Pond Boss Forums PHOTO GALLERY Image Gallery Snake Identification

What type of snake is the attached? Picture taken in one of my ponds where a lot of kids kayak, play, etc. South central Illinois. Nephew saw several. Biggest was about three feet long and fairly thick. Most this coloration. Two darker. Pulled up list of snakes in Illinois and didn't see one that looked like this. Snakes weren't aggressive; but not very timid either...

Have them or very similar around my pond . A Texas Glossy Snake. is what I came up with.

milk snake
Y white on the head almost certain
a beautiful snake
had on in the barn this spring

more specifically: eastern milk snake Lampropeltis
L. triangulum triangulum
have a picture if I could figure out how to send from my phone to pond boss
has the correct color and white brown patch work

Wikipedia on the Eastern Milk Snake:
"The eastern milk snake is a constrictor. After striking and seizing prey, it quickly wraps its body around the prey animal to suffocate it. It swallows its prey whole. Common predators of the eastern milk snake include opossums, skunks, raccoons, hawks, owls, and coyotes. For predator avoidance, it mimics the colors of the venomous coral snake and venomous copperhead, which deters its predators. It has also been known to shake its tail to mimic rattlesnakes when threatened."

Clearly, it's a "Real Bad Snake."

Cody note - Sunil does NOT like snakes!

"Real Bad Snake" is the title of a hilarious thread started by an forum member 15-20 years ago. I think it was Ed Richter, and he was describing an experience swimming in his pond.

https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=5474&Number=50045#Post50045


I got really hot clearing some brush this weekend, so I jumped in the pond for a swim. When I came to the other shore, a pretty big head of a Copperheaded Rattlemocassin popped out of the water about 5 ft away from me. Now I know that it was a Copperheaded Rattlemocassin, because as my friend tells me that that is the name of any snake that scares the heck out of you. Apparently, they come in variety of colors, shapes and sizes.

Normally, my yellow lab swims circles around me, when I go for a swim. This time he didn't stand a chance, as I was hightailing it out of there so fast that I must have hydroplained.

[ October 18, 2004, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: Ed Richter ]

So... The picture of an eastern milk snake looks pretty close; but the descriptions i found don't mention water. Is it a water snake? These hang out in the water.

P.S. I remember that thread. It has made me smile many times over the years.

do not know if the milk snake likes water however the picture surely is consistent with the eastern milk snake...maybe it just wanted to GET to the over side of the river/pond/lake? ask the snake! surely it knows...

it will take one large snake to eat theone pound BG in the pond...these water snakes are sizable (a few 3+ feet) but the hybrid white bass 20+ inches and 4 to 6 lbs hopefully will keep the snake population in check. This blue bird depopulated all the bull frogs this year (maybe the snakes got a few too). I don't think there's one left; just a few small green frogs...the tadpoles should winter over and be new frogs next year.

one acre pond, 3.5 yrs old, just bluegill and stripers. having a great time learning how to manage.

Copperheaded Rattlemocassin

Due to hog invasion, I see a snake about every other year. I once saw rattlers daily. Copper headed rattle moccasins were in the creek, the ponds and the yard. No more.

Dave I guess there is an upside to hogs but they are few and far between…. We have the same issues here