Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, over the weekend we found this magnificent snake swallowing a fish whole!!

It was on the banks of a central Missouri lake.
Since we swim here a lot we were wondering if it is poisonous and/or agressive?

Any ideas on what type of snake this is?

thanks

Definitely a watersnake. The range for the midland, which this one looks like, is only in the southern part of the state. If it was found in the center of the state, then it would probably be a northern or perhaps an intergrade between the two. An exact location of the lake might help.

~~Greg~~

Thanks for the reply.

The town the lake is in is called Bourbon, just outside of Sullivan, MO. I would say it is in south-eastern part of central MO.

....northern watersnake.don't have a map handy,like greg said could be an intergrade with the midland watersnake.either way,totally harmless.just very stinky if you try to handle them,not the sweetest things either,lol.
-----
"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

Thanks, I'm glad to be able to tell people its not a poisonous snake. One of our friends who saw the snake was convinced, and still is convinced, despite having seen your id's, that the snake is an Osage Copperhead. Is this even in the realm of possibility?

np

....that it's a water snake-non venomous....to me,it looks almost nothing like a copperhead-but that's because i've seen hundreds of both,maybe thousands if you include pictures in book,etc....it seems the avg joe/non snake-lover type can confuse anything with a copperhead.the top of a copperhead's(or a cottonmouth for that matter-both 'agkistrodon' species) head is flat,eyes set on the sides.a water snake's are sort of more towrds the top,and the sides of the head don't meet the top at such a right angle as on a copperhead....nerodia(water snakes),like all 'non-hots'(non venomous snakes) in your area,have round pupils.all the hots in the u.s. except the coral snake have vertical/eliptical pupils(like a cat's)....the hots have a fairly triangular head THAT IS ALSO MUCH WIDER THAN THE NECK at all times,not just when they're trying to 'look scary' like many non-hots will do,including your water snake....and yes all the hots but the coral snake have heat-sensing pits betweeen the eye and nostril on each side of the head....but the only reason you would likely ever get bitten by a venomous snake,is if you're trying to handle it,or if it feels totally trapped/cornered.
-----
"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

Hi there -

By any chance is your friend (who is convinced that the water snake is actually a copperhead) a betting person? Please advise him/her that I would be pleased to accept a wager about this matter. Shall we say $10,000? More? Whatever you say!

-Joan

>>Thanks, I'm glad to be able to tell people its not a poisonous snake. One of our friends who saw the snake was convinced, and still is convinced, despite having seen your id's, that the snake is an Osage Copperhead. Is this even in the realm of possibility?

The water snake in the picture has colors that are somewhat, though not exactly like those of a copperhead. The biggest similarity between the two is the lack of legs. Ask your friend to check his fecal level. He's a quart high.

~~Greg~~