Help me identify this snake

[ErVikingo]

She was hanging around yesterday during the kids egg hunt.

What was it? Water moc, FL rattler, ?

[id10t]

Banded water snake

Very similar to cottonmouth markings, but as the cottonmouths mature they turn near black. The banded water snake retains the brown coloring and obvious pattern.

All the venomous snakes here in the US *except* the coral snake have cat's eye pupils, not round ones. Of course, getting close enough to determine that could be problematic, but your pic shows round eye clearly.

[ErVikingo]

Thanks mate. I saw it and grabbed the telephoto and asked the kids to stay away. Not knowing what it was ....

Thanks for the tip on the pupils, did not know that.

[GH85Carrera]

A friend of mine would call that a Copper-Headed-Rattle-Moccasin with a Coral tip!

The good news is he stays away from all snakes, so he does not kill them.

[porsche4life]

It would have most likely been a dead one here if there were kiddos running around....

[wdfifteen]

I'll guess it's a milk snake. We had one hanging around here last summer. He looked just like that in the spring. Kind to two-tone brown with large, regular, almost vertical splotches. He turned the usual rust, black and and cream colors as the summer progressed.
Eastern Milk Snake - Meet Your Neighbors - Fall 2002

[Super_Dave_D]

I agree - Water Snake

FLMNH - Brown Water Snake (Nerodia taxispilota)

[ErVikingo]

Sidney, those were my thoughts and then I thought about explaining the whole killing the snake, .... Plus, I don't know if there are any protection acts in place for these critters.

Hope she relocates....... or she might find the wrong side of barrel.

[porsche4life]

Kill it, don't post pictures online, and say nothing to anyone about it....

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Kill it, don't post pictures online, and say nothing to anyone about it....

Don't kill it leave it alone. Take the pictures and enjoy.

[porsche4life]

Sorry, but if it is near where kids are frequently, its dead.... plain and simple.
It may not be venomous, but the bite will still hurt like a MOFO and is a risk of infection. I have 0 tolerance policy when it comes to bitey creatures...

[nynor]

the only time i've been bitten by a snake was when i was handling a wild one that i caught. yeah, it happened to me a lot. anyway, leave it alone, it will just eat the other critters you really don't want, like rats and such.

[bivenator]

The cat cornered a garter snake about a week ago. We caught it and got a 20 gallon tank with a light and have been immensely entertained. My seven y/o daughter is really fired up, this will add to our collection of 3 lizards.
We feed him minnows that we drop into his water dish. It is becoming more comfortable with us and we were able to watch it feed this morning. Usually it is kinda shy about eating in front of us. I don't kill them unless they are poisonous, they are helpful in many ways.

[red-beard]

I fished a 1 foot baby Black Rat Snake out of the pool about 3 weeks ago...

[Rick Lee]

I don't understand killing non-venomous snakes. I've been bitten plenty and every time it was when I was handling the snake. Leave them alone and they leave you alone. That usually goes for venomous ones too, though I understand killing them on your property is a lot less risky than relocating them.

[john70t]

Most snakes eat rats, mice, and other snakes.
Then they get eaten by birds.

Unless it's confirmed deadly to humans and agressive, it's better to leave them alone.

Feral cats, raccoons, etc. spread the diseases which have killed far more humans, statistically speaking.

[Zeke]

The only thing that freaks me about a snake is where you will find it the next time. Damn things like to crawl up in some places I'd rather they didn't.

So, even though I live in the city and never see the things, I'd be in favor of removal by one means or another.

I'm reminded of a story out at the Colorado River on Lake Havasu. We were water skiing in a cove and had a day camp there. I'm coming in off a run and drop the line coasting towards the shore. I have a tendency to drop off out aways having seen a few ski right up on the beach (or rocks) and do a nice tumble for all to see.

So I finally sink into the water about 10 yards off the shore and start to swim in. Here's this damn king snake swimming too, right in front of me. There I am bobbing around in a flotation vest hanging on to a ski, just me and ol' 6 foot snakey.

I'm sure I surprised him just as much as I was surprised flying in on some stick of fiberglass. Not his best situation to coil up, but still, man, that was something else. He moved on and I think I walked on water to land.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Don't kill it leave it alone. Take the pictures and enjoy.

True, a I have a few big Black snakes in the back yard, had a big one that lived in the palm near my front door, and even have a few guard snakes in the rafters in the barn at the farm. Living in FL close to 46 years, stomping through creeks & woods and have never been bitten, but have seen lots of snakes. Snakes do a great service eating rodents, which a kid would have a better chance of being bitten by than most snakes.... Had that guy been a Moccasin, he may have chased you, they are very aggressive & mean, and the only snake that I know of that will come after you (and have come after me)

I'll never understand why people always want to kill any snakes they see, must be a religious thing from the Bible. Snakes always run from humans (other than Moccasins)

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by bivenator

The cat cornered a garter snake about a week ago. We caught it and got a 20 gallon tank with a light and have been immensely entertained. My seven y/o daughter is really fired up, this will add to our collection of 3 lizards.
We feed him minnows that we drop into his water dish. It is becoming more comfortable with us and we were able to watch it feed this morning. Usually it is kinda shy about eating in front of us. I don't kill them unless they are poisonous, they are helpful in many ways.

Love 'em...in Oregon, they are great slug disposal machines!

[944Larry]

I've never had a snake crawl under my hood and chew up any wires. Rats would be hip deep here in Florida without them. I do agree that I will off any cottonmouth I see.