Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got back from a trip to Ossabaw Island (an uninhabited island off the coast of Savannah, GA) and I saw tons of alligators, pigs, armadillos, and snakes (of which I only got to take pictures of two). The first one is easily identified as a corn snake. The second one has an awesome pattern with a series of alternating strips that travel vertically down the body of the snake. I'm positive that it is not venomous not only by looks but I did pick it up and while he bit the stick there were no fangs. I've been told it might be a water snake or a garder. Any help would be appreciated, thx.

OSSABAW CORN SNAKE, found on trail to North Beach; about a foot in a half in length.

OSSABAW UNKNOWN, found next to a small active alligator pond; roughly 4 feet in length.

Easy one - that's a yellow rat snake

>>I just got back from a trip to Ossabaw Island (an uninhabited island off the coast of Savannah, GA) and I saw tons of alligators, pigs, armadillos, and snakes (of which I only got to take pictures of two). The first one is easily identified as a corn snake. The second one has an awesome pattern with a series of alternating strips that travel vertically down the body of the snake. I'm positive that it is not venomous not only by looks but I did pick it up and while he bit the stick there were no fangs. I've been told it might be a water snake or a garder. Any help would be appreciated, thx.
>>
>>OSSABAW CORN SNAKE, found on trail to North Beach; about a foot in a half in length.
>>
>>
>>OSSABAW UNKNOWN, found next to a small active alligator pond; roughly 4 feet in length.
>>
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Jack Jeansonne

Thx, I've found an interestingly patterned black rat snake by my house in central Georgia and the head looked similar to the one on Ossabaw so that makes sense, are they normally patterned that way?

Black Rat Snake; Brooks, GA; about 5 in a half feet long

>>are they normally patterned that way?

Thickness and shade of the black stripes varies somewhat, but that's pretty typical. As babies they look very much like a corn, but in shades of greyish brown, very similar to a young black rat I guess.

They are a subspecies of the black ratsnake (or used to be).
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.