# ID this snake!



## rb_in_va (May 12, 2007)

I think this is a garter snake. Just thought I would double check. Sorry for the big pics, but they are good for detail.


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## ShoerFast (May 12, 2007)

Yup.

Just a paler green and the ribbons are not very distinct.


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## begleytree (May 12, 2007)

Ribbon snake. garter has a ringed neck. (here anyway.)

-Ralph


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## begleytree (May 12, 2007)

http://www.umass.edu/nrec/snake_pit/pages/eribbon.html

http://www.oplin.org/snake/fact pages/ribbon_snake_eastern/ribbon_snake_eastern.html


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## zopi (May 12, 2007)

I usually manage to mangle one or two of them every year with the weed whacker or mower..


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## ShoerFast (May 12, 2007)

It has been a long time since I weed-whacked one, but my bet is Gardner. 







Sure hard to tell when they say one of the differences is a shorter tail.

_"The Eastern Ribbon Snake is closely related to garter snakes, but is much slimmer. Also it has a shorter tail relative to its body length than do garter snakes."_

Cause snakes are ALL tail, in my book!


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## begleytree (May 12, 2007)

ShoerFast said:


> Sure hard to tell when they say one of the differences is a shorter tail.
> 
> _"The Eastern Ribbon Snake is closely related to garter snakes, but is much slimmer. Also it has a shorter tail relative to its body length than do garter snakes."_
> 
> Cause snakes are ALL tail, in my book!




LMAO!! too true
-Ralph


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## osb_mail (May 12, 2007)

Hey rb_in_va thanks for the cool snake pic did you take it . I got one picture I took



I dont know kind of snake this is but it looks like the kind you pick up and hold next to your face for a picture.


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## smokechase II (May 12, 2007)

*better photo needed*

Could you drive over it with an F-350 or mow it with a riding lawn mower? Then get a photo?

That's how us real experts know how to ID.


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## smokechase II (May 12, 2007)

*shed skin*

The first picture could be a photo where the light is playing tricks on the camera, but might be showing that tourquise eye color that is typical of a snake that has just shed its skin.


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## ropensaddle (May 13, 2007)

Eastern garter snake good one to come across when I figure
out how to post pics I will show you the unfriendly types.


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## ropensaddle (May 13, 2007)

begleytree said:


> Ribbon snake. garter has a ringed neck. (here anyway.)
> 
> -Ralph


 No beg that would be a ring neck snake and ribbon has three
stripes down the middle like a racers two and a bit darker in color


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## rb_in_va (May 14, 2007)

smokechase II said:


> Could you drive over it with an F-350 or mow it with a riding lawn mower? Then get a photo?
> 
> That's how us real experts know how to ID.




Nah, it looks to be either a ribbon or garter snake. The head was too small to be anything poisonous. Still the wife wants to get the pest guy to put down some snake repellant...for a harmless snake. 

OSB, yes I took the pic in my back yard.


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## ropensaddle (May 14, 2007)

rb_in_va said:


> Nah, it looks to be either a ribbon or garter snake. The head was too small to be anything poisonous. Still the wife wants to get the pest guy to put down some snake repellant...for a harmless snake.
> 
> OSB, yes I took the pic in my back yard.


 You would have very few if any poisonous snakes in Virgina
the further north less frequent they become. Maybe a very few
copperheads, or cottonmouth, rare rattler these snakes prefer
deep south. Most people can't tell difference between banded
water snake and cottonmouth and often mistake snakes as 
poisonous.


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## rb_in_va (May 14, 2007)

ropensaddle said:


> You would have very few if any poisonous snakes in Virgina
> the further north less frequent they become. Maybe a very few
> copperheads, or cottonmouth, rare rattler these snakes prefer
> deep south. Most people can't tell difference between banded
> ...




Yes, copperhead and cottonmouth (water moccasins) are the most common poisonous snake in the area. And I saw tyhis snake while I was weedeating the fence line. Saw it out of the corner of my eye, weird how that happens, huh?


