Baby snake id?

[Starlight]

Oh no! (shivers) I have a new type of snake in the yard. Went down the porch steps last night and seen a brown tail wiggling and thought it might be one of my lizards and when it came into full view it was a baby snake.

I have not seen this snake before. I tried googling and closest thing I could find was a poisonous brown snake from Australia. I'm hoping we may have a few snake people here that could tell me what it is and if it is dangerous or not.

The snake is a baby right now. Maybe about 5" in length. Fast as a whip. The body looks smooth and is a tan/brown color. At first I thought it might have been a baby copperhead til I saw the head and realized I had never seen this one before.

The head is pointed which makes me think poisonous. The front of the head is a dark black, then there is a small band that is like a light tanish color and then a ring of the black again before having the tan/brown body.

With its small size I know it may be a new hatchling, maybe even just a few days old and if there is one, there is more which has my heart in a major panic.

We finally have had some good rainshowers, gully washers the past week after such a major drought and rain expected for more than the next week everyday and I know that the snakes will be flooded out of their holes.

Can anybody help with a possible id? I've looked at google pics til I have made myself sick and paranoid. Once I know what I am dealing with I can calm down and be more watchful of where I walk and what I am doing. This snake was heading from front porch area to under the trailer which is what worries me.

Also, I know with all these rains and possible a litle bit cooler temps the snakes will be moving around. I'm a flip-flop kind of gal. New baby snakes means it back to wearing tennis shoes, but if I encounter one of the many poisonous ones we have like the copperheads, rattlers especially, I know that no kind of protection. Is there some sort of shoes that good for stopping snakes from biting through? I got a bunch of wooded clean up to do and if I accidentally step on one especially a juvenile I would like to have some better protection on my feet.

[shelleybean]

Uh oh. Baby snakes usually have brothers and sisters. I'm not familiar with a snake like you are describing. We live on a lake so we have a lot of snakes here--copperheads, brown water snakes, garter snakes and lots of rat snakes. I've seen rat snakes up to 4 feet long in my garden. We usually find a few live ones each summer and find a lot of old skins between our RV and the fence. Also behind the shed where I keep tomato cages and gardening stuff. I understand their purpose but it doesn't make me like them any better! I totally understand your fear. I always worry about the dog being bitten because she's just too brave to know any better. I will keep an eye on this thread to see if anyone knows what kind of snake this is. Good luck!

[Hellmanns]

Google ring necked worm snake.

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Uh oh. Baby snakes usually have brothers and sisters. I'm not familiar with a snake like you are describing. We live on a lake so we have a lot of snakes here--copperheads, brown water snakes, garter snakes and lots of rat snakes. I've seen rat snakes up to 4 feet long in my garden. We usually find a few live ones each summer and find a lot of old skins between our RV and the fence. Also behind the shed where I keep tomato cages and gardening stuff. I understand their purpose but it doesn't make me like them any better! I totally understand your fear. I always worry about the dog being bitten because she's just too brave to know any better. I will keep an eye on this thread to see if anyone knows what kind of snake this is. Good luck!

I know snakes are beneficial in there way and especially with having a wooded area they are need to keep other population in check. I try to stay out of their way and only take out the super poisonous if they too close to home like around and under my trailer.

I have several huge black and black racer snakes, and I mean huge, which are non poisonous and a king that scare the beezibers out of me when I come upon them unexpected but they usually go their way and I head for the couch to calm the heart down.

Originally Posted by Hellmanns

Google ring necked worm snake.

Thank you Hellmans. Yep it is a ring necked snake and probably have some sort of subspecies since mine a tan/brown color instead of black but they non poisonous it seems and so they get to stay and do what they do best. After reading more about their habitat I thought and breaking up for removal and burn pile an old wooden big wooden stair step from backyard may be what has disturbed it. I'll be keeping eyes out for brothers and sis's but at least can relax now and breath.

[Worth1]

First thing I thought of was the rig neck snake.
There is also the brown grass snake.
When a person starts to look at the positive side of snake instead of the negative it opens up the world of snakes.
In other words innocent until proven guilty.
Snakes in the US have been literally demonized for no good reason.
Yes they have some nasty bad snakes out there thankfully most not in the US.
The Gaboon viper comes to mind.

