ID This Snake?

[Revolver]

My son found this beast in the garage. We've found a few snakes this year, none last year. This is by far the smallest one, thought it was a worm at first. I was wondering if it was a baby but I would expect its late in the year for that?

The kids and I are just curious about it.

We are in Maine.

[lavenatti]

Looks like a ringneck. They're small and harmless.

We used to catch and play with them as kids.

[Beau Cassidy]

Ringneck snake....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diadophis_punctatus

[PbHurler]

Yep,
Northern Ringneck, Diadolphis punctatus edwardsi.

Juveniles avg. 4-5 1/2" long at hatching, adults: 10-15". Belly uniform yellow with a row or partial row of small black dots down the center.

They eat earthworms, small salamanders lizards & frogs.

Oh, and they feel really cool crawling through your fingers.

[Revolver]

Cool, thanks. We like to investigate the critters around here. Kids love the snakes especially. We let this fella go out in the woods, away from the chickens.

He darn near ate the cat!

[Bloodman14]

Awwww, idn't he cuuuute?

[slim1836]

Always nice to handle snakes prior to them being identified.

[XTR]

Always nice to handle snakes prior to them being identified.

In North America if you can ID the 4 varieties (Coral, Rattler, Copperhead and Cotton Mouth) that are poisonous, everything else not no matter whether you can ID it or not. That said, there are some of those non-poisonous varieties that are meaner than anything other than a pissed off cotton mouth (which has got to be about the meanest reptile in North America)

[Charley]

You don't need to positively ID a snake before dealing with it. A negative ID works, too. If you can ID the four venomous snakes in the US, why worry about "what it is" otherwise, except for the curiosity factor shown here?
If it isn't a rattlesnake, copperhead, or coral snake, it isn't an issue. I'm leaving out water moccasins because of where this snake was found.

[starmac]

I had an ag teacher in high school, that there was only four kinds of snakes he was scared of.
Big ones
Little ones
Live ones
Dead ones

I have met quite a few people since that thought the same. lol

[1Shirt]

Tend to agree with the teacher!
1Shirt!

[9.3X62AL]

Cool-looking little guy. Snakes do far more good than harm in most environments, even those useless buzzworm varieties that we have hereabouts. I'm not fond of them, but I don't kill them unless they pose a threat to grandkids or pets.

I have never seen a place with more snakes per square mile than the Coachella Valley. That was my duty station for 4 years, and I saw more snakes during that 4 year gig than during the rest of my 57 years put together.

[Bill*]

It took a minute to realize the upper pictures background is a hand. Holy Cow is that guy small!!!

[canyon-ghost]

Mouse and rabbit control, that's what the non-poisonous ones excel at!

[bruce drake]

Tend to agree with the teacher!
1Shirt!

DITTO! I leave them alone and I expect the same from them!

Bruce

[JeffinNZ]

Always nice to handle snakes prior to them being identified.

I did see the irony in that but here in NZ we have no snakes so I'm not in a position to judge.

[Revolver]

Always nice to handle snakes prior to them being identified.

What? Heck no! I'm not stupid... I make the kids handle them for me.

[MtGun44]

with the exception of the coral snake, all snakes with narrow heads like this one are
non-poisonous in the USA. The pit vipers have a very much wider rear part of the head
and a rapid taper forward. Really easy once you focus on this issue, and for this country,
accurate. NOT accurate worldwide as there are a number that are very poisonous and
have narrow heads.

In the USA, the only one that is a bit ambiguous that I can think of is the wonderful and
funny hognose snake. These actors should get an Academy Award for their impressive
and predictible reaction to being bothered by people. Absolutely hilarious if you know
what they are.

Bill

Bill

[brotherdarrell]

with the exception of the coral snake, all snakes with narrow heads like this one are
non-poisonous in the USA. The pit vipers have a very much wider rear part of the head
and a rapid taper forward. Really easy once you focus on this issue, and for this country,
accurate. NOT accurate worldwide as there are a number that are very poisonous and
have narrow heads.


Bill

Bill

Actually, not entirely accurate, though I am nit-picking a little bit. There is a group of snakes (Lyre, night and cat-eyed) that are poisonous. Their poison is thought to be fairly weak and not a danger to humans, but being rear-fanged and not very large you would have to let one gnaw on you pretty good to find out. The cat-eyed snake does have a fairly angular head and can make you pause a little, much like the hog-nosed snake.

A fairly good "GENERAL" rule is that eyes with vertical pupils are "GENERALY" poisonous, though not necessarily dangerous. Round pupils "GENERALY" denotes non-poisonous, with the coral snake being an exception as it has round pupils and is very poisonous.

brotherdarrell

[10x]

I would be very wary of any snake in the southern U.S.
A lot of folks have turned loose Asian and African snakes that seem to be taking over as the top of the food chain in some areas.