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.

Re: Brownish snake with black stripes

Posted by Alex, forum owner on December 7, 2004, 9:41 pm, in reply to "Brownish snake with black stripes "
66.169.87.119

--Previous Message-- : Hi, I saw a brownish snake with black : stripes down from it's head to it's : tail on his back on my son's bike this : evening, any idea what it could be? I : live in Eastern NC in a wooded area.The : snake was about 2 feet long. : : I think you saw a form of the Yellow Rat Snake. They are not venomous, and are safe to have around your house. Yellow Rat Snakes can have several color forms, the main one in Eastern NC being rather greenish or grayish with four black stripes. In some light they can look brown. At any rate you can feel safe because the description does notmatch the description of any of the venomous snakes there. (I can tell you what they are and how to identify them, just promise me you won't try and kill them; they are all threatened by human encroachment, habitat loss, development, human persecution, and there aren't that many of them.) None of the venomous snakes of your area will actively attack humans or pets; most bites in the US are from people "messing with" the snake. Thanks for writing, and let us know if you see it again, and maybe get some photos. Alex

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Message Thread: Brownish snake with black stripes - Sabine December 7, 2004, 6:29 pm Re: Brownish snake with black stripes - Alex, forum owner December 7, 2004, 9:41 pm Black snake w/ brown stripes - Jeff July 9, 2006, 7:09 pm Re: Black snake w/ brown stripes - Alex, forum owner July 9, 2006, 9:49 pm Re: Black snake w/ brown stripes - jamie August 7, 2008, 11:24 pm Re: Brownish snake with black stripes - DAVID May 5, 2007, 11:22 pm Re: Brownish snake with black stripes - Alex May 6, 2007, 9:53 pm « Back to thread

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