Herpetologist help required

[Larry]

Me and Abbey was out creekin along with pickin up crawdads for fishbait





the yesterday.  We ran into a couple of snakes we can't identify from the snake book but figured maybe somebody on the forum could help us out.









We never saw this variety up in Yankee country where we was raised.  Abbey couldn't get close nuff to see if they had a pit...yes we are thinking they may be that dreaded snake of the South. ???

[Fla._Deadheader]

  NUPE. NOT a Terciapelo, Larry.  : : ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

  Killed one about 1 meter long on Sunday. 

  Sure LOOKS like a Copperhead. Maybe one of those "Adders", that look like Copperheads ??? They raise up and hiss at you.  :

[Texas Ranger]

look up diamond back water snake and see if that is it.

[Texas Ranger]

here ya go

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

[Don P]

I was going to say one of the water snakes. And they is pretty easy to pith off. One of them put six of us in a two man raft at the swimming hole  :D. That was serious since the raft was the cooler carrier. It was worse than Carter's bunny attack.

[SwingOak]

It does sorta look like a copperhead, but I found this really good website: http://www.snakesofarkansas.com/ and based on the pictures I think it's a Midland Water Snake.

[Larry]

We knew the FF crew would be able to ID the snake.  Thanks guys. 

Me and Abbey can get back to creekin and maybe mom won't worry quite as much. ;D

[OneWithWood]

Also look up queen snake.

[pappy19]

Definately not a queen snake. One picture looks like a common water snake, but the side view looks like a cottonmouth which is very dangerous. It is definately not a copperhead either as they are more orange in their background and live more in the woods rather than by water. Typically, all water snakes have nasty personalities and do not make good pets. Best to leave all snakes around the water alone. Older water snakes get mud or scum on their skins and are even more difficult to identify.

[cheyenne]

Cottonmouth (BEWARE) nasty. Cheyenne

[crtreedude]

I have heard Jeff is really good with snakes, perhaps you should ask him?  ;)

[ellmoe]

   Coloration is highly variable in snakes and often is not a good characteristic for identification. A cottonmouth or water moccassin will have an arrow shaped head with noticable "pits" and a very short "tail" (it starts behind the vent). Looking at the pictures it appears to be a type of non-venemous water snake. To be sure you can let one bite you on the hand. If you have two puncture marks and quick swelling...well I guess I'm wrong and need to get some new glasses! Sorry. ;D

Mark