Found in my backyard. I'm not too good at identifying snakes. Is it a texas rat snake? I know the picture isn't great, but he slithered into a drainage hole in my retaining wall before i could get closer. What kind of snake is this?
it looks a lot like a texas rat snake or a botched water snake. both are non-venomous. the water snake is aggressive however and will act like a venomous snake. both are found near austin if you live there. im of course no expert though.
I believe that all poisonous snakes in Texas, sans the coral snake, are pit vipers. They can be identified, obviously, by the "pit" behind their nostrils. All other snakes should be non-venomous. For the record, however, I am not a veterinarian or wildlife expert, and will expect to be corrected if this is inaccurate.
"For the record, however, I am not a veterinarian or wildlife expert but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night"
I don't know what it is, but I would guess non-venomous just because it has a skinny head. Most venomous snakes have a wider, heart-shaped head to make room for the venom sacs. But that's not 100% and I wouldn't go try and pick it up.
StonieClark'sBelt, It looks like a rat snake to me too, although the markings are hard to completely distinquish. How long was he? Rat snakes can grow pretty long. If he got pissed, flattened his head out hissed at you, it could be a hognose, but those don't usually get too long compared to a rat snake. If he's a rat snake that's a good thing for controling your rodent population He looks non-poisonous to me. Where do you live?
P.S. you can email your pic to the the South Texas Herpetology Association at southtxherps@yahoo.com and they can tell you for sure, even if they did stay in a Holiday Inn Express the night before.
Looks like a rat snake to me. Most folks in the country call them chicken snakes, because of their propensity for getting into chicken coops after eggs and chicks. Which reminds me of one of my favorite Slim Pickens lines from Blazing Saddles: "Like a chicken snake in a tractor's nuts!"
Well since it's not a coral snake, it's not a copperhead, not a rattlesnake and not a cottonmouth, I'd say you're safe. It almost looks like a king snake with really faded markings, but it doesn't actually have the rings. Easy way to find out - poke it with a long stick.
TEXAS RAT SNAKE, Elaphe obsoleta lindheimerii NON-VENOMOUS The adults are from 4 to 7 feet long, This is the most common large snake in the Austin area. The snake is often incorrectly called a 'chicken snake', probably became of it's fondness for hen's eggs. It is often misidentified for several reasons. This snake will vibrate its tail, and depending on what the tail is hitting against may make a sound that will make you think that you are dealing with a Rattlesnake, even though they have no rattle! While the juveniles are colored with brown blotches on a gray background, the adult's dark gray to black blotches will be on a red, orange, yellow, or even white background, giving the snake a wide range of possible color combination's. The belly is plain with no patterning.These snakes will eat any kind of rodent, birds, and bird eggs. They are excellent climbers, and will go into attics and under homes in search of prey. These snakes are very aggressive when cornered or captured. But hey, if your main diet consisted of rats, you'd probably have an attitude problem, too. These snakes are constrictors, but not venomous. If you don't have any food for them around your house, they will tend to stay away.
Zero chance it is poisonous. Obviously not a rattler, nor a water moccasin, nor coral nor copperhead. Those are all the poisonous types in Texas. Still wouldn't want half inch fangs in my leg.
You know that neighbor you thought was bragging about his many conquests-he was actually saying he gets lots of asps.
PFD, I hate to call you out, but since I watch Blazing Saddles at least three times a year (once a semester, since I show it to my students, and again at my annual Mel Brooks Film Festival) I know the dialog better than anyone. And I have to correct you. It's "a chicken that got caught in a tractor's nuts!"
I was trimming limbs on a cedar in November and sat down my saw to get some water. As of nothering was out of sorts, a 5-6 ft rat snake some within 3 foot of me and slithers up the cedar tree I've been working on. They can have diamonds on their back, but have more of a gray color. I still moved over to another tree to work ad of course looked up in the top to make sure his cousin wasn't up there.
i shot a big one last week in my backyard. blew his head clean off. i explained to my wife that he was not venomous, but she sentenced him to death anyway. something about having a baby does not lend itself to a mama being anything but ruthless to large snakes. the shotgun was overkill, but if i had to kill him, i wanted to make it quick and have a little fun while i was at it.
The dreaded centex mountain juniper Mamba. You saved many a life! If you put one in a bottle of vodka and marinated it for Sunday Bloody Mary's you would love it!
CMJ Mamba?! Every breath you take in and let out from this second forward is borrowed time and brought to you by fate and fortune of the god's. You skirted death. When that dreaded snake is about to attack it moves its tail so fast that it supposedly sounds a little like a Banjo.
