Snake ID?

This appeared outside our house today. I've never seen one before. Does anyone know what it is?

looks like one of the little ones that eats bugs. But I could be wrong

My neighbor sez: "If they have cat eyes, kill 'em." I can't tell from your pic if they are cat eyes or round.

What's good to keep snakes away from the house? A friend found 4 around her house over the weekend. Now she won't let the kids out to play. That snake-away stuff from walmart apparently isn't working.

Bluestripe Garter would be my guess

http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/Wildlife/Snakes.html

We get a bunch of the Florida Banded Water snakes around here. pretty harmless. We also get the pygmy rattlers. The rat snakes, the black racers, etc. Ok, we get all of them.

I love how they try to describe the differences on that page between the water snake and the water moccasin. In short, you have to look at them really closely to tell the difference.

Per

Dr. Hess wrote: My neighbor sez: "If they have cat eyes, kill 'em." I can't tell from your pic if they are cat eyes or round.

What if it only has one eye?

Ahhh. Snake. He's no Jack Burton, but he'll do.

Thanks Per. I found a picture that looks very similar. I think it may have been a "Florida Blue Eastern Garter".

I've escaped from NY.

Per Schroeder wrote: Ahhh. Snake. He's no Jack Burton, but he'll do.

Though Snake never knocked himself out by shooting out a chunk of ceiling.

Garter snakes are cute.

Now the Rat Snakes I get around my house mimic a rattlesnake or a water mocassin so you do have to look close or get to know them by name as I've learned to do. The way they move is another give away.

I've learned to love my Rat snakes since they are the only thing standing in the way of me breaking a leg on vole tunnels. Rat snakes will go into the vole tunnels and make sure they don't dig up my yard any more.

My wife, an extreme snake hater, has decided that as long as they stay out of the house (she did find one coiled up in front of her AFTER she'd sat down on the commode once) she's OK with them.

Yep, my son calls that a blue garter snake... he's six, and all he reads are nonfiction books about native(FL) wild life. He's been giving my wife mini-strokes since he was 3. And, my mom won't let him in her house unless he empties his pockets... same goes for when he plays outside of her house.

I have been trying to teach him how to spot the poisonous snakes, but he just whips out his audobon book and tries to match the picture. I must say, the most surprising snake he's caught was only 6 inches long, fully grown. It was a Florida blind snake, looks just like a big worm... he brings a couple of those into the house every week. Currently, he's on the look out for an indigo snake.

I normally despise much of what's happened to Florida, but for his sake, I'm really glad we live here.

Mark

It's a garter snake. Mildly venomous but non toxic to humans or I'd be dead a thousand times over. Very tamable/breedable but they do like to get stinky on you. They crossbreed a bit so could be a mix. A lot of snakes have a very mild toxin that scientists weren't aware of until fairly recently. But, again, no concern. I've been removing rattlers as a side job recently so have been really up close and personal with our squamata brethren lately. A ton of fun and get paid to do it. Mostly diamondbacks, which are very mellow fellows.

slefain wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: My neighbor sez: "If they have cat eyes, kill 'em." I can't tell from your pic if they are cat eyes or round.

What if it only has one eye?

"..Snake Pliskin! I thought you were dead."

Definitely a garter snake... use to play with yellow striped garters (aka eastern ribbon snake) all the time as a kid.

also these: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/eastern_hognose_snake.htm

I'm going to throw my opinion in with everyone else's; it's a garter snake. Like Hasbro said, slightly venomous, and a bit playful, but mostly harmless. By playful I mean some are easily pissed off and the bit stings a bit, but not too much.

As far as repelling them, I have heard that Diatomaceous Earth does well, although this site linky claims success with moth balls. If it were me and they were just garter snakes, I would leave them alone as they are good at keeping rodents at bay.

vladha wrote: Yep, my son calls that a blue garter snake... he's six, and all he reads are nonfiction books about native(FL) wild life. He's been giving my wife mini-strokes since he was 3. And, my mom won't let him in her house unless he empties his pockets... same goes for when he plays outside of her house. I have been trying to teach him how to spot the poisonous snakes, but he just whips out his audobon book and tries to match the picture. I must say, the most surprising snake he's caught was only 6 inches long, fully grown. It was a Florida blind snake, looks just like a big worm... he brings a couple of those into the house every week. Currently, he's on the look out for an indigo snake. I normally despise much of what's happened to Florida, but for his sake, I'm really glad we live here. Mark

Your son and my 5 year old son must be brothers from another mother! Mine stares out our windows constantly, "looking for lizards". In fact, that's what he was doing when he spotted this guy. The most frequent snake we see are black racers so this one was a nice surprise. The downside is that we also have seen a coral snake. Not as cool.

My wife and 9 year old daughter are generally mortified by snakes, but he and I love them. He wants one as a pet at some point!

Morbid wrote: I'm going to throw my opinion in with everyone else's; it's a garter snake. Like Hasbro said, slightly venomous, and a bit playful, but mostly harmless. By playful I mean some are easily pissed off and the bit stings a bit, but not too much. As far as repelling them, I have heard that Diatomaceous Earth does well, although this site linky claims success with moth balls. If it were me and they were just garter snakes, I would leave them alone as they are good at keeping rodents at bay.

No interest at all in repelling them. As you noted, I think they are great to have around and enjoy seeing them.

dyintorace wrote: No interest at all in repelling them. As you noted, I think they are great to have around and enjoy seeing them.

midnight asked about repelling them, so I just threw that in there :)

Down here in Ft. Lauderdale, we just had a cable guy bit by a green mamba, while working outside running wire. One of the worst. Fortunately, we also have Metro Dade Venom unit, part of fire rescue. They had the anti-venin for a green mamba (!!!!!) and the guy has recovered. Without it-dead. No clue where the snake came from.

Dr. Hess wrote: My neighbor sez: "If they have cat eyes, kill 'em." I can't tell from your pic if they are cat eyes or round.

your Neighboor is a Pansy.

Joey

I didn't know Green Mambas were over here. I thought they were an African snake.

joey48442 wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: My neighbor sez: "If they have cat eyes, kill 'em." I can't tell from your pic if they are cat eyes or round.

your Neighboor is a Pansy. Joey

Agreed.

I used to catch garter snakes when I was a kid. I had an aquarium set up for them. I'd catch them, keep them for a little while, then let them go.

slefain wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: My neighbor sez: "If they have cat eyes, kill 'em." I can't tell from your pic if they are cat eyes or round.

What if it only has one eye?

My wife call the one eyed snake "Pokey".

Found a great big ball of garter snakes out in the woods while horse-riding one time... apparently they breed in late summer and have a great big old orgy. It was kinda... interesting. I love the little copper-belly snakes we get up here, so pretty and tiny.