Identify this snake

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My first thought was a massasauga but maybe they don't occur in Texas.

iu
 
Pic wouldn't load. Stiil, not haven seen it and hill country, best guess is a Texas rat snake.
Similar colors to a copper head. But the rat snake get huge, copperheads don't.
Have many rat snakes around my house.


Killed this snake on the road in the TX Hill Country it was about 2.5-3 feet , my mind went to copperhead but please help me out with a for sure answer.
 
LOL.

I've had people haul in snakes for me to look at being sure they had a "copperhead." No, just a garter snake.

Officially at the farm, we have NO snakes and my wife knows this as does my grandson. Just a few days ago I did not catch a garter snake just outside the garage door and I did not carry it way back and release it and I did not see two more on my way back to the house.
 
From the pattern, it looks like it could be a hognose, though I think they are generally thicker. I've seen a few of them around here in the Hill Country.
 
A week ago I went to the gun club. As I passed the 50 yd line I walked up on a 5' gray rat snake. It had just rained HARD for 20 minutes. He was cold and docile.
Snake was like "oh crap...a human!" I caught him...took a picture...put him in a safe place. Kind of freaked a couple of the guys!

Mark
 
I'm fairly sure that it's non-poisonous just by the body shape. Normally a non-poisonous has a very slender tail (as this one has). Compare that to the pictures provided in this blog of poisonous snakes and you'll see what I mean. My thoughts are that it's a non-poisonous water snake or Rat snake or Corn snake as some have suggested. The other and usually most positive form of id regarding if a snake is poisonous or not is to check the eyes to see if they're round or cat-eyed meaning a vertical slit down the middle of the eye. If cat-eyed it's poisonous where the round is usually not. You have to be very careful about this as I was around a rocky area off a large lake and came upon two snakes laying together. I could only see one snake's eye and it was round, however when it turned its head the other eye was slit so I knew immediately that these were two Cottonmouth. Apparently the round eye that this snake had was either damaged in some way or just a freak of nature.
 
Only round eyed snake in US is the coral snake. Its the only elapid in north America.
The rest are in the coloubrid catagory, even the vipers.
Elapid means neurotoxic, attacks nervous system. You suffocate. Vipers are hemotoxic, attacks blood and muscle tissue.
Coral is in the same group as cobras and kraits.
 
Only round eyed snake in US is the coral snake. Its the only elapid in north America.
The rest are in the coloubrid catagory, even the vipers.
Elapid means neurotoxic, attacks nervous system. You suffocate. Vipers are hemotoxic, attacks blood and muscle tissue.
Coral is in the same group as cobras and kraits.
Navaho, I agree with you however I would reword your first sentence to state that: the only poisonous round eyed snake in U.S. is the Coral.
It can one identified by the colored rings of yellow, black and red on its body and this rhyme: Black on yellow deadly fellow, Red on black lucky Jack.
 
Much simpler method. They are black from the eyes to the nose. All of them.
Bites are so rare antivenom is no longer produced.
I have one under my front porch. Moved it 3 times, kept coming back so I leave it alone.
 
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Likely Pituophis catenifer sayi, a bullsnake. Possibly Pituophis ruthveni, a Louisiana pinesnake. The distinct and well defined saddles indicate the former and they are much more commonly encountered.
 
Plus two cat eyed snakes in Texas are harmles to humans but kills their prey.
Go figure.
Hmmmmm, didn't know that! In my younger years I was somewhat of an amateur herpetologist. I'd like to know the names of the two
snakes that you're referring to. Seems that there's always something new to learn.
 
Hmmmmm, didn't know that! In my younger years I was somewhat of an amateur herpetologist. I'd like to know the names of the two
snakes that you're referring to. Seems that there's always something new to learn.

One is called the cat eyed snake. The other is the rear fanged night snake. Anterior delivery system.
 
One is called the cat eyed snake. The other is the rear fanged night snake. Anterior delivery system.
I looked them up and I'm adding to my base of knowledge about snakes. They're more interesting than people realize, however, I do recognize that in some areas
of the U.S. that poisonous snakes are a real hazard. Thanks for the insight Navajo!
 
I looked them up and I'm adding to my base of knowledge about snakes. They're more interesting than people realize, however, I do recognize that in some areas
of the U.S. that poisonous snakes are a real hazard. Thanks for the insight Navajo!
No problem. Used to be a hobby.
Southern copperhead venom has shown ability to kill cancer cells but only the southern.
You should also check out the mojave rattle snake. Interesting venom.
 
IMG_2622.JPG Here's a nasty copperhead from our neck of the woods. Hard to mistake these basturds.
 
Had a girlfriend once that was terrified of snakes. She called me one day. She had a giant snake on her back porch. Swore it was a cottonmouth. Well when I get there I walk up, look at its eyes, and intentionally picked it up about 8-10 inches behind its head and of course, it bite me. I started yelling "Call an ambulance!!" She literally FREAKED out. I couldn't help myself. It was just a dark, banded water snake. She didn't find it near as funny as I did when I busted out laughing. Her uncles were Sr. Masterchiefs in the navy. She would have made them proud the way she cussed me.

But to the OP, it's a bull snake. A small one at that. About the best snake there is to have around unless you have chickens. Only snake better is a King Snake because they eat poisonous snakes.
 
All snakes are harmless if you leave 'em alone. It's you and Fido bothering 'em that causes the trouble. Even a rattler eats its weight or more in rats, mice and other disease carriers.
"...Fat headed snakes?..." Politicians. snicker.
 
I'm fairly sure that it's non-poisonous just by the body shape. Normally a non-poisonous has a very slender tail (as this one has). Compare that to the pictures provided in this blog of poisonous snakes and you'll see what I mean. My thoughts are that it's a non-poisonous water snake or Rat snake or Corn snake as some have suggested. The other and usually most positive form of id regarding if a snake is poisonous or not is to check the eyes to see if they're round or cat-eyed meaning a vertical slit down the middle of the eye. If cat-eyed it's poisonous where the round is usually not. You have to be very careful about this as I was around a rocky area off a large lake and came upon two snakes laying together. I could only see one snake's eye and it was round, however when it turned its head the other eye was slit so I knew immediately that these were two Cottonmouth. Apparently the round eye that this snake had was either damaged in some way or just a freak of nature.

snaketail_zpsqxq67om9.jpg
 
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