Snake crossing the road - can you ID?

Found this guy crossing the road yesterday and jumped out of the truck to snap a pic before he went into the storm drain. Can anyone ID what type of snake this is?

I'm a snake guy and that one stumps me!

I don't know what it is but I promise you its venomous.

The light coloration is throwing me off but I am gonna say Cottonmouth.

That triangular head kept me from getting too close and it was pretty agitated when I approached to take a pic. It never tried to get away from me either.

I agree, I've never seen one colored like that, but I would assume its a cottonmouth.

They are mean ba$tards! I 've had more than a few try and chase me down and never had one run from me.

Agreed...... It could be a color mutation or even a hybrid with a copper head.

Almost looks exotic...

That helps give it away.....my first thought is cottonmouth too but the color scheme, and moreover the pattern isn't quite right, though there are tons of variations,got a black and pink one one day.....but the hourglass markings were more well defined.


Im anxious to see what the forum comes up with!

Water Moccasin or possibly a Copper Moccasin. Copperheads and Cottonmouth's can crossbreed..

Dead.

Okay...the innanet is a wonderful thing!

Its a Broad Banded water snake...not venomous, as I thought. Built to mimic moccasins....and it works!!!

Are you sure? Man, that triangular-looking head scares the @$#% out of me!

Has a pattern like a copper head... This was my first thought.

Yep. Im sure.

But if I had encountered him before I searched the net, I wouldn't touch him!

Mean looking Mutha for sure! i killed a black diamond watersnake about a year ago that was over 5ft long and was aggresive and mean as all get out...just happened to have a metal garden rake with me and caught him good as he came from about 10 ft away to me.

interesting

I just did a quick image search on Broad Banded water snake and I don't quite see the triangular head like the one in the pic I took. Not saying your are incorrect because I am far from an expert.

Where's SnakeWrangler when we need him?

Agree on broad-banded water snake. We've got a bunch in the bayou behind the house. The flooding has them moving around. I usually see more red in them though, that one has some unique coloration.

Broad Banded Water Snake.

That particular specimen has a very distinct eye band (some do, some don't).

It appears the snake (when photo'd) had stopped crawling and started to 'flatten' itself? Something they do to make themselves look larger. If so, that would account for the head looking more triangular than normal.

A true moccasin (mature) has a prominently triangular head (all of the indigenous Pit Vipers, actually), but it would also have a neck that was noticeably thinner than the head. The body (overall) would appear 'thick' for its length and it would not have the LONG tapering tail of the snake pictured.

If you were to get close to notice, a moccasin would also have a vertical/elliptical shaped pupil of the eye. A non-venomous water snake will have a round pupil.

Having said all of that, the snake pictured so closely mimics a Moccasin that it is sure to get respect from just about anyone.

Cool picture.

All that is true and spot on, and I just remembered another thing. As a kid in the swamps of Ga. I used to hunt them. If there was any question on identity I'd pin their heads and turn their tail over. IIRC the non-venemous mimics would have two rows of scales on the underside of their tail, the moccasin would only have one.

Hognose maybe?

Good to know.

Looking at that thing it scared the bejewels outta me...ugly looking sucker. But the long tapered tail does make sense, maybe that's another way to help differentiate between bad and not so bad??

Correct.

The scales on the underside of the tail (beginning at the Anal Vent) are divided on harmless water snakes and are one single scale on the venomous Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth.

Of course to determine that means being in close proximity to the snake or is an observation made posthumously.

My Snake guy says Broad Banded watersnake. Said he flatened his head as a trick. Also said, this was a beauty!

Several species of snakes have the ability to shape shift to look more like a venomous species. Bull Snakes and Hog-nose are very good at it. While the Hog-nose is venomous it's not really a danger or threat.

Thank you. It is new to me - and I appreciate it.

Marc

Working just east of Port Arthur..... ........

Correct....it's a non-venomous water snake......it's been my "personal" experience that most cottonmouths are non-aggressive if not passive unless provoked while most water snakes that try to mimic cottonmouths are super aggressive and downright ill tempered....I guess making up for a lack of venom by putting on a big show.....while there are only a few snakes that you encounter can actually hurt you, most snakes can make you hurt yourself......

I'm sure it does happen, but I suspect that most people that think they have been chased by a cottonmouth actually encountered a water snake more often than not.....

Nice pic.....thanks for posting....

The trick is trying to teach one to "roll over" so you can check.....

Not so hard, you just rub its belly. Then a quick determination can be made one of two ways:

1. You will observe the scale type and know.
2. You will know from the bite you receive. Hint: (the venomous one really hurts).

Kill it.

If it has slits for pupils. it's poisonous..... round pupils are OK......

Why that theres a Swampbackcoppermossacin...

New hatband.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Truly educational

non venomous can cause a lot of problems because of the bacteria in their mouth

I can see it now, "hang on there Mr. Snake, I need to check your anal plate".

Turn your head to the side and cough

Cool lookin snake!

True, but important to add this applies only to the INDIGENOUS pit vipers in the U.S.

The coral snake has round pupils, but of course is not a pit viper and the distinct color pattern gives it away.

I'm sure you were aware of that, but we don't want folks to think that "round pupils=OK" is universally true or that it applies to all snakes (everywhere).

