Snake identification

[Scutter01]

We were out for a walk this evening and I saw a snake that I'd never seen before. It looked very much like a garter snake, except it was almost uniformly brown. Near the head, and extending back several inches, were two paler brown stripes where you would normally see the yellow-on-green stripes of a garter, but they didn't extend the length of the snake. It also appeared to have...something...on the end of its tail. Spasmo said she thought it was a rattle, but it was clearly not a rattlesnake. I'm more inclined to think it was exposed bone from an old injury, possibly a bird attack or something. We didn't get close enough to determine either way as we would have had to practically dig it out from under a rock pile to do so.

Do garter snakes come in brown? I tried looking for a field guide to snake identification, but the only ones I could find were listed by name, not by feature, and there were no pictures. I wasn't about to read through dozens of descriptions to see if one matched.

 

[MinuteMan47]

Is this the reference guide you found?

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/snakes_parklake.pdf



Check out the Midland Brown Snake.

 

[MinuteMan47]

Midland Brown Snake

 

[Scutter01]

I'm pretty sure it was a midwest worm snake:

It didn't look exactly like this, but pretty close.

 

[MinuteMan47]

I'm pretty sure it was a midwest worm snake:

First one on the list. You didn't have to read very far after all...

 

[Scutter01]

First one on the list. You didn't have to read very far after all...

Yeah, I hadn't seen that guide. It was helpful, thanks.

 

[stilllearning09]

The chart was helpful. reps for the help. I've had more snakes in the yard this year, I think due to the abundance of rain. The last one I killed was a black rat snake.

 

[Gamez235]

I've spent a ton of time in the woods and haven't seen anything but garter snakes in my area. My wife is a wiz at identifying all sorts of things in the wild from plants to animals, keeping a set of the Audubon guides at home are a handy tool.

Audubon Field Guide

 

[chraland51]

If it looks anything like a gartersnake, you can more than likely be sure that it is not any kind of the rattlers that are found in Indiana as well as the copperhead. None of them could easily be confused for a species of garter snake or any of the numerous other non-poisinous varieties we have in the state. The eastern hognose snake might confuse you for a few seconds when it goes into its cobra routine. When that does not work, it usually just rolls over and plays dead.

 

[DaKruiser]

We almost stepped on this guy this weekend, he came right up by our shelter house. I don't know what he was but he wasn't happy that I grabbed him by the tail!

 

[canamscott]

Here is a link for where I often go if I can't identify a snake or turtle myself.

IPFW Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management

Once attending a lecture by the professor that oversees this program and recognized an aerial photo of massasauga study plot that was two miles from my office.

Scott

 

[reaper101]

Kinnards80 id be sure to steer clear of that bad boy unless you want a very nasty bite that will require a little anti-venom. looks like one of the venomous species of snake just from the shape of the head and the body pattern.

 

[Bill of Rights]

I have a general rule that creatures are categorized by the number of legs they're supposed to have: Less than two or more than four deserve to die instantly.

Anything in between is taken on a case by case basis.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Mr.JAG]

pretty darn good rule if you ask me.

 

[iChokePeople]

Kinnards80 id be sure to steer clear of that bad boy unless you want a very nasty bite that will require a little anti-venom. looks like one of indiana's venomous species of snake just from the shape of the head and the body pattern.

IANAH (Herpetologist), but it looks like a northern water snake to me.

 

[canamscott]

Don't be hasty in your judgement. Many snakes are beneficial. Many venomous and non-venomous snakes share body marking. I'm happy to find them in my garden on rodent patrol. Remember there is something we encounter every day that is hundreds of times more dangerous than any snake and we don't blew them away -- cigarettes. Maybe we should start shooting cigarettes out of people's hands then ask them to thank us for saving their life.

 

[DRob]

Identifying snakes

Snakes, regardless of the number of legs they may have, don't need to be identified to make me not like 'em. I don't like any of the no-leg types but my least favorite are the ones with 2 legs and the ones with rattles.

 

[IndyGunworks]

TWO LEGS and RATTLES? like this

 

[reaper101]

the shape of the head is more of what i was looking at. Mainly heart shaped or diamond shaped heads are venomous species of snake. the snake in question appears to be kind of heart shaped like a pit viper of some sort. cotton mouth/ copperheads/ rattle snakes/ and several other snakes fit into this category. the only thing that has me puzzled about that snake is the length and girth. the pattern looks like that of a diamond back rattlesnake. The girth is to small in my opinion to be a diamond back. The length is right for a diamond back, but I dont think that is what it is. Like i said though the length and girth dont match any of Indiana's venomous species that i know of. But like i said before the head tells you that snake packs a bite.

 

[spainy79]

I usually see these guys hanging around Sullivan Lake.