Look What Followed Me Home

[old Pilot]

Almost stepped on this guy as I walked off the deck in bare feet & shorts.

By using the photo and measuring the concrete + adding a few inches of slack, he is over 6' long.

When I tried to pick him up by the tail he acted aggressively. Coiled, twitched the end of his tail, and confronted me.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe he's a black rat snake.

 

[Bounce]

Did it have a white mouth? Is there a water source nearby?

 

[FJRless]

Rounded head and nose = not venemous. Flat nose and angular-shaped head = venemous. That one appears to be venemous in the pic.

 

[ahchiu]

looks like a tar snake..

 

[rushes]

Tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe he's a black rat snake.

I think you're right. They're pretty common around here too.

I saw one that size climb a tree once.

Amazing creature...

 

[sonicspeed]

if i found him on my back deck, he would be called a dead snake

 

[old Pilot]

Did it have a white mouth? Is there a water source nearby?

He would not smile for the camera so I don't know. Yes, lots of water nearby. You're thinking Cottonmouth. Possible I guess. It's hard for me to see the difference but I still think it is a black rat snake.

 

[Duck Soup]

A cottonmouth would usually be shorter and fatter than this guy. Six foot is pretty big, but not so much for many of the rat snakes, pine snakes, bull snakes. If you happen to get a good look at the eyes, the pupils on a rat snake would also be round, but the cottonmouth would have narrow pupils, like slits.

 

[Nick2]

Did it have a white mouth? Is there a water source nearby?

He would not smile for the camera so I don't know. Yes, lots of water nearby. You're thinking Cottonmouth. Possible I guess. It's hard for me to see the difference but I still think it is a black rat snake.

Nice looking snake!

Not a Cottonmouth. Too long, too narrow in the body. The Cottonmouth/moccasin is a dark thick bodied snake with narrow eyes. A Cottonmouth of that size would be as thick as your forearm.

Most likely it's a King snake. The behavior of shaking the tail is consistent with that snake (and rat snakes). King snake is more aggressive, but you antagonized it when you tried to pick it up and so it responded. It's a big one though. You might also spot a black one with some with yellow bands (no red) and that would be another "beneficial" snake - yellow-banded King snake.

Nice one to have around.

 

[kolonial72]

Why not just ask him?

I heard something about a snake, perhaps this very snake, on the radio the other day. The concensus was that it was a rat snake.

 

[Deacon51]

if i found him on my back deck, he would be called a dead snake

Snakes are beneficial. Please try not to harm them. They eat rats and mice.

 

[rushes]

if i found him on my back deck, he would be called a dead snake

Snakes are beneficial. Please try not to harm them. They eat rats and mice.

Kingsnakes eat copperheads and other poisonous snakes too...

If that one had a bit more speckle, I'd say he was a Kingsnake...

Hope ya didn't hoe 'im....

 

[Wee Willy]

That IS NOT a cotton mouth...they are unmistakeably ugly snakes...all short, fat and businesslike...they got an attitude too. I'll wager serious coin that fellow is harmless. If you were in Florida, he might be an Indigo, but in Ozark country, not sure what it is. I hope you let him pass on his way without insult or injury. They really are amazing creatures.

BTW, cottonmouth tastes really good fried in butter...not like chicken at all.

W2

 

[old Pilot]

Nah, I did not hoe him or harm him, only photographed him & pissed him off a bit by trying to handle him. He went off into the woods beside the house. Would be interesting to see him climbing a tree or something.

The only snakes I've ever dispatched were rattlesnakes and copperheads, and then only because they had intruded into my space and thus presented a danger, like the rattlers that used to hang out beneath the hunting cabin we had in upstate Pennsylvania.

I've encountered copperheads around the house here and will kill them. My mowing/trimming attire is long pants, boots, leather gloves, and a .38 snubby loaded with shot shells :lol: .

 

[Patriot]

I dunno...looks like my friend as a kid...a black runner named Gus

 

[dj bill]

looks like a new belt and matching wallet to me.id kill that fkr on site.

 

[vroompuppy]

O-P, yer belief is correct, that's a black rat snake.

He's kinda skinny though.....you need to feed him better!

 

[Mighty Joe]

My wife would be flipped out for days if she saw that at the back door!

 

[trimmantom]

Had one just like him in my yard a couple weeks ago.

Believe he's a nice big King snake. definetely not a cottonmouth.

He will take care of the rodents running around your house, I wouldn't harm him.