Snakes on our stairs!

January 23, 2010 12:41 PM

Snake filter: Found this guy in our apartment. It was in the entranceway near the door. Can anyone identify it? Live in Central Florida.
posted by Epsilon-minus semi moron to Pets & Animals (17 answers total)

Best answer: Corn Snake! Wikipedia says you're safe.
posted by jessamyn at 12:46 PM on January 23, 2010

Best answer: Yeah, corn snakes are quite harmless.
posted by special-k at 12:47 PM on January 23, 2010

Best answer: Florida corn snake?
IANAH...
posted by aquafortis at 12:47 PM on January 23, 2010

Best answer: Perhaps this online guide (with key to identifying Florida snakes) might help?
posted by arnicae at 12:48 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I wish I could find a corn snake in the entrance way near my door, he is CUTE!
posted by MaryDellamorte at 12:49 PM on January 23, 2010

Best answer: Yeah it looks like a basic ol' Elaphe guttata guttata. Corn snake.
posted by Justinian at 12:49 PM on January 23, 2010

Response by poster: I should note I tried to identify it myself through various sites but have not had any luck yet.
posted by Epsilon-minus semi moron at 12:49 PM on January 23, 2010

Response by poster: oh wow..I posted the above before refreshing...
I was actually going through the guide arnicae suggested but it's a bit of a dig.
Thanks everyone!
posted by Epsilon-minus semi moron at 12:53 PM on January 23, 2010

Response by poster: Best answer for everyone?! I blame Obama!
posted by Epsilon-minus semi moron at 12:54 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

FOR SNAKE SAFETY, JUST REMEMBER: "Red to yellow, kill a fellow. Red to black, venom lack." Memorized this in Girl Scouts and you have NO IDEA how rarely I get to use it!
posted by applemeat at 12:58 PM on January 23, 2010

When I do snake (or other animal/bug/bird) identification, I basically go to Google Images, type in the color and animal, in this case "red and yellow snake," look at what I get [in this case ALL CORAL SNAKES] and then remove what I know isn't right, so then "red and yellow snake - coral" and then look again and see what looks right. Then go to Wikipedia and read up on where the snake lives. There are other better resources but if you just need to look at 100 approximate photos fast, this works pretty well.
posted by jessamyn at 1:02 PM on January 23, 2010 [5 favorites]

Out here in West Virginia, that's a copperhead. Now, I know you're in Florida, but if it hasn't bitten you yet, would you mind just shooing it out the front door?
posted by WyoWhy at 4:56 PM on January 23, 2010

It's not a copperhead. They're generally not found in Florida and their bands don't break up on the sides, they're continuous.
posted by mollweide at 5:25 PM on January 23, 2010

Best answer: also known as red rat snake. one of these came to my buddy's funeral - just swanned right up the parking lot to the steps of the funeral home where we were all standing around smoking in disconsolate mirth. my buddy was a snake freak, so we figured this little guy was just the reptile rep, coming up to show the colors.

it was comforting.
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:35 PM on January 23, 2010 [4 favorites]

Sweet little corn snake! I'd grab it and take it home!
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 7:57 PM on January 23, 2010

It's not a copperhead. They're generally not found in Florida

maybe not in peninsular florida, but the panhandle is full of them. but markings-wise, spot on.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:18 PM on January 23, 2010

I thought copperhead too, but what do I know about snakes?

(Here's a southern copperhead, photo'd in Liberty County FL.)
posted by booth at 4:11 PM on January 24, 2010