Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just moved to Wichita Falls, Texas a few months ago. Was out driving tonight and came across a fresh killed snake. Had to stop to see what it was...but I dont know! So, I threw it in a bag and took it home! hah Looked in my book and still cant figure it out. The closest I can get is a plain bellied water snake. BUT... A: I'm in the country in a dry area with dry fields. Not really anything green or wet around here.... And B: I looked up pictures on google but couldnt find any that matched him.... He is 3 ft 1 inch long, 2 inches wide at widest point. A heavy bodied snake with head that kind of follows the wide body into a point.. in other words not the normal arrow head shape... if that makes sense. Its not a narrow head or anything... I'm not very good at decribing this.. hah Keeled scales. He is dark brown with no markings on the head. The front 1/4 of the body has light black patterning that really cant be desribed and then the rest of the snakes pattern resemble a gopher or bull snake pattern with the black blotches on the back and sides. The belley is cream colored. No orange or yellow..just a normal cream color with some black blotchs towrds the end of the body. Wish I could get a pic on here. But this puters USB port is messed up so this description will have to do. I am thinking a plain bellied water snake..but again as I've mentioned, it seems out of place and I cant find any pics of one that resembles it..all the pics I've seen especially seem to have orange or yellow colored bellys? And they all look much darker in color..... Any ideas?
I dont know anyone in this area to do a visual ID for me.

The closest I can get is a plain bellied water snake. BUT... A: I'm in the country in a dry area with dry fields. Not really anything green or wet around here....

I wouldn't necessarily let that sway you. Watersnakes can live quite well in small creeks, cattle tanks, etc. in areas that appear otherwise dry.

I am having a tough time with your description (I don't know exactly what you mean by the posterior being "gophersnake like".

I suggest you try looking at some of the pics on Terry Hibbits excellent site - Herps of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It is the closest online resource to your area.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Ok, best I can figure after looking at those pics is possibly the diamondback watersnake. Only difference I saw was this one doesnt have that black markings on the rear of its head, as I mentioned it has no markings on its head. Its just dark brown. But if these guys can be witout the marking then that is probably what he is. Snake looks to have the same undescribable pattern on the front 1/4 body and the gophernsake like pattern on the rest. I believe this is what it was. The other funny thing about his location was there was no cattle of creeks or any source of water where I found him...he was in front of some houses. I wonder if someone had cought him elsewhere and let him go? Or he got away? There is just no water sources out in that part. I was so upset seeing it there. Such a big fat healthy beautiful snake, dead. =(

Went looking today to see if I could find any water. Finaly saw a small pond for some peoples horses to drink from across the street from where I found it. Must be where he came from. STill bummed out.
Today found another dead snake. A garter. Dont know what kind. It was blue striped. VERY blue. So pretty.

Gartersnakes, Ribbonsnakes,and even Greensnakes turn blue after death due to the breakdown of pigments in the skin. They aren't that blue in life in Texas.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

How shortly after death do they turn blue? This one had JUST been smashed.... Within a 5 minute period. I was driving down the dirt road, watching for snakeys, then went and turned around at the end of the road, truck passed me, and when I got back to the other side the snake was there, fresh squashed from that truck. The road takes about 5 minutes to travel down to the end at the speed I was going. If they turn that fast that is interesting...but more interesting if that was his natural color and its not supposed to be? Mind you I'm up by the Oklahoma border... I dont know if that makes any difference.. The only gater I have ever seen that looked like this one was a Florida species my friend bought. .. I will have to search that area when it stops raining and see if I can find any live specimens... His stripes down the middle of his back were blue. The rest of the body, black. What species would that have been??? Even if it did turn after death? If memory serves me right it had a stripe on each side of the backbone.