Worth

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by Worth1

First thing I thought of was the rig neck snake.
There is also the brown grass snake.
When a person starts to look at the positive side of snake instead of the negative it opens up the world of snakes.
In other words innocent until proven guilty.
Snakes in the US have been literally demonized for no good reason.
Yes they have some nasty bad snakes out there thankfully most not in the US.
The Gaboon viper comes to mind.

Worth

Thanks Worth! I'll check out brown grass snakes in a bit.
Your right. For those who have wooded areas there are alot of critters. Without the snakes their populations would take over especially the field mice. I don't like the snakes. They not my favorite of wildlife, but over the years I have gotten a whole lot better at living with them around. I try and give them respect and stay out of their areas where I know they like to hang out.

Once a year the nature place has reptile day and you can go and see the snakes. Really good thing to attend for those who fearful of them. They even let you hold the snakes, non-poisonous of course, so you get used to being around them.

I do have a nice catalog page from our monthly AL news booklet and I keep that handy for what the 6 poisonous ones look like. Even with the bad ones around. I don't take them all out. I leave that to the King Snake that been round here for years.

The copperheads unless you step on them are usually slow moving enough you can walk away and they will ignore you. I've got one huge rattler in one area and when I get to close he'll let me know. It the Timber Rattlers that make no noise that get to me. They usually don't give any warning.

My good guys make me yelp and jump and run, but I just give them room and stay out of an area for a few days and usually by then they moving to another place in the yard.

Yep, watch all the nature programs I can and have seen some really bad snakes in other parts of the world and places over run with them and am thankful I don't have to deal with them.

[dmforcier]

I had copperheads in Atlanta. Never bothered them, they never bothered me, though I almost picked one up as it was crossing the lawn -- it froze when it saw me -- thinking it was a branch.

Snakes are not just cool and useful, they are quite beautiful. The scales of many of them are like jewels. I found a headless coiled small snake after mowing the lawn. (Dang it!) Never seen one like it - green and white striped.

[twillis2252]

Ella
If you have any bodies of water close by; creeks, ponds etc. keep an eye out for CottonMouths which are prevalent in the South. Very aggressive and ill-tempered. Keep those black racers and kings around as they will keep the pit vipers in check.

[My Foot Smells]

my wife has been bitten twice on the same foot. once as a child in sabino, tx on grandparents farm by a big fat rattlesnake, and the other going across the street to our one neighbor's house on the 4th of july about 15 years ago by a copperhead.

not really sure the circumstances of the first one, but on the second, the snake was laying on the cool carport concrete underneath the car, and as she walked by got bitten. of course wearing summer sandals for easy prey.

I live on creek so I'm pretty mental about keeping things tidy. never kill the good snakes, but one year chalked up about 23 copperhead kills in the common area (still marked on shop rafter).

Mothballs are a joke; old wife's tale. I often get snakes in the shop due to all the frog and mice population. I've got that stuff you put in black boxes that jacks the rat up (forget the name). Frogs, well, any creature that eats a mosquito is a friend of mine; but they are snake bait.

We primarily implement the flashlight rule. Don't go outside without a torch from dusk till dawn. I've got a million snake stories over the years, but never have been bitten. I parked the auto in the gravel carport one day and started to hear a "hissing" noise. I thought I had run over a nail and my tire was leaking air. I kept leaning my ear down and feeling around the tire; until a saw a blended copperhead on the grey sb-2 gravel inches away. SPLATT!!

I only wear sandals (chaco's) in the summer when the heat is unbearable; but prefer low ankle boots. I hate wet grass on my feet, and I'm always "into too much" really not to be wearing appropriate footwear.

Got a bunch of the ring snakes and brown snakes, I just let them be. I remember I ran over a ring snake with the mower by the blue berry bushes earlier this year, it happens. The snakes won't broach the open area, as I keep grass, haha, weeds short (2"). I live on the river flyway and we get some big birds of prey and have seen several swoop down to eat mice, rabbits, and snakes.

The outside cat I had given to me is worthless, he preys on the easy birds on the feeder and sh*ts in my raised beds, and now thinks stalking the chickens is fun. He is lucky he has 9 lives, because I'm about to take 8 of them soon.

[My Foot Smells]

Originally Posted by twillis2252

Ella
If you have any bodies of water close by; creeks, ponds etc. keep an eye out for CottonMouths which are prevalent in the South. Very aggressive and ill-tempered. Keep those black racers and kings around as they will keep the pit vipers in check.

