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Local water snake

Started by Guest_Sal_* , Apr 27 2008 02:12 AM

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15 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Sal_*

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Posted 27 April 2008 - 02:12 AM

Local water snake

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SNAKE_BY_SHORE.JPG 76.72KB 4 downloads

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#2 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 27 April 2008 - 07:03 AM

Are you sure it's a water snake? Looks sorta like a kingsnake to me.

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#3 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 27 April 2008 - 08:20 AM

Nerodia sipedon, northern watersnake. Assuming you took the pic locally, it's the only watersnake native to your area.

EDIT: Opps, I got confused by your profile. If you took the pic in NY, it would be the only native. In Florida you have half a dozen species at least, each with several subspecies and color morphs, not to mention the venomous cottonmouth.
Still looks like N sipedon to me though.

Edited by mikez, 27 April 2008 - 08:23 AM.

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#4 Guest_Mysteryman_*

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Posted 27 April 2008 - 08:37 AM

I honestly can't tell. It looks like a Kingsnake to me, too, a color variant of Lampropeltis getulus, but the snout may be too pointy, or not, but I can't tell from the half-immersion in the water. Are there any more pics of this snake? I think I can just make out the classic Natrix-y bulge behind the head, so Nerodia is a pretty likely candidate.
I guess I could go either way on it.

Edited by Mysteryman, 27 April 2008 - 08:39 AM.

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#5 Guest_Sal_*

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Posted 27 April 2008 - 01:22 PM

lol yes my profile is confusing I added recently moved from NY to Florida/Miami as have no idea of the wildlife in area wanted to make that clear lol .

It could be a king as hard to tell or any of local water snake types I have no idea as only know exotic type reptile exo snakes .
I took other pics but all as vague as that one. There is a true Albino ca king (imagine released pet) in area which I see once in blue moon that one I will in time get pic of its an impressive snake found in same lake area.

Imagine eats other snakes as lake loaded with snakes (it borders huge farm) . I see them briefly swimming the shore (3-4 inches of water)going from one side of field to another .

Thanks

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#6 Guest_andyavram_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 12:55 PM

That is a Northern Water Snake. You are just seeing the gray between the side blotches which is giving it a slight Eastern Kingsnake pattern. The head shape, habitat and if you zoom in on the pattern all say without a doubt it is a Nerodia.

Andy

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#7 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 01:08 PM

I don't think it's N. sipedon. Maybe a really dark N. fasciata.

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#8 Guest_andyavram_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 01:31 PM

Newt, your right it is fasciata. I kept reading it as New York so it would of had to be sipedon, but it was taken in Florida so it likely isn't sipedon . One way or the other it is Nerodia and not Getula.

Andy

Edited by andyavram, 28 April 2008 - 01:38 PM.

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#9 Guest_jimjim_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 01:31 PM

Fellas; I don't mean to argue with the gurus here but in Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia we call those Mud Snakes. Some have vertical red, white, or gray stripes and some are almost black. Rather common....Jim

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#10 Guest_andyavram_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 01:34 PM

Mud Snake is a totally different species Farancia abacura and that snake is not a Mud.

Andy

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#11 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 01:54 PM

Yeah, a mud would be shinier, more cylindrical, with no apparent neck. The lateral bars would be different as well.

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#12 Guest_jimjim_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 02:24 PM

Well it wont let me upload pics. All I can say I've caught hundreds of them as a kid and still occasionally in my backyard here. They all match the pic shown with just variations in color, being young, old, male ,female. To bad you cant see the end of the tail it should look like it has a point on it almost like a sharp ballpoint pen... :mrgreen:

Jim

Edited by jimjim, 28 April 2008 - 02:25 PM.

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#13 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 02:29 PM

Y'know, JimJim, you may be right. I just looked at the pic at a larger size and it looks like the apparent flare at the back of the head is just deflection from the rippling water. The lateral markings still look wrong to me, but they don't really look like anything else either.

The nailtails on Farancia are cool. They use them to stuff salamanders into their mouth. The little wormsnakes (Carphophis) have the same feature; they use 'em on earthworms. These two genera are remarkably similar, despite one being big and aquatic and the other tiny and fossorial.

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#14 Guest_jimjim_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 02:38 PM

LOL, I just remembered what an older black man told me once up in SC (I was trying to catch a snake while fishing). He said if its in the water and ain't poisoness (sp?) its either a Brown or a Mud snake...Pardon the mess I'm working on my truck :rolleyes:

...Jim

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#15 Guest_Sal_*

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 04:24 PM

lol my pictures arent good as new to taking pics I have lots pics different snakes ,etc that have seen in local canals,lakes as lots snakes here due to area farm .

Getting better at it and hope to post better pics as I get better at this As of now all my pictures of snakes are lousy lol