Copperhead or Kingsnake?

My wife killed this snake and thinks it's a copperhead. I think it's some sort of kingsnake. Any thoughts?
Thanks

Well they are different looking in different parts of the country and you do not say where you are. But it is not a king snake. Could be a rat snake of some sort. But with out seeing it and it is kinda beat up it does resemble a copperhead. http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/s...opperhead1.jpg

Sorry, I forgot to say that I'm living in Oklahoma. We've had an awful lot of rain recently which doesn't sit well with the snakes. I'm pretty convinced that it is a copperhead though. Thanks

This copperhead "had" lived in my tractor shed for the past 4 years. He didn't really bother me cause he always stayed in a corner under some lumber I never messed with. Did an great job of keeping rodents, chickens, and the wife out of my shed. As soon as I walked in he'd scurry for his corner.

This spring he came out packing some attitude and alot more size. In this pic, I was provoking him with a stick and as you can tell he was more interested in my hand. He was no longer my shy lil friend and thought he owned the place.

looks like a hognose snake to me.
did it try rattling it's tail?
they do that to make leaves or whatever is around them rustle to mimic rattlesnakes.

I agree it does but hognose normal have blotches of color and not rings so I would vote copperhead.
[image]http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...on_nasicus.jpg[/image]

I`ve seen and killed plenty of them. It`s definitely a Copper Head without any doubt. Killed one on the back porch last year.

Where are you in Oklahoma, zubin? I'm just south of Sapulpa, and you are correct about the rains. Normally, I see our "pet black snakes" patrolling around the house, but this year I've seen very few snakes anywhere around here. I've seen my share of frogs, though. Tons of frogs.

Jim, Something I think you ought to know about hognosed snakes. Besides putting on a good imitation of a viper with hissing, striking and such and then putting on the good entertainment of "dying" and going belly up..although they don;t have fangs and don't give you a hypo of venom they nevertheless irrespective of what misinformed sources you may read are VENOMOUS!

They put out venom inside their mouth and then if they break your skin you get the venom. I have a buddy who is a biologist and he knows a budding young herpetologist who got envenomated. He survived but doesn't want to repeat the experience. Not knowing (or at least not acting) any better he put his finger inside the snakes mouth and the snake chewed his finger. The symptoms are not fun. Luckily he recovered OK.

I like to see the hognose do its dead snake act too (not fond of the smell though) but am not so keen on handling them now. There are still lots of "informed" sources who list them as harmless to humans as of course they are if they don't bite you.

Pat

Jim that is a nice looking hognose. I do think that if you didn't know they are venomous indeed. I actually know the man who owns one of the rarest hognose snakes in existance and there are only two in the world. He will not handle his without protection so I would suggest you do be careful.