Snake Identification?

[JohnRich 4]

I saw six snakes this morning during my three-hour walk in the woods. Three different types. I'm wondering if anyone knows what kind of snakes these are. The location is Houston, Texas, lowland woods, with a creek nearby.

1) Two for one special. Moccasins? Or harmless water snakes? I've seen a LOT of these.

2) All black, with no skin pattern. Harmless?

3) 2.5 feet long, large diameter girth, aggressive & scary. Built like a rattlesnake, but no rattle on the end of the tail. Maybe he was only aggressive because I pulled him out of that hole in the ground (with my walking stick).

I'm starting to get scared about hiking in this patch of woods with its high density of possibly poisonous snakes. And it seems like I come awfully close to stepping on a lot of these just before I spot them. Ack!

[mamajumps 0]

Im far from a snake expert, but the wetlands of Florida have a lot of similar species that the lowlands of TX have. I would venture to guess that the 1st & 3rd are definitly in the moccasin family. Dunno about the 2nd. When in doubt, I assume they are all poisonous...

[lisamariewillbe 1]

That first one looks like a diamond back water snake the one with almost no pattern looks like the yellow belly water snake, neither are venomous

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[LisaH 0]

Scroll down.

http://www.texassnakes.net/pictures.html

Be yourself!
MooOOooOoo

[turtlespeed 212]

Quote

I saw six snakes this morning during my three-hour walk in the woods. Three different types. I'm wondering if anyone knows what kind of snakes these are. The location is Houston, Texas, lowland woods, with a creek nearby.

1) Two for one special. Moccasins? Or harmless water snakes? I've seen a LOT of these.

2) All black, with no skin pattern. Harmless?

3) 2.5 feet long, large diameter girth, aggressive & scary. Built like a rattlesnake, but no rattle on the end of the tail. Maybe he was only aggressive because I pulled him out of that hole in the ground (with my walking stick).

I'm starting to get scared about hiking in this patch of woods with its high density of possibly poisonous snakes. And it seems like I come awfully close to stepping on a lot of these just before I spot them. Ack!

I may be way off here, but the brownish ones look like diamond back water snakes . . . and the black one looks like a black racer.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[normiss 622]

The second one looks like the black racers we get here. Given the shape of the head of the other two...why aren't they dead????

[Thanatos340 1]

Step One in Identifying Snakes:
Separate said Snake into as many pieces as possible.

Seriously.. Looking at the head in first picture, Definitely Viper shaped. Kill first, Identify later.

I had a cousin bitten by a moccasin when he 8. Lost most of his leg from it. My scout master was bitten by a baby Timber rattler a few years later and lost most of the use of his right arm permanently. After seeing what a snake bite WILL do, I don’t take chances. I see a Snake, Kill the Snake unless I am absolutely sure it is not poisonous.

Fuck the whole Good Snake, Bad Snake crap.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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Given the shape of the head of the other two...why aren't they dead????

Hey the shape of a snakes head has nothing to do with if its venomous or not.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Slappie 9]

1. Water Moccasin deadly

2. no clue - probably kill you

3. Water Moccasin deadly

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Nutz 0]

1 and 3 look like cottonmouths to me. They aren't dark enough though. Definitely a pit viper.

"Don't! Get! Eliminated!"

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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Definitely a pit viper.

No they arent

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Thanatos340 1]

Bullshit.

ALL Poisonous Snakes (Atleast in my part of the country) are Pit Vipers and Have a distinct Arrowhead shaped head. Some other NON-Venomous snake will try to Look like Pit Vipers by flattening themselves out to make their heads look more a Pit Viper when threatened.

Like I said: Step one in identifying a snake: Separate it into Lots of little pieces. Especially if it has an arrowhead shaped head. Better safe than sorry.

[Amazon 7]

Big hint.. pointy head.. usually farily harmless unless its a coral snake..

Big heart shaped head.. ... all pit vipers have that shape of head.. rattlers.. copperheads...moccasins..

Added


All snakes even poisionous do far more good than harm, their numbers are so depleted that billions of dollars in economic damage is done to food crops by rodents every year that normally would not occur if the snakes were just left alone. It is not that hard to avoid a snake.. its not like they will run after your ass to bite you.....


well ececpt for a frakken moccasinj if you are in its territory and in the water...bold little assholes they are...and very very easy to identify.

As a kid we used to catch them and sell them to herpetariums every summer... good money for a kid.

[Slappie 9]

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Big hint.. pointy head.. usually farily harmless unless its a coral snake..