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## ropensaddle (May 14, 2007)

Yeah even weirder when saw runs out of gas cutting in a creek bed 
and right where I was going to cut next, a four foot cottonmouth took off
would have been bitten if had more fuel thanks husky! There is a difference in cottonmouth and water moccasin and have got in a lot of arguments with people as when I was a kid I caught them and know the difference and it is called fangs. What a whole lot of people call a water moccassin is not poisonous like the cottonmouth. 
I had a friend swear they had cottonmouth in Indiana and went there for a visit he showed me his version and I caught it and showed him that it was non poisonous as it has no fangs or poison glands. I have milked poison in a jar from a true cottonmouth and they are hard to tell apart but are darker than the banded water moccassin. I can smell one if I get near it usually they have a bad bite and I have been so close too many times trotline fishing and luck is still my friend have not yet been bit.


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## moss (May 15, 2007)

*Definitely garter not ribbon*

The first photo is most definitely a garter not ribbon. Ribbon has pure white or yellowish white on the side of the lower jaw, garter has the vertical stripes or bands on the jaw.

Here's a local Massachusetts rattler I photographed a couple of years ago. Rare but they're around.





Snakes are huge for taking care of rodents and other small pests, leave them be, they're good for the woods and your yard. We have few rattlers left because of development and constant eradication efforts over the years but they're protected now. It's not known whether the local population will survive there are so few left.
-moss


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## Scooterbum (May 16, 2007)

ropensaddle said:


> You would have very few if any poisonous snakes in Virgina
> the further north less frequent they become. Maybe a very few
> copperheads, or cottonmouth, rare rattler these snakes prefer
> deep south. Most people can't tell difference between banded
> ...



Doesn't apply to the mountains.I'm in No. Va. and we have way too many "Timber Rattlers".Not too many Cottonmouths or copperheads though.


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## pas (May 17, 2007)

Exterminating or 'repelling' Garter snakes or any other non-poisonous snake is akin to exterminating lady bugs, i.e. you do yourself and the environment a disservice by getting rid of helpful creatures.


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## begleytree (May 17, 2007)

pas said:


> Exterminating or 'repelling' Garter snakes or any other non-poisonous snake is akin to exterminating lady bugs, i.e. you do yourself and the environment a disservice by getting rid of helpful creatures.



around here the state releases asian ladybugs. them fuggers bite!
at any given time you see hundreds on your house windows. state's idea of feeding the turkeys. almost as bad as louisiana releasing mosquitos.
-Ralph


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## osb_mail (May 17, 2007)

Asian ladybugs for turkeys never herd of this I thought it was for control of aphids on soybeans.


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## spacemule (May 17, 2007)

You can still keep detail and have reasonbly sized pictures.


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## spacemule (May 18, 2007)

Perhaps your screen is just too small, Dan. :hmm3grin2orange:


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## ericjeeper (May 18, 2007)

*I am putting my money*

That it is a common copperheadedrattlemoccasin,, yes all one word..LOL


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## rb_in_va (May 18, 2007)

ericjeeper said:


> That it is a common copperheadedrattlemoccasin,, yes all one word..LOL



I bet it eats poison ivy too, huh?


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## ropensaddle (May 19, 2007)

Scooterbum said:


> Doesn't apply to the mountains.I'm in No. Va. and we have way too many "Timber Rattlers".Not too many Cottonmouths or copperheads though.


 Yes rattlers cover a broad range the point is the poisonous 
snakes prefer mild winter so more are in deep south. I have trimmed
powerlines in Sweetwater Texas felt ground shake while cutting brush
when I shut saw off I was directly over the top of a large den of 
thousands of western diamond back! Sweetwater is where worlds
largest rattle snake roundup is held! We also have black widows, and
a spider that is from Australia that resembles a widow except instead of
hour glass on belly has red spot on his back. Black widows love white
oak fire wood piles I have seen them nest in white oak bark and killed
about twenty in less than a rick of wood !


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## ropensaddle (May 19, 2007)

moss said:


> The first photo is most definitely a garter not ribbon. Ribbon has pure white or yellowish white on the side of the lower jaw, garter has the vertical stripes or bands on the jaw.
> 
> Here's a local Massachusetts rattler I photographed a couple of years ago. Rare but they're around.
> 
> ...


 While I agree with protecting them from extinction
I would kill any poisonous snake in my yard as we have similar law
here! That law is stupid and should be said if you go out and smoke
out a den to kill them you are breaking the law if you see one in your
yard while mowing it should not be against any law to kill it. So many
people writing these laws that have no common sense as it should
never be against a law to protect your loved ones from danger.
I wonder if you caught one and threw it in front of a lawmaker
if he would break his own law or get bit I somehow don't feel he
would take one for the team!


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