Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i FOUND THIS IN MY KIDS PLAY HOUSE WHAT IS IT?

Looks like a Pituophis species of some kind. Depending on locale (which I am not too familiar with...) it might be called a bullsnake or a gopher snake.
Harmless but sometimes a bit aggressive and nervous, it seems that one is pretty calm.
Where exactly besides in a playhouse did you find him?
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

UNDERNEATH THE SLIDE. COULD IT HACE TOXIC SALIVA LIKE A GARTER?

....I meant Where in the world did you find it? As in: What State, County? etc.. not where in the playhouse
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

lol you don't have to worry about toxic saliva lol.

if you decide to keep it they make good pets but it will get over 5 feet and possibly much longer. they all have different personalities too so i wouldn't keep it if it does a lot of tail rattling and hissing and striking. they usually calm down once you pick them up - its the hangs coming towards them that will trigger most bites. they eat rodents. if a pet store guy says you can feed it fish or worms punch him in the face. good luck!

SORRY, UNITED STATES, NORTH WESTERN NEW MEXICO. ABOUT 6500 FT

That makes it a Sonoran Gophersnake. Common, harmless, pretty and quite docile snakes. It won't hurt anyone but any rodents in the area.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I'll bet this kid thinks that's cool....unreal.....

Next time you hit the submit button, stop and ask yourself if you are contributing to the forum or just trying to piss off potential newcomers to the hobby.

blackevilsoul - nice find. 1 karma point for not killing it like so many people would.

I'd rather not see people post here in a family friendly website with such immature screennames, you must be sharp to ask what my point is. I'm sure webmaster agrees..

No. It does not have toxic saliva. If they did - I'd be a gonner.
Garter snakes don't either.

wandering garters have the duvornoy's gland....the venom gland in rear fanged snakes...can cause itching at the bite site but thats about all it does to humans. has a calming effect on rodents making them easier to eat.

It's not just the wandering garter, but the whole genus Thamnophis that has the Duvernoy's gland & the capacity for a toxic (although not necessarily dangerous) bite. There are several other genera of North American snakes with the same capacity.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

that's good to know...I wasn't sure if all of them had the gland or not. Thanks!

I have a large female Blue-Striped Garter, similis, which bites frequently. I have noticed a mild itching from at least one bite she had given me. The itching was of short duration and was very faint. No swelling, discomfort, or other consequences accompanied the bite. The bite marks remained red and noticeable longer than normal compared to other snake species of similar size. I have never noticed this with any of the many other Garters I keep that have bitten me on occasion.

Just an observation
-----
Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

definitely interesting....I wonder if the reaction varies depending on the person's sensitivity. I have heard of a lot of people bitten by garters that have had minor reactions like that, but I've been bitten numerous times over the years by a wide variety of garters (lots of wandering bites, been catching them for 30 some odd years!!) and have had no reactions like that. Maybe I've built a little immunity like Bill Haast...lol!!

Dont forget mild to severe inflamation! only to people sensitive that is.

As one of the unfortunate few to be highly sensitive to garter snake "venom," I can say that it causes more than mild inflamation. Years ago I caught a 12" /- Eastern Garter in my backyard, which promptly latched on to my thumb. The next day my entire thumb and half of the palm of my hand was bruised and swelling had spread halfway down my arm. I went to my doctor (pediatrician at the time) and they told me not to catch snakes anymore...yeah, right. It ended up just going away on its own after a couple days.

yup... it's a Sonoran Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer affinis)... They commonly get to around 5 feet, but have gotten over 7 feet long... Beautiful snake and great find!