Big heart shaped head.. ... all pit vipers have that shape of head.. rattlers.. copperheads...moccasins..

To be honest I seriously think all three were cottenmouth (water moccasins). I'm very familiar with Houston snakes and we've only got a few that are very prominent.

Water Moccasins - deadly
Hog Nose - rat snake non-vemonous
Copper Heads - deadly
Grass snakes - non-venomous

We're a big city and the Cottonmouth is all over the place near bayous and creeks that run around the area. They're also a very social snake. You can walk up on a pack of 2 or a den of 20. Just depends where you are and what time of day.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[Amazon 7]

I just leave em alone.. or take the harmless ones home to my big yard...guess who does not have a mole or rodent problem

[JohnRich 4]

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Kill first, Identify later.

I'm just not into killing things, even snakes. They aren't bothering anyone out there, and it's me that's in their territory. So why should I, as the intruder, kill them on their home turf? Besides, I can take pictures and use those to identify them later, so no killing is necessary.

I came across a crew clearing vegetation from a pipeline, and asked them how often they saw snakes. He said they kill about 8 or 10 per day. I started to ask why they kill them, but then decided to let it pass. Some people just automatically kill all snakes, and there's no point trying to reason with that mindset. Especially when they've got a giant machine wielding three large circular saw blades that cuts through the forest like something from outer space.

[JohnRich 4]

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It is not that hard to avoid a snake.. its not like they will run after your ass to bite you... well ececpt for a frakken moccasinj if you are in its territory and in the water...bold little assholes they are...and very very easy to identify.

I've found that the large majority of snakes I've encountered are not aggressive at all. Most just want to be left alone. Many, even rattlers, can't even be prodded to strike, even if you put a stick in their face.

The ones I think are moccasins, which I've found on land, aren't even aggressive. I did have one take off right towards me, making me scream like a little girl, but I think he was just trying to get away, rather than attack me. They only coil-up into the strike position if you get so close that they think they can't escape, so like any animal, they'll stand and fight if necessary. But leave them alone, and they quickly go their own way.

[Thanatos340 1]

Maybe it just takes seeing what these snakes can do to change one’s opinion. Watching your 8 old cousin in the hospital for weeks till finally decide they are going to have to amputate their leg tends to leave an impression.

If there is any possibility that the snake could be poisonous and it is near somewhere People may accidentally sneak up on it, KILL IT.

I do not advocate "Hunting" these snakes in their natural habitat unless it is encroaching on Human Habitat or vise versa.

[JohnRich 4]

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Maybe it just takes seeing what these snakes can do to change one’s opinion. Watching your 8 old cousin in the hospital for weeks till finally decide they are going to have to amputate their leg tends to leave an impression.

If there is any possibility that the snake could be poisonous and it is near somewhere People may accidentally sneak up on it, KILL IT.

I do not advocate "Hunting" these snakes in their natural habitat unless it is encroaching on Human Habitat or vise versa.

I agree with that. If I found a poisonous snake in a school playground, I'd either remove it or kill it. Absolutely. But out in the deep woods where humans don't normally travel, I leave 'em alone.

[piisfish 135]

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So why should I, as the intruder, kill them on their home turf?

because you can, you're a Texican

oh , an he one in the 3rd pic is an An-2

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[SpeedRacer 1]

Here are some Texas snakes

1) Yellow bellied watersnake, non-poisonous
2) Diamond back waternsake, non-poisonous
3) Western Cottonmouth (aka water moccasin), poisonous.

Keep in mind: These grey/black snakes tend to get darker as they age. In older snakes they might look just black. Also note that the non-poisonous snakes ALSO have that wide arrow-shaped head.

Speed Racer
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[SpeedRacer 1]

Also, the non-venomous watersnakes are not really harmless. They can be bad-tempered and give you a bacteria-infested bite.

Speed Racer
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[billeisele 122]

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1. Water Moccasin deadly

2. no clue - probably kill you

3. Water Moccasin deadly

Yep on 1 & 3 but #2 is no problem. 1 & 3 are also good to eat. Last one that I found in my yard was a timber rattlesnake, 38 inches long, 11 inches around and great to eat.

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[Beerlight 0]

Could you get close enough for pupil ID? Vertical slit pupil v. round? From what I understand a vertical is poisonous, round......not so much.

Anyone verify this?....I don't have time to Google....Drink beer yes.......Google no.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Sure, John. Allow me to assist:


#1: Scary

#2: Scary, but not so scary as #1

#3: Scary as FUCK.


Hope that helps.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.