# mosquito water snakes



## exide9922 (Aug 9, 2010)

was wading mosquito yesterday and 3 snakes swam past me. looked black with lighter stripes. i really dislike snakes. does anyone know what kind of snakes these are, and are they at all dangerous?


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## fishngolf (Jul 18, 2009)

If the stripes are long ways down there back it prob a harmless garden snake. If the stripes are side to side..watch out.


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## exide9922 (Aug 9, 2010)

they're light colored rings around the snake. second time i've seen them there, first time i've been in the water with one. i backed out of that water as quick as i could!! any idea what they are?


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## MuskieWolverine (May 16, 2012)

Harmless. There are no venomous snakes in this corner of Ohio (save for the occasional copperhead..but they don't venture this far north). And there are absolutely no venomous water snakes in Ohio. 

You probably saw a Northern Water Snake, which can look black (the older the snake, the blacker these tend to look). They aren't venomous, but they are mean as hell and they won't hesitate to bite if you try to mess with it. Just leave it alone and they'll zip right past you.


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## dtigers1984 (Jul 24, 2007)

exide9922,
Northern Water Snake. Not venemous, but I've found them to be rather aggresive and pretty ill-tempered.

MuskieWolverine,
While they may not be common there definatly are Copperheads this far north. A guy that works for my dad got bitten by one while moving firewood 2 years ago in Geauga County.


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## MuskieWolverine (May 16, 2012)

I figured they would eventually work their way up here with the warmer weather. I haven't seen one yet, but I've heard they are here.


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## exide9922 (Aug 9, 2010)

well as long the ones i'm seeing arent dangerous. still dont like them. pretty skinny, 2-3 feet long


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## steelhead1 (May 14, 2004)

Seen two of these at Skeeter:

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...dex/easternmassasauga/tabid/6610/Default.aspx


Link proving so lol

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/wil...reekLakeWildlifeArea/tabid/19784/Default.aspx


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## MuskieWolverine (May 16, 2012)

We had one on a farm up in Sandusky about 6 years ago. They look VERY similar to a fox snake, so they are easy to confuse. The head is a bit wider, and if you know what you're looking for, you can check the scales beneath the vent to see if it's venomous or not. (straight across all the way down, it's venomous.....if they change, it's harmless....but it's probably wise not to pick it up to check if you don't know in the first place...then again, I'm an idiot)

If it was in the water, I highly doubt these were rattle snakes. And finding the massasauga is like finding a needle in a haystack.


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## walleyekiller (Mar 24, 2011)

The state has a rattle snake preserve in hartsgrove on rt 6 for the massuaga.my cousin has property next door to it and we've seen quite a few therough the years.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Isn't there something about identifying a poisonous snake by the shape of its head?. If it's triangular shaped its poisonous?


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## Rivergetter (Jun 28, 2011)

And the eyes. If they are round it's safe if they are flat in shape stay away


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Oh god, here we go again...


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

Bassbme said:


> Isn't there something about identifying a poisonous snake by the shape of its head?. If it's triangular shaped its poisonous?


No such thing as a poisonous snake but some are indeed venomous


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## MuskieWolverine (May 16, 2012)

In theory you can identify a venomous snake by looking at it's head, but I've seen plenty of water snakes with a triangular shaped head when tilted the right way. Best way to know is to not pick it up if you don't know what it is. Your chances of running across a venomous snake in northern Ohio is slim to none, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there.


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## buford2 (Dec 16, 2010)

have experienced the miss rattler in killdeer plains field trialing dogs years ago.....very small critters


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## young-gun21 (Mar 14, 2006)

walleyekiller said:


> The state has a rattle snake preserve in hartsgrove on rt 6


Can I nominate this for "Worst Idea Ever"?



Sent from my htc EVO 4G


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

Wolverine, the only time the head shape gets a little questionable (IMHO) on a quick glance, is if you happen to stumble on a coral snake. They are not common up here, but not unheard of as far north as southern Michigan. They have VERY similar color patterns to Milk & King snakes. The diamond shaped head is not as pronounced as with other venomous snakes. Easiest way I have found to remember whether to RUN...Red and yellow kills a fellow. Red and black is safe to go back." (refers to the succession of their colored rings.) That said, I don't think you'll encounter Coral or King snakes very often, and CERTAINLY not in the drink with you.


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## Bluegill_Guru (Mar 10, 2012)

steelhead1 said:


> Seen two of these at Skeeter:
> 
> http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/spe...dex/easternmassasauga/tabid/6610/Default.aspx


These are much more common than people are aware of, just ask anyone that has lived in the Bloomfield Swamp area just west of Mosquito. The last one I seen was 5 or 6 years ago in the Shenango Wildlife Area on the banks of Pymatuning Creek. Apparently I had stepped over him on my way to the bank, which set his tail on overdrive. The damn thing had me pinned with my back to the creek for a good ten minutes because I couldn't see where he was exactly, but I was certain it was within striking distance. hahaha I ended up backing into the creek and poking the brush on the bank with my fishing rod, and that's when I was able to see him as he slithered off.

I can confirm Copperheads this far north as well, when a few others and I found one outside our school in Bristolville back in the early 90s. They are such a beautiful snake.

Now, I'm not sure how many will believe this one, but I had Cousins that lived next to a junkyard in Bristolville on Rt. 88 back in the late 80s. Well, one time I went over to their house and they told me I had to come see the rattlesnake they killed the day prior, which they said they found under some sheet metal debris in the junk yard. When I walked out to where the dead snake was left, there was no doubt it was a rattlesnake, thanks to the rattle, but incredibly it was a very large rattlesnake. It was almost four feet long and was at least 7 or 8 inches in diameter. Without proof, no one would believe it, but it could of only been a Timber Rattlesnake.


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## squiqwe (May 15, 2012)

What about massasagua rattlesnakes? Are they still present in trumbull county?


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## Bluegill_Guru (Mar 10, 2012)

squiqwe said:


> What about massasagua rattlesnakes? Are they still present in trumbull county?


My post above yours, where I quote another member, is talking about our confirmation of the presence of Eastern Massasagua rattlesnakes in Trumbull county. And yes, they still are present, and I am sure in greater numbers than anyone would like to think. Their primary habitat is marsh and swampland, and Trumbull has a high percentage of marsh and swamp acreage.


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

Had a guy I worked with his dad owned property by mosquito, he used to go up and fish on the weekends and claimed he saw small rattlesnakes in the rocks..And years ago I belonged to the Portage Beagle Clud just West of Deerfield on route 14, once when we had a field trial we came upon one of the dog owners kid and he was playing with a snake with a stick, some of the boys said it is a small copperhead and sure enough it was. My wife lived near a place called copperhead den and I saw many over there..So don't get the idea we don't have any posinous snakes here in Ohio...JIM....CL....


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## ralph8814 (Apr 3, 2012)

there are timber rattlesnakes all over ohio me and a buddy of mine used to catch them when we where younger and sell them....


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## LipRipper79 (Mar 26, 2011)

Heidler there are no Coral snakes up this far, and there never has been. Rattlers? yes, copperheads? very rare north of Athens but yes.


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