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It was found in my garage (on farm in northern Virginia, USA). He is about the width of a small pencil and about that long. He is very pissy....striking the tupperware when I bend over to look at his markings. Appears to have a small wound (old) by his head. Cant figure out how to load picture. He is camel colored with dark rusty brown ovals down the top of his back they get smaller as they go towards tail. Bottom of snake is much paler with small squiggels of same color. All dark patches are bordered by a thin line of cream color. I can email photo to anyone that would need it. Chaseewe@hotmail.com Thanks

It's a hatchling black rat snake with perhaps a meal in it (although the bulge is kind of far forward) and with some injuries that should heal up okay if you decide to keep it. That one on the neck is a bit nasty. Looks like someone took a whack at it, or it tried to squeeze through or under something too tight to fit.

Most black rat snakes have attitude to spare. Many tame down into really neat captives; others seem unsuited to a cage and rub their snouts constantly in an attempt to escape.

-Joan

You sure its a black rat? The pattern almost looks more Lampropeltis calligaster looking to me. Andy
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Totally forgot mole king's were found there. The head looks too long. Although the pattern on the back and head looks like a mole king.

;

It is totally harmless, although it has tiny teeth and can bite, in case you did not know. Nice critters to have around if you want to keep the wild rodent population in check. You obviously have at least one adult male and female somewhere about and on the job. In the interest of full disclosure, adult black rat snakes also like to eat birds, and will raid hen houses and climb trees to get them.

I didn’t realize Northern Virginia still had any farmland left! I used to summer at Lake Jackson many years ago.

-Joan

Yeah, that one confused me at first, too. I thought black rat, but I agree it's a mole king.

~~Greg~~

that although the poster accurately described the colors in terms of cream, camel and rusty brown, I saw only greys, black and white!

Well, you can forget about the tree climbing business; they don't call them "mole" kingsnakes for nothing! And they do eat other reptiles as well as rodents.

Neat to find a hatchling. Most of the pics of wild ones you see are of adults.

Joan- My inlaws live like a mile from Lake Jackson in Manassas. Our farm is 40 miles south west from them. Small world! Will turn the snake lose in the morning. It is cold, wet and dark now and I dont want to venture out. Thanks.

Blotches are too small. It does resemble a Prairie Kingsnake, but their range is no where near northern Virginia.

Looks more like a young Northern Black Racer, Coluber c. constrictor. They typically are not good captives, rarely settling down and somewhat more prone to parasites than other snakes.
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MichaelB

Disregard the Black Racer theory. I agree with the above - Mole Kingsnake. I didn't realize they range that far northeast, but they do. Good call, Andy!
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MichaelB

Hello -

Well, as you can see, you got a lot of different "expert" opinions here. At any rate, it IS harmless. You didn't say whether or not you care anything at all for snakes, or would want to keep that one. But, assuming it is a mole kingsnake, it is kind of a neat find. It is not that they are so rare, but they are not so often seen. Here's a couple of relevant quotes from Snakes of Virginia by Linzey and Clifford:

"This species is well adapted to farmlands with their mixture of cultivated fields, woodlots, pasture, and weed patches. Mole kingsnakes seem to prefer well-drained land and areas of light soils rather than clays. They are common in some rural villages and even suburbs, but are rarely seen except at night."

"The mole kingsnake is generally docile, but its initial defensive reactions are similar to the common kingsnake's. The young ones are very active on defense and will coil and strike so vigorously that they nearly jump off the ground."

-Joan

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