To ask a question about a snake, don't reply to this post, go to the forum home page and start a new post. Your question will get a lot more exposure. Please give us an idea of where you live, as reptiles can often be identified only by locality!
Please do not place messages about killing a snake, and asking what kind it is you have killed! That is like going onto a message board about dogs and telling about torturing one to death, and asking what kind of breed it was. You will likely get "flamed", and likely by the forum owner, depending on his mood that day.
A note about head shape in snakes: Head shape is a totally useless character for identifying a snake, and has nothing to do with whether the serpent is or is not venomous (poisonous). Many harmless snakes, especially when young, have rather large heads. Please describe color, pattern, markings, and habitat where the snake was found. The shape of the head will not help us in any way. Thank you.
Posted by Alex, forum owner on September 18, 2004, 8:24 pm First for the Copperhead, probably the most common and least dangerous, Next are the Rattlesnakes. They are (in the East) the Eastern Cottonmouths are a swamp dweller, and rarely seen outside of swamps Last in the lineup is the Coral Snake, a tiny, shy, and very colorful So you see, if you can eliminate these few, your snake is harmless. Caution: some harmless snakes are mimics. The Scarlet King mimics the Coral, the Corn Snake mimics the Copperhead (sort of), and some water snakes mimic both the Cottonmouth and the Copperhead.
Board Administrator
Most people in the US think that any snake that they see is dangerous
until proven otherwise. I know; I was taught this way while growing up,
and it took some doing to get past this. This is not true.
The fact is that most snakes in the US, especially the Eastern US are
harmless, having neither fangs nor venom to hurt anyone with. In the
East there are only a few venomous ones. They are the Rattlesnake (3
species), the Copperhead (1 species, but several forms), the
Cottonmouth (or Water Moccasin - not a name to be used because it can
cause confusion with the harmless Water Snake) and the Coral Snake.
None of them will atack without provocation! If you can
identify these snakes in the field, all others which do not fit the
"profiles" of these snakes are by default harmless. Now, a caution;
don't use the old saw about "head shape and size". It is useless, and
can make a harmless snake look dangerous. Learn the way the animal
looks, and beware of imitations!
even to small children and pets. A good picture can be seen at this
site,
Mike Pingleton's Copperhead. Mike kindly gave me permission to use
his photos several years ago, but here I will just link to them.
Diamondback, and here is another of Mike's pictures, click here, the Timber Rattlesnake, click
here for picture and the Pigmy Rattlesnake. Here is an excellent
page on these little fellows: click here.
where they feed on fish. Here is an excellent page click here.
little fellow who rarely bothers anyone. A fine page
can be seen here: click here.
