Snake Identification?

[Alan_L_Texas]

Here is a snake our dog got after tonight. I took 4 pictures and they all sucked, this is the best one. I have seen several of these snakes on my place - sometimes next to the water of the tank (pond) or in it. The snake is about 3 feet long and 2 inches in diameter. This guy here was strangely calm, and it was about 80 out there tonight. He seems to have round eyes.

Can someone help me identify him?

[theboman]

Looks like a water snake to me. The live exactly where you found this one. 2 inches in a round seems really fat for the water snakes, the ones around here are somewhere between a nickel and quarter for a snake that size. , and a 3 foot snake is a pretty big fella.

[manganos]

Looks to be a common watersnake. I have them all around the pond here on the property. We have water moccasins and copperheads here as well. At least you know to look at the shape of the eyes. I kill the dangerous snakes and let the non venomneous live as long as they aren't trying to steal some chicken eggs [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Be safe.

[Alan_L_Texas]

theboman, I have seen several just like this one, and as big. And they are pretty fat, probably couldn't get your fingers around them, not that I plan on trying.

Thanks guys, I can rest easier.

[Alan_L_Texas]

Is there a way to tell which kind of snake it is when its in the water? By the way it swims and whatnot. If I'm sure of a dangerouse snake I will shoot him in the water with a .22, but I don't see the point in killing a harmless snake.

[manganos]

I don't believe you can identify a snake by its motion in the water. I'd suggest you don't shoot a .22 into the water because it could "skip" across it and end up where you didn't intend it to. The only reason I kill the non venomous snakes is if they are in the process of taking some of the fresh eggs that I haven't picked up yet. I've seen and killed some 6 1/2' black snakes and you could see where the eggs were inside of them. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[LazyJ_Arabians]

A Water Snake is usually very active and acrobatic in the water and the Moccasin prefers to stalk along lazily and will normally float its entire body on the surface. I can smell the nasty things at 30 yards if the wind is still, very pungent. I've seen Copperheads hang around water and can also swim quite well but they're pretty obvious and unique with their markings. If a "harmless" snake takes up residence where it might give me a coronary failure it is no longer "harmless", but I'll attempt to relocate it first.. in another county! Last spring during evening feed I was harping on my wife for wearing sandals in the stable when we each noticed a foot long rattlesnake stick his head outta the hay flakes she had clamped to her chest. It rained hay for five minutes and the dear girl cleared two fences untouched on the way to the house. I never did find that snake and she wouldn't come to the barn till I did so bout three days later I found one in the woods a little smaller and sacrificed it as the culprit. Ain't country life a hoot?!?

[Pat]

Shooting down within 20-30 degrees of vertical isn't a problem, ricochet wise, but for some folks, being close enough to the snake to form that angle poses a problem.

I have heard folks say they put golfballs in there hen's nests (cheaper than porcelin eggs) and that is a deterrent to egg stealing snakes. A non confrontational snake elliminator.

Pat

[8NTX]

I see lots of those around my (lakefront) place near Athens, TX. It is a common Texas water snake and is non-poisonous. You can usually see their stripes pretty good even when they are in the water. If you don't see the stripes, and he is grey, chances are you have spotted a mocassin. Get the shotgun out!