Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my house was damages by Katrina and now we are working on it. but today while walking around my back yard i discovered a snake swimming around in my pool, later when i returned there was another one with it, the where both basking on the tiles by the pool and when the saw my they both slithered into the pool.

Description:
thin body about 18-24 inches long
black or dark brown
one long white/pale yellow stripe running down its back with a dashed line on either side. EX:
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________
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(Sorry it's the best i could do)

i didn't have my camera so i couldn't take a picture but the snakes have been there for a long time now.
i have pretty much ruled out cottonmouth so any idea on what it could be?
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1.1.3 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.3.1 Russian Tortoises
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maybe a ribbon snake

Could be. My guess would be garter snakes (from the dashed lines).

A 24" ribbon snake would literally be the width of a pencil or less. A garter would usually be 2-3 times as thick, but still quite thin compared to a cottonmouth.

are either of those snake indigenous to southeast LA? or either of them poisonous, if they are poisonous I'll have someone from my herp club remove them. I'm not messing with anything that's hot.
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1.1.3 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.3.1 Russian Tortoises
0.1 Hamsters
3.0 Dogs
2.3 Family

I believe that both the Ribbon snake and the Garter snake are common in your area. They are harmless. They may put up a fight, but they don't have venom.

OK here is a photo of the snake

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g274/ARolf60/HPIM0794.jpg
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1.1.3 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.3.1 Russian Tortoises
0.1 Hamsters
3.0 Dogs
2.3 Family

I can't be completely sure from that picture, but I'm fairly confident it's a harmless water snake (genus Nerodia). It's certainly NOT any venmous snake native to the US.

Whatever it is, the pattern looks very unusual to me and if you do have contact info for a local herp club a call might be in order. I know I'd be interested in it if you didn't live 700 miles away...

Yep, Its a water snake with an aberrant pattern. Pretty cool, if you're into natricines. I'd like to see its belly.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

i'd like to be able to catch the thing....
it took me upwards of 30 minutes and 50 pictures before i got a decent shot....

i wouldn't be surprised if it escaped from some one's house and set up camp in my pool.

i'd keep them but my parents are afraid of snakes, and its their house. so someone is going to get a pair of new snakes even if its the woods.
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1.1.3 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.3.1 Russian Tortoises
0.1 Hamsters
3.0 Dogs
2.3 Family

here is another shot from the side (I wish there was an Edit Button)
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g274/ARolf60/HPIM0789.jpg
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1.1.3 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.3.1 Russian Tortoises
0.1 Hamsters
3.0 Dogs
2.3 Family

That is a salt marsh water snake - it really looks like the ones from Florida that hang out in the mangroves.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

It looks to be hybid of Gulf Salt Marsh N. clarkii clarkii and Broad-Banded Watersnake N. f. confluens. This is a very interesting occurance. According to Conant and Collins (C&C), N. c. clarkii is a resident of salt and brakish water, they are rare in freshwater habitats. Further, N. c. clarkii is known to hybridize with N. fasciata confluens, and the pattern is described as combinations of stripes and blotches.

Normally, clarkii have two dark stripes on either side of their body, offset by two tan or yellowish stripes. In this case part of the lower tan stripe is being invaded by the darker brown. Compare the side photo to Plates 20 and 21 of C&C. The color and striping is a dead ringer for the Gulf Salt, while the shape and width of the partial banding is remarkably similar to the Broad-Banded.

I think you have a natural hybrid of N. c. clarkii X N. f. confluens. You should be able to verify this if you can get a look at the ventral pattern, which is distinctively different. If they are indeed hybrids, then the belly patterns should be a mixture of the two distinct patterns. The patterns are shown on the same Plates in C&C.

Now here is the interesting part!
- Is the water in you pool salty?
- How far are you from the nearest salt or brackish water?
- Where is the house in respect to the landfall of the hurricane?
- Could these be the offspring of snakes relocated by the hurricane?
- That is, could they be the result of a Gulf Salt washed inland that crossbred a Broad-banded?

To answer this question, compare your location to the range maps and see if you are outside the normal range of N. c. clarkii. Then, catch one of those guys and get a pic of its belly to post here. Look around your area and see if you find anymore like your two. If they are all over, then you are in a normal hybrid zone. If not, you may be in a hurricane hybrid zone!

Regards,

John D.
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

- Is the water in you pool salty?
That's a hard question to answer what is the easiest way to test salinity besides taste; god knows I'm not tasting that muck.

- How far are you from the nearest salt or brackish water?
there are several drainage canals that lead to the swamps, lakes, and bayous all in close proximity to my house

- Where is the house in respect to the landfall of the hurricane?
we got hit by storm surge and had about a foot (deep) of swamp mud and grass on our property.

- Could these be the offspring of snakes relocated by the hurricane?
could be

- That is, could they be the result of a Gulf Salt washed inland that crossbred a Broad-banded?
could be.

Everyone suggests catching them for closer inspection but unless you have a technique that you can tell me this is going to be a challenge.
the only "Net" i have at my disposal is a section of netting used to screen in windows. plus these things are fast.
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1.1.3 Common Mud Turtles
0.0.2 R.E.S.
0.0.1 Y.B.S.
1.3.1 Russian Tortoises
0.1 Hamsters
3.0 Dogs
2.3 Family

>>- Is the water in you pool salty?
>>That's a hard question to answer what is the easiest way to test salinity besides taste; god knows I'm not tasting that muck.

LOL - (Smacking my forehead) Ah-yup, gotta agree with you there. Please - don't taste the water!

Regards,

John D

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"