Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, the snake was a black or very dark brown, white belly, with circular (maybe ovalish) markings on its back. It was about three feet long and coiled up and hissed at me when I almost stepped on it.

Found: My laundry room
Where: Charles County, Indian Head, MD

I've tried various local resources and nothing seems to match the description of what I found in my laundry room. I found a listing for a black rat snake, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of those.

Thanks for any help.

What size was the snake?? The only thing that readily comes to mind that would hiss, is the eastern hognose. They are pretty variable in their coloration throughout their range. They can vary from tan background to the totally black melanistic phase.
The hognose readily hisses and bluff strikes when agitated, and will also play dead by rolling over on its back, opening its mouth and sticking out its tongue.

Do a search on the net for the Eastern hognose and look at some photos. Hope this helps
Brian

>>OK, the snake was a black or very dark brown, white belly, with circular (maybe ovalish) markings on its back. It was about three feet long and coiled up and hissed at me when I almost stepped on it.
>>
>>Found: My laundry room
>>Where: Charles County, Indian Head, MD
>>
>>I've tried various local resources and nothing seems to match the description of what I found in my laundry room. I found a listing for a black rat snake, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of those.
>>
>>Thanks for any help.
-----

RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Nope, I looked up the Eastern Hognose, that wasn't it. It was about three feet long. I didn't see it flick a tongue or anything, but it definitely hissed at us.

Just a guess. Others are better at this than I am. But ... my guess
Eastern King
Steve

was it's nose pointed and it's tail lighter than back?,...

I don't think it had a pointed nose/head, just a "normal" snake shaped head. From what I recall, the body was pretty much a uniform black. Black body with a white underbelly and it had circular markings on top of the black. The pics that I've seen of the rat snake kind of look like the one I found, but mine had those circular markings on it. I know someone said that white shows through sometimes, so that may have been it.