Any Snake enthusiasts in here? Need to ID a snake.

[EatonEggbeater]

Don't want to kill the thing, but if it's a copperhead...

In Virginia, there are 10 times more harmless snakes to dangerous ones, and the benign ones (I've read) are really beneficial.

A little further information, we're in northern VA, and I've found my share of juvenile rat snakes around. They get swept into one of those sweep and pickup things and moved to a creek by my house. Also a little charmer I was able to identify as a 'Dekay's Brownsnake.' He got carefully relocated as well.

My wife's deathly afraid of snakes, so telling her that the last juvenile ratsnake was found in the basement is a no-no.

Anyway, if you guys wouldn't mind a look, I'd appreciate it. This guy is usually on that root in the morning when I walk the kids to the bus stop.

Thanks!

Mike

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

thats a rough angle to tell - if you google image search for a copper head notice the distinct traingle shape of the head - thats because of the venom glands. My initial reaction leans towards it being a copper head but again from that angle its hard to see whats really going on there

 

[EatonEggbeater]

Thanks, I've got a dozen shots, none show the head any better than that one. I'll see if I can get a few more shots tomorrow, that's his front porch, most mornings.

 

[03Sssnake]

I'd say copperhead or possibly juvenile cottonmouth, they are lighter in color than full grown adults. Kinda hard to see the banding in that pic, copperheads usually have a pretty distinct hourglass band and vibrant in color.

 

[GTSpartan]

That's a copperhead

 

[nxhappy]

kill that SOB !

 

[StrayBullitt]

I'd let the nope rope be beneficial in another location.

 

[03Sssnake]

RE: Identifying it as being venomous or not...With all pit vipers you can tell by the eyes/vertical slit pupils and sensory pit between eyes and nostril. A harmless water snake will not have those features, nor the heavy body and triangular shaped head.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

I'd say copperhead or possibly juvenile cottonmouth, they are lighter in color than full grown adults. Kinda hard to see the banding in that pic, copperheads usually have a pretty distinct hourglass band and vibrant in color.

this as well, the color band will be narrow across its back (on top of the spine) and wider along the sides. Again if you google copperhead vs watersnake there are some good comparisons.

if there was a snake in your basement it was likely looking for rodents - time to look for entry points and seal them up so its not something worse next time.

lastly, they tend to zip off when you're on foot but if you roll up in a vehicle they're more likely to stay. We had a rock pile someone made to help keep a creek bank from eroding and there was a copperhead on it all the time (kids played in the creek nearby). If we walked anywhere near it, it hid in the pile. We rode up on a tractor and it stayed put long enough to blow his little head off with some bird shot

 

[Zemedici]

kill it anyway.

 

[03Sssnake]

this as well, the color band will be narrow across its back (on top of the spine) and wider along the sides. Again if you google copperhead vs watersnake there are some good comparisons.

if there was a snake in your basement it was likely looking for rodents - time to look for entry points and seal them up so its not something worse next time.

lastly, they tend to zip off when you're on foot but if you roll up in a vehicle they're more likely to stay. We had a rock pile someone made to help keep a creek bank from eroding and there was a copperhead on it all the time (kids played in the creek nearby). If we walked anywhere near it, it hid in the pile. We rode up on a tractor and it stayed put long enough to blow his little head off with some bird shot

So true on vehicles, have run over many out in the country on dirt roads etc.

 

[SolarYellow]

Poke at it and see what happens.

 

[dannydarko11]

Poke at it and see what happens.

 

[08mojo]

Hard to tell, copperheads blend into their environment so well. I can barely see the one in the picture on the left

 

[03Sssnake]

NM..

 

[jbou91]

Looks like a 2003 Cobra to me, dark shadow gray.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

So true on vehicles, have run over many out in the country on dirt roads etc.

thats how I got the last snake I killed, timber rattler crossing the gravel drive on our way to dinner.

 

[CV355]

Copperhead fo sho

 

[03Sssnake]

View attachment 1492381

Hard to tell, copperheads blend into their environment so well. I can barely see the one in the picture on the left

The Big-Titted Pit Viper is by far the deadliest.

 

[Double"O"]

Hard to tell from that pic

I looks like a snake lol