What's this snake?

May 19, 2011 9:19 PM

Is this snake in my yard poisonous? How worried should I be?

I think this is a copperhead, but I looked at the wikipedia page and I looked at the snake picture and I just can't tell. Snakes kind of all just look like snakes to me.

posted by blue_bicycle to pets & animals (19 answers total)

I think you've got a bull snake. How big is it? Bull snakes get pretty big.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:23 PM on May 19, 2011

Knowing vaguely where you're located would help a lot! :]
posted by fiercecupcake at 9:25 PM on May 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

I don't think he's a copperhead, either, but I can't really see the shape of his head in your picture.

I still wouldn't kiss him, though.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:27 PM on May 19, 2011

We're in New York State! Sorry I left out that little detail. It was pretty big I think -- I'd say about four feet long (is that considered big?)
posted by blue_bicycle at 9:32 PM on May 19, 2011

The ones I have seen were brighter colored. But yeah, don't pick it up by the tail or anything.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:35 PM on May 19, 2011

I vote for an eastern milk snake. I'm not a snake expert or anything, but I found a few pages saying that the black outlines around the patches of color on the snake are an important signifier, and the ones in your pic more or less match a milk snake's outlines.
posted by inkyz at 9:35 PM on May 19, 2011

In North America, all venomous snakes, except the coral snakes, have elliptical eye pupils; generally, excepting for coral snakes, a round eye pupil means the snake is non-venomous. If the scale pattern underneath the snake at the tail is straight across the body, it is most likely a non-venomous snake; venomous snakes have interlocking or diamond shaped scale patterns on their underbelly, near the tail. Some other keys to venomous snake identification.

On preview, in New York state, the principal venomous snakes are the timber rattlesnake, the copperhead, and the massasauga. You can Google for images of these snakes, and note that the timber rattler and the copperhead have some range in coloring, but distinctive markings unlike your snake. And I think your snake is just too big to be a massasauga.
posted by paulsc at 9:41 PM on May 19, 2011 [9 favorites]

Four feet seems a bit too big for a copperhead. I asked about size because the bull snakes I've seen around here in Oklahoma are gigantic - not just in length but in girth. They're harmless, but freaky because of their size - and it's not something you expect to see in your garden. They tend more toward the central and southern regions of the US, though, so New York seems a bit out of its locale.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:41 PM on May 19, 2011

Hardly an expert, but I would say not a copperhead. All the pictures that turn up in Google have a pattern where the large dark areas are connected/continuous around the body, and no smaller patches. Whereas your snake has large patches that are discrete and many smaller discrete patches.
posted by sbutler at 9:50 PM on May 19, 2011

common snakes of New York

There are only three species of poisonous snakes living in the wilds of New York (many other kinds may be found in the homes of private individuals and, occasionally, escapes occur!). These are the timber rattlesnake, the massasauga (erroneously called "pygmy rattler"), and the copperhead. All three are uncommon. The timber rattlesnake (listed as "Threatened" by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) enjoys the widest range; it is found mainly in the southeastern part of the state, except Long Island and New York City, with scattered populations as far north as Lake George and also along the Southern Tier in western New York. Its populations have been severely reduced, primarily due to bounties and commercial capture for snakeskin products and the pet trade. The massasauga (listed as "Endangered") occurs in only two locations, both large wetlands. One is located northeast of Syracuse and the other is west of Rochester. This species is the subject of a cooperative research program between researchers at SUNY-ESF and NYSDEC. The copperhead is mainly found along the lower Hudson Valley south of Kingston; it is essentially absent from the Catskills and points further west.

The timber rattler and massasauga both possess a rattle at the end of their tails. It is made of a series of hollow scales that produce a distinct buzz when the snake vibrates its tail (a new one is added each time the snake sheds its skin, which may be several times a year). Both rattlers are sort of chunky snakes but the timber rattlesnake can attain lengths of up to six feet while the massasauga barely reaches three feet. A timber rattler's head is much wider than a massasauga's and there are numerous small scales on the crown of its head; the massasauga has nine larger scales on the crown. Copperheads lack the rattle, but will vibrate their tail when annoyed. In dry leaves, this vibration can sound like a rattle; many other species, such as milk and rat snakes, will also perform this behavior. The copperhead can be told by its coppery-red head and by the distinct bands along its body which are widest at the sides and narrowest across the back.

Are you near water? It bears a bit of resemblance to the water snake, which is described in the link as being up to 42" long, non-poisonous but with a "nasty disposition".

distribution maps of common snakes of New York state
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:54 PM on May 19, 2011

The milk snake seems more likely to me now. At first I thought the coloring was wrong, but they can be a more muted gray-brown:
-eastern milk snake, gray (second image down the page)
-bullsnake compared to eastern milk snake (again shows a grayish milk snake, rather than red)
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:06 PM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm voting for milk snake as well. Neither the pattern nor the color jives with that of a copperhead. Note especially the lack of simple, darker dots in the pale areas.
posted by mollweide at 5:51 AM on May 20, 2011

I'm going for Milk snake. Constrictors have that beefier body compared to venomous snakes.
posted by rich at 6:41 AM on May 20, 2011

It looks a lot like a pretty beige-phase milksnake, but 4 feet is ginormous for a milkie. Maybe you've got your OMG SNAKE goggles on. Not a copperhead though, one way or the other.
posted by TomMelee at 7:20 AM on May 20, 2011

Definitely not a copperhead. I'm voting juvenile black rat snake.
posted by weebil at 7:24 AM on May 20, 2011

It's totally an eastern milk snake.
posted by elsietheeel at 3:44 PM on May 20, 2011

Four feet seems a bit too big for a copperhead.

Not in Missouri, Dr. Zira.

But that's a milk snake. 100% sure it's not a copperhead (nor any other poisonous N-American snake). I stepped on a copperhead by mistake as a teen, and got a REAL GOOD LOOK at him.
posted by IAmBroom at 11:56 PM on May 23, 2011

Oh Sweet Jeebus, I'm going to have nightmares now about copperheads.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:09 PM on May 27, 2011

Thanks everyone! I think that yes, perhaps my OMG SNAKE goggles were on :) Perhaps it wasn't quite four feet? In any case -- it seems like the vote is Milk Snake. Phew.

Now if only we could get the cats to stop bringing garter snakes into the house ...
posted by blue_bicycle at 6:16 PM on May 29, 2011