# Snake Identification help.



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

I was out this afternoon finishing up some gardening and putting in the last of my tomato plants and as I lifted up a four pack of tomato plants out of the flat that had been sitting on the ground since last night, I found this guy hiding out under the plant packages.

I think it's a juvenile milk or rat snake what do you guys think? It was about 3 feet in length and wasn't aggressive. It has a rounded head not the more triangular shaped head of a viper. I scooped it up with my shovel and turned it loose out of harms way. I like having them around so I usually put them off where the dog won't get them when I find them.


----------



## Minnowhead (Jan 12, 2011)

Eastern Fox Snake?
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...Index/easternfoxsnake/tabid/6607/Default.aspx
Or 
Eastern Milk snake?
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...ndex/easternmilksnake/tabid/6612/Default.aspx


----------



## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

might be a milk snake, its spots are lighter than the fox snake.. im glad you didnt kill it sam. too many people freekout and kill snakes needlessly


----------



## Smitty82 (Mar 13, 2011)

Looks like a milksnake to me. I wouldnt kill a milksnake, prety harmless and they help with the rodent population.


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

I live in Southern Stark county the ODNR page says they are rare and local to the marshes and grasslands of Lucas, Wood, and Ottawa counties. Could they be this far South East?

E-Z I NEVER kill them, they are WAY too beneficial to the environment if you ask me. Besides he wasn't doing anything but hanging out in my tomato plants. I hate to hear of people killing them just because they are afraid of them that's just dumb!


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

It's not the fox snake it didn't have the reddish copper colored head. 

I'm pretty sure it was a milk snake.
http://www.flipseekllc.com/wildohio2009reptiles.html

I found an adult Milk snake last year that was a little darker in color than the one in the picture on the DNR page and the one in my picture. The one I found last year was sunning itself on large rock in my lower side yard it was every bit of 5 feet long.


----------



## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

I want to say it's my cousin Betty Lou, but gosh..............I ain't seen her in 29 yrs, so I'm really not certain....???? Oh well Sam, I guess I couldn't resist!!!


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

snake69 said:


> I want to say it's my cousin Betty Lou, but gosh..............I ain't seen her in 29 yrs, so I'm really not certain....???? Oh well Sam, I guess I couldn't resist!!!


 I actually thought you'd be the first to reply when I was typing up the original post lol 

I hope that lil snake finds a good hiding spot we're in for a good storm here in a few minutes. Things are looking pretty ominous outside!


----------



## Katanafreak (Aug 25, 2010)

Thats a corn snake. I use to breed snakes and had many of them. It actually looks like a ghost het. It was probably someones pet that either got out or was let loose. But its definately a corn snake. Dont believe ghost corns are made in the wild and i think corns are very rare in ohio.


----------



## wags1979 (Mar 26, 2008)

i caught one last year,knew what it was ,but looked it up anyway and it was exactly what a milk snake looked like.google it, they have a bunch of pict..........wags


----------



## dryer1086 (Oct 9, 2008)

It looks like one of those there black eyed pea snakes.


----------



## mismas1 (May 15, 2011)

Chop it up. Put it on a hook and see if you can get some hits.


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

mismas1 said:


> Chop it up. Put it on a hook and see if you can get some hits.


You can't be serious!


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I put my money on a milk snake. They are quite common all across the state I believe and their coloration can vary a bit due to maturity of the snake. Good job on relocating him. I do it all home all the time. I am not real popular with my wife by doing that but she does not know (and never will) how many I come across around the yard.


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> I put my money on a milk snake. They are quite common all across the state I believe and their coloration can vary a bit due to maturity of the snake. Good job on relocating him. I do it all home all the time. I am not real popular with my wife by doing that but she does not know (and never will) how many I come across around the yard.


Sent a few pictures to the ODNR and the snake I posted a picture of yesterday is an Eastern Milk Snake. Someone called me this afternoon and confirmed it. I also found another snake in the back yard today while picking up limbs and twigs after last nights storm. It appears to be an Eastern Garter Snake and nice fat one at that!

Here is the one that was cruising around the yard today.


----------



## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

That is one garter snake that just ate a huge meal!


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Bassnpro1 said:


> That is one garter snake that just ate a huge meal!


Agreed! Keep him around. He may have just saved you from a mouse in the house.


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> Agreed! Keep him around. He may have just saved you from a mouse in the house.