I know that sounds like nit-picking.

Yep, gottem around here too. Mean suckers. 9 times out of 10 folks identify them as water moccasins.

Working just east of Port Arthur..... ........

Correct....it's a non-venomous water snake......it's been my "personal" experience that most cottonmouths are non-aggressive if not passive unless provoked while most water snakes that try to mimic cottonmouths are super aggressive and downright ill tempered....I guess making up for a lack of venom by putting on a big show.....while there are only a few snakes that you encounter can actually hurt you, most snakes can make you hurt yourself......

I'm sure it does happen, but I suspect that most people that think they have been chased by a cottonmouth actually encountered a water snake more often than not.....

Nice pic.....thanks for posting.... [/quote]

Beautiful snake and I am glad he is still around. The give away for me tha it wasn't a moccassin is the length of his tail. We have broadbands here but I have never seen one colored like that. I agree with snakewrangler that moccassins are typically very passive. As a snake lover, I don't like the term aggresive being used for snakes. My belief is that no snake is aggressive. The term I prefer is defensive. You have to put yourself in the snakes shoes to try to understand how they react and behave in situations. You don't sneak up on a snake. He knows your there and coming. It's how he perceives you as to how he may react, along with what kind of snake he is and the situation and environmental conditions.

yes hognose.

dead

Beautiful snake and I am glad he is still around. The give away for me tha it wasn't a moccassin is the length of his tail. We have broadbands here but I have never seen one colored like that. I agree with snakewrangler that moccassins are typically very passive. As a snake lover, I don't like the term aggresive being used for snakes. My belief is that no snake is aggressive. The term I prefer is defensive. You have to put yourself in the snakes shoes to try to understand how they react and behave in situations. You don't sneak up on a snake. He knows your there and coming. It's how he perceives you as to how he may react, along with what kind of snake he is and the situation and environmental conditions. [/quote]




Diamondback Water Snakes around here are aggressive, no other way to put it. I'm a snake lover too.

My Michelins would have made that head even flatter.

Defiatley a Brad Band Water Snake

If your belief is that no snake is aggressive, you haven't been around many.

The snake pictured is aggressive. They will come straight at you and bite you if they don't want you around. They will also steal fish and will not back away if you have something they want. Cottonmouths can also be very aggressive to the point of chasing and pursuing non-food animals. I understand that they don't always do it, but an animal that chooses fight over flight when threatened is still an aggressive animal.

I'm not scared of snakes and do not kill them. But saying you're a snake lover and believe no snake is aggressive is just silly. It's like saying bears aren't aggressive because 9 out of 10 don't attack. It's that 10th one that's a doozy...

wish I still had the video.. was fishing off the dock at my parents' pond a few years ago. Had a little perch I was cutting up for bait sitting on the dock next to me. Something catches my eye.. a d@mn water snake poking his head up the side of the dock. He crawled up, grabbed what was left of my bait and took off. Little thief! This was when the iphone 4 was brand new.. had a video of the whole thing but it's long gone!

FOUND it.. hope this works:

Video: Snake Thief

You should see how fast I can move when I'm close to those

I have a walking path that I keep mowed very short...through the pasture behind our home. I take our Dachshund and walk Her in the evening once the sun sets beneath the tree line. It is about 1/2 mile long and we take our time, so She can smell all the smells and do Her 'business'.

Yesterday, I spotted what was clearly a snake about 30 yds. ahead. It was stretched out part way across the path. Snake was about 3' long, the path is 9' wide.

The snake was very light colored...so I was anxious to get up there and see what it was. When we got within 6-8 yds. it picked its head up about a foot off the ground and looked directly our way. I knew right then...it was a 'racer' of some type.

Well, our Dachshund spotted the movement and started pulling at the leash, at which time the snake crossed the path and went into the tall grass.

I couldn't locate it, but got a really good look at it. It was a Buttermilk Racer, had a LOT of white speckles on it. In fact, it was more white than anything else. I've seen them before but none as speckled as this one.

I did not have time to get my cell out to try and get a picture, but it was a real treat to see the snake.

If I had not had the dog with me, I would have made a real effort to find and catch it. But if you've ever tried to catch a racer in tall grass, you know how difficult it would be. They can really move..and the few I have caught in my lifetime were all too willing to bite! Not venomous, of course...but they do like to bite.

Very cool snake to have come across.

Cool pic...and an educational post.

The water snakes developed the ability to puff out their heads to mimic a venomous snake. Just like how a cottonmouth will open its mouth to show you it's cotton like mouth so you know to leave it alone.

Chilean jack-knifed pit viper

This.

Real exotic looking snake, he's a beauty.

Y'all talking about cottonmouth crossed with copperhead, I'd like to see that.

That triangular head is nothing i could assume is non venomous

A dead one?

Broad Banded Water Snake

Must be a Diamond Head Copper Water Rattle Moccasin.

Not sure but I'd stay away

Looks like a fine place for 38 special shotshell to be used.

That sir is either a Savage24C 20 gauge, or a SmithandWesson19 38shotshell snake. Depending on what I am driving.

Sorry, the only way I would be checking it's anal scale is when they are dead