab one either. They'll put a stink on you.

In some southern states, the northern water snake will put a curse on you. The curse causes your seventeenth born child to have freckles. Sure it doesn't happen that much, but it's worth knowing.

Don't let one bite you! They have real foul mouths full of bacteria. They've also got real nasty teeth that curve backwards so that prey can't get away. They will really rip you when you try to get them off.

As Sunil says, they will also put a real stink on you. If you pick one up, especially just behind the head, and let it drape, they spray a nasty anal musk.

Here is a baby that was only about a foot long. Bad attitude all the way. He thought my pants leg was fair game and grabbed the bottom seam. It may be hard to see, but he is again in the strike position, even though I have a garden rake over him.


The bigger ones are also tougher than tanned leather. Most shovels won't cut through them -- I know this from experience with a fat 5-footer. It takes a hatchet or axe.

Ken

The snake in my photo was neutral about my presence. At one time I was within three feet of it and I had followed it along the bank a ways. Maybe it's a less aggressive variety?

The funniest part is that when I was closest to the snake and crouched down for another photo I heard a faint humming sound. I looked over my shoulder to see a swarm of Yellow Jackets that are living* at the base of an oak tree. I lost a good pair of reading glasses while setting a new record for the 100 yard dash.

*until tomorrow

Thanks for the words of caution cat, I will certainly be wary around these critters.

those snakes are the "cotton mouths" that try and get into the boat with people. Cottonmouths are fairly docile. If they were anywhere near as aggressive as these, I doubt I would venture near the water that much.

Cottonmouths docile?

You're kidding right?

I don't think docile is the right word because you're can't pick one up without getting bitten. Maybe what burgermeister means is that they will leave you alone if they have the choice, as apposed to many water snakes that will apparently chase you down. I got within a few feet of a Cottonmouth a few months ago and I didn't even know it until the snake decided to haul butt away from me.

Which makes me wonder; would an aggressive water snake possibly keep a Cottonmouth out of it's territory? We have plenty of CM around here and I would tolerate an aggressive non-venomous snake if it kept the Cottonmouths away.

edit: I just did some quick searches to see if watersnakes might repel Cottonmouths. Most of the articles I read say that CM are very aggressive and many said that watersnakes aren't. I'm going to modify my position to one of total ignorance about this issue, right where I belong.

At the end of the day, we can just call them "real bad snakes" as one of our members so aptly stated.

"edit: I just did some quick searches to see if watersnakes might repel Cottonmouths. Most of the articles I read say that CM are very aggressive and many said that watersnakes aren't."

probably the same folks that have water moccasins chasing them in the boat.

Cottonmouths are extremely shy. If they see or feel you approaching, they are gone in a flash, and won't soon return. Water snakes are "friendly", and tend to become habituated to people. I've even seen them come near to me and wait for me to catch fish.

Almost any snake will bite you in self defense if stepped on or handled. If a big ole giant picked me up and I thought he was going to eat me, I expect I would try to bite him.

I must have lazy snakes. Both species seem pretty docile around here unless cornered. Then again I have noticed a decline in their numbers since I discovered a 4 1/2 foot Speckled Kingsnake. Fortunately, it wasn't a cotton mouth as we didn't notice each other until I looked down and he was trying to get to the pond. About 6 inches from my foot. Scared both of us. LOL

I live up here in Minnesota and had a baby Northern water snake in my front yard. I am a mile up hill from the river. I had just put my new pond in the previous fall. But another thing I found out about these snakes is that they will keep striking you and you end up with multiple bites. They also inject a blood thinner into you so if you are already on coumadin, then stay away from this snake. Bobbi

GW, cottonmouths tend to be very docile and northern water snakes very agressive. It's hard to believe anyone would post anything different on the internet. Without any doubt, northern water snakes are the ones to look out for. They might not be venemous but they have a very nasty bite and tend to bite often.

Thanks Norm.

I saw what I think was the same snake the next day. My dog was barking at it and when I came over to check it out the snake went into the pond and disappeared. I hadn't seen my dog with a snake until then and I'm glad he chose to stay back and bark. I worry about him because he usually tries to entertain himself with the local critters and like I said, we have a lot of Cottonmouths.