Hopefully he just ate one of the moles making a mess out of my yard. I think it's neat that I've found 2 different species of snake in the past two days. Those Milk snakes are really cool looking and so was that big garter. Both looked to be eating well and hopefully they continue to do so.


----------



## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

That's awesome!! I milk snakes are so cool looking. I remember playing with them in the creek as a kid. They can get aggressive tho...as my thumb remembers. Hahahahaha!!

Cool to see the garter with a meal too.

I just found an American Toad in my backyard. Made my day!


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Tokugawa said:


> That's awesome!! I milk snakes are so cool looking. I remember playing with them in the creek as a kid. They can get aggressive tho...as my thumb remembers. Hahahahaha!!


That sounds more like a banded watersnake to me. Milk snakes are primarily terrestrial. They can both be aggressive and have somewhat similar markings. I agree that they are all cool to have around.


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

I love the fact that they are around, to me it is a sign that my small farm is healthy as far as habitat for a variety of creatures. Just this morning I seen a doe with a fawn out in my hay field and a few days ago there was a big hen turkey building a nest along the edge of my field and wood lot. She is still hanging around so I'm assuming I will see some little chicks soon. And don't get me started on the ground hogs I'm actually infested with them this year and it seems like for every one I eliminate four more show up. Too bad those snakes aren't big enough to eat a few of those little suckers.


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

I hate snakes. Back home in NC, you are told to kill it and then identify it... but we have some extremely deadly snakes down there (Cottonmouths, 5 species of Rattlers, Coral Snakes, Copperheads) and I've been told that none of the snakes this far north are poisonous. I got bitten by a copperhead when I was a kid because I thought he was a Gartner snake... never been that sick in my life, and it was extremely painful. NC DoW said that so many poisonous look like non-poisonous to kill it first, ask questions later.

I don't kill them up here.


----------



## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

bkr43050 said:


> That sounds more like a banded watersnake to me. Milk snakes are primarily terrestrial. They can both be aggressive and have somewhat similar markings. I agree that they are all cool to have around.


The watersnakes bit too much, and always released that stinky musk so we left them alone. 

The milk snakes were usually on the rocks or logs sunning where grasses met the creek edge.


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Dan44149 said:


> I hate snakes. Back home in NC, you are told to kill it and then identify it... but we have some extremely deadly snakes down there (Cottonmouths, 5 species of Rattlers, Coral Snakes, Copperheads) and I've been told that none of the snakes this far north are poisonous. I got bitten by a copperhead when I was a kid because I thought he was a Gartner snake... never been that sick in my life, and it was extremely painful. NC DoW said that so many poisonous look like non-poisonous to kill it first, ask questions later.
> 
> I don't kill them up here.


Just an FYI. I wanted to make sure that you were aware that there are indeed a few poisonous snakes in Ohio. While they are not real common there are two species that are known to exist within the state. Copperheads are fairly wide ranging across the southern half to third of the state. There are also a few timber rattlesnakes as well although I understand they are much less common. Not that I am suggesting that you return to you "kill first" policy but I just wanted to make you aware of the possibility that of encountering one.


----------



## Dan44149 (Apr 12, 2011)

LOL yeah, I'm aware that the southern part of the state has some poisonous species, and that they know no county/map lines... I'm still cautious as even non-poisonous snake can bite and make you sick... I just don't kill first anymore. LOL


----------



## walleyekiller (Mar 24, 2011)

Do not forget about the massuaga rattlesnake in northeast Ohio. Not sure if I spelled it right, but the odnr has a preserve on rt6 in hartsgrove. My cousins property is right next to it and he sees them every now and then.


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

walleyekiller said:


> Do not forget about the massuaga rattlesnake in northeast Ohio. Not sure if I spelled it right, but the odnr has a preserve on rt6 in hartsgrove. My cousins property is right next to it and he sees them every now and then.


My bad. I did overlook that one.


----------



## FlashMan2702 (Jun 2, 2006)

I hate snakes. And thankfully VERY RARELY encounter them.


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

The truth is folks, most snakes will actually flee before attacking. They're just like most any other animal when it comes to human contact they want no part of it even the venomous ones will split the scene when encountered. I think most people who are bitten usually are bitten by accidentally stepping on or near a snake they didn't see or there's the other group of people who are bitten, and those are the ones who mess with the snakes or try to play Steve Irwin and end up bitten.


----------

