Yes, definitely an eastern ratsnake. Common in GA. A big one too. You can tell by the head and the markings near the head. Not a viper. They are often mistaken for copperheads. I would run from that in the wild, but the luxury of examining a photograph is helpful to identify..

What about this one? Encountered in the woods in Central Texas.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473822977.jpg

Look at the head on this southern copperhead (would likely be the type in your area...GA). Note the size and shape of the head and the thicker body (compared to length):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473823096.jpg

Copperhead Snakes and Water Snakes - The Infinite Spider

Yep....the other, nope. Yours dies, the other one lives to scare other golfers :).

Yes, that one is venomous, note the triangular shaped head and the slit eyes.

Looks like a broad banded copperhead.

Lots of copperheads and water moccasins in East Texas, both fairly aggressive critters.

Old "round eyes" here startled me at first till I recognized him as a Western Hognose. When startled they rear up and flatten their neck and hiss. You would think it was a cobra or something. If that does not scare you away, they go to plan B, play possum, roll over on their back and play dead. At that point if you try to pick them up they go to plan C, poop on you or regurgitate their last meal, usually a toad all slimy and half digested.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473857625.jpg

Almost stepped on this one last night; he slithered right in front of me when I was walking to the neighbors house.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473860026.jpg

Ugh, not cool

Those are pretty hard to identify just based upon the pattern....

Goodyears :)???

We got some mean ones too, we call them Mohave greens. But we keep our snattle-rakes in the desert. :D


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473861485.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473861492.jpg

I have a bad problem with copper heads AND water moccasins.

one dog has been bit by the copper heads about 5 times now. we keep medicine on hand.
the other got it from the water mocc. nearly killed her.

there is another snake that looks a LOT like both the water mocc and the copper head.
you have to look at the heads. if the head is slender and goes right into the body, probably not poisonous . if the head has a triangle shape then its poisonous.
red and yellow kill a fellow, red and black safe for jack.

I shot 6 snakes in a week.
yes I use the 9mm. good practice.
one got away about a week ago, had to go get the gun and he was gone.

that's a copper head in fintstones post.

The key in pattern is that the "hourglass" extends farther than on a rat snake (all the way across the back and sides) while the ratsnakes' "hourglass" is a bit smaller and do not extend all the way across.

I hate it when they move around like that. Usually late summer/early fall. Usually they stay in one place. They scare the crap out of me.

Good snakes, but not great snakes :)

Come on Fint...do I have to use green font?

I got it...but just wanted to use the opportunity to be a "know-it-all" narcissist.

I think a lot of folks don't have much experience with these as we do in the Carolinas...so I wanted to point out how to identify as much as possible. An awful lot of rat snakes are killed for impersonating a copperhead...and lots of anti-venom used unnecessarily.

Did I mention that snakes (copperheads in particular) scare the crap out of me?

Another nice thing about living in Hawaii, no snakes.

Funny tho, when moving to Az, I was stressing about the rep for lots of snakes. Now after kicking around all over the state. I've only seen two and the were flattened on the road.

Once had a close call with a moccasin. Was fishing from a small boat with my Dad in fla. we went to pull up the stringer that was hanging over the side. Just as it came over the gunnel a moccasin dropped out of the stringer, luckily it managed to slither back into the water rather than into the boat. Not a comfortable prospect.
I can still remember the look we shared at the moment. Whew.

Cheers Richard

In the evenings, they like to get on the concrete slab because it is warm. When I lived on a lake in Texas, I bet I killed a copperhead or water moccasin about once a month in the summer.

I always think back to a buddy of mine that was just stupid afraid of snakes. We were in his back yard and a little 1 foot long green garter snake went across the ground. He jumped back and said look! It's a "copper headed rattle moccasin with a coral tip." We all laughed but I had to stop him from killing it.

Had this guy on my front patio the other day. Made the assumption it was a baby copper head. About a foot long.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1473872769.jpg

Pretty sure that is a garter snake.