Despite living on a snake infested creek, I have never (not once) seen a cotton mouth come up into the yard. I have a deck I built overlooking the creek and never seen one even in the low area. I have gotten several water snakes (one that looks just like a copperhead) in the yard. I did see a cotton mouth (water moc) one time in the cat tails when mowing by the river, but never in the yard.

I do find it odd. Usually they will beach on high ground during spring floods, but I don't think they find home life suitable in the woodlands, IDK. When I go motor boating and fishing for the big bass, I have seen some 6' long and big around as my arm, or a big beefsteak tomato and they stink to high heaven.

I certainly wouldn't take my situation as the norm though, but keep it tight by the water edge.

My wife wanted those dam chickens, I told her about our snake pop. - when those chicks start dropping eggs - it might get interesting at the old shack ('39 farm house).

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by twillis2252

Ella
If you have any bodies of water close by; creeks, ponds etc. keep an eye out for CottonMouths which are prevalent in the South. Very aggressive and ill-tempered. Keep those black racers and kings around as they will keep the pit vipers in check.

There a big pond behind me and one off to the side a property over. The side one I don't worry to much about. That neighbor has taken out a couple of cottonmouths because of the children playing around it and fishing from it like little children like to do.

The one right behind me is the one I worry about. When it rains bad it floods and runs all through my place and I'm always afraid it will brig a cottonmouth into my yard. Years ago I would go back there and look at the pond, but no more.

When I see the black snakes in the yard, I always check a minute in between shaking myself silly with fright to make sure it one of the good guys. Only way I have heard of to tell a cottonmouth is if they open mouth and you see white inside. Let me tell you, ain't no way I gonna sk some snake to open its mouth so I can see its tonsils.

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

my wife has been bitten twice on the same foot. once as a child in sabino, tx on grandparents farm by a big fat rattlesnake, and the other going across the street to our one neighbor's house on the 4th of july about 15 years ago by a copperhead.

not really sure the circumstances of the first one, but on the second, the snake was laying on the cool carport concrete underneath the car, and as she walked by got bitten. of course wearing summer sandals for easy prey.

I live on creek so I'm pretty mental about keeping things tidy. never kill the good snakes, but one year chalked up about 23 copperhead kills in the common area (still marked on shop rafter).

Mothballs are a joke; old wife's tale. I often get snakes in the shop due to all the frog and mice population. I've got that stuff you put in black boxes that jacks the rat up (forget the name). Frogs, well, any creature that eats a mosquito is a friend of mine; but they are snake bait.

We primarily implement the flashlight rule. Don't go outside without a torch from dusk till dawn. I've got a million snake stories over the years, but never have been bitten. I parked the auto in the gravel carport one day and started to hear a "hissing" noise. I thought I had run over a nail and my tire was leaking air. I kept leaning my ear down and feeling around the tire; until a saw a blended copperhead on the grey sb-2 gravel inches away. SPLATT!!

I only wear sandals (chaco's) in the summer when the heat is unbearable; but prefer low ankle boots. I hate wet grass on my feet, and I'm always "into too much" really not to be wearing appropriate footwear.

Got a bunch of the ring snakes and brown snakes, I just let them be. I remember I ran over a ring snake with the mower by the blue berry bushes earlier this year, it happens. The snakes won't broach the open area, as I keep grass, haha, weeds short (2"). I live on the river flyway and we get some big birds of prey and have seen several swoop down to eat mice, rabbits, and snakes.

The outside cat I had given to me is worthless, he preys on the easy birds on the feeder and sh*ts in my raised beds, and now thinks stalking the chickens is fun. He is lucky he has 9 lives, because I'm about to take 8 of them soon.

I almost bought some mothballs today. Glad to know they a myth. I read the warnings on the back of the package and said no way. Warning labels were worse than what I think a snake bite would be.

Next door has chickens. Not so many now, but the snakes still get her eggs and baby chicks on and off. She was darn lucky cuz she had a huge rattler hanging on top of tall chicken pen trying to get in that way. They ate that snake, so it didn't go to waste.

Snakes will also head and eat dog food too. When I had the dogs, I used to leave plenty of food out and let them eat when they wanted. After finding snakes in their pens and around their food dishes that stopped and they got scheduled meal time and all extra food not eaten picked up.

[twillis2252]

If there are any gators in that pond, they will take out a cotton mouth and any other snakes that may be around...