Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was in our goat pasture pulling up hemlock plants, when I grabbed hold of the plant this little guy was hanging in.

I picked him up with no struggling at all, and he is quite calm and inquisitive for being wild. He's actually kind of cute, honestly. Interestingly, he's got a black tongue. He's also got a little-bitty head and a chubby body. So whatever he is, he seems to eat quite well. =P

He looks colubrid to me, just has that shape of the head that I associate with colubrids, and he has the black lip-stripes like I've seen on kings and corns. Maybe he's some sort of garter snake? I've never seen a garter with this colouration though. Most garters around here are army green and brown.

If anyone can tell me what he is, and what he eats..I might make him a good home here with my corn snake collection. What's one more mouth to feed?

Here's the pictures of him:

-----
~*Taceas*~
rain@mainecoon.net

"And shepherds we shall be, for thee my lord for thee. Power hath decended forth from thy hand so our feet may swiftly carry out thy command. And we shall flow a river forth to thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti." - The Boondock Saints

n/p

silly me, forgot to tell you what they eat.

They eat earthworms and slugs mostly. Sometimes they'll take a random grub, waxworm and such, and the occasional frog or salamander if they're small enough, or the snake is big enough to tackle one.

Did it rain in your area recently? Looks like he engorged himself on earthworms.

-13mur 6

Oh, did it ever rain. Today is the first day that is has not rained for the entire month of May here in Southern Indiana.

And if they do indeed eat earthworms, then I'm sure he did gorge himself. The barn floor is covered with thousands of dead earthworms who got stranded on the concrete and died. And I found him no more than 10 feet from the barn.

From what information on found on the internet, they seem like a mild-mannered snake. If they get no more than 12 inches long, then I'd say this one is a young adult. He's around 9-10 inches if he stretches out.

Thanks for the info. =)
-----
~*Taceas*~
rain@mainecoon.net

"And shepherds we shall be, for thee my lord for thee. Power hath decended forth from thy hand so our feet may swiftly carry out thy command. And we shall flow a river forth to thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti." - The Boondock Saints

That's a brown or Dekay's snake (Storeria dekayi ). It's probably an adult, they don't get very large. Also, they eat slugs, earthworms, that sort of thing.
-----
-audri
Webpage/Pics

Brown snakes love baby slugs.
I had one for a while that ate them like pop corn.
I also found out something interesting when I had her.
They give live birth. She had seven little babies. They were maybe 2 inches long and about as big around as a small spaghetti noodle.
When I discovered the babies I let them and mom go in the yard where I found her.
-----
Jimmy (draybar)

One of my 4th grade students last year, a "FOCUS" or 'gifted' student, told me he caught a baby copperhead and was convinced that was what he had. When I had him bring it in, it was a little Brown snake. He KNEW to check the shape of the head and look for cat eyes but he was sure it was a baby copperhead. Makes me wonder just exactly what was his 'gift', definitely not IDing snakes.

One of my 4th grade students last year, a "FOCUS" or 'gifted' student, told me he caught a baby copperhead and was convinced that was what he had. When I had him bring it in, it was a little Brown snake. He KNEW to check the shape of the head and look for cat eyes but he was sure it was a baby copperhead. Makes me wonder just exactly what was his 'gift', definitely not IDing snakes.

I had a little kid bring me a boa constrictor he found in his basement. Must have been a new phase, it looked so much like a juvenile black rat.
Of course, this one never claimed to be gifted.

The neighbor's kid is always spouting off trivia about snakes and reptiles (though I don't know where he's getting it from, as a lot of the 'facts' are mixed up)
One day he came over and told us there was a baby cottonmouth on their patio - of course, it wasn't. It was a juvenile black racer.
-----
-audri
Webpage/Pics

>>The neighbor's kid is always spouting off trivia about snakes and reptiles (though I don't know where he's getting it from, as a lot of the 'facts' are mixed up)
>>One day he came over and told us there was a baby cottonmouth on their patio - of course, it wasn't. It was a juvenile black racer.
>>-----
>>-audri
>>Webpage/Pics

I hate black racers. They're evil incarnate.
At least a cottonmouth is more predictable then a psychotic racer.
Not that I have an opinion on the subject or anything....lol
-----
Jimmy (draybar)