Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found a snake on my driveway near Hattiesburg, MS.
It's a juvenile (assumed this due to its size). It's black with reddish belly, and reddish triangle/diamond markings along it's side. I asked a couple of neighbors, and one said it might be a "ground rattler?"
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks.

Did it look like this? (follow link)
Mud snake

It does indeed look like this "Mud snake"!
I did take some pictures and would really like to confirm this snakes identification. My children(all girls) are way off into reptiles, amphibians, etc... I'd like to be able to keep this one if it's really indeed not poisonous. If it turns out to be a dangerous snake, we'll just turn him loose across the road in the field... he needs a chance to make it on his own
I'm going to try attaching the pic... I can send it directly if that would be better.
Thanks for all your efforts
Mary

to me. They are not easy to keep. I had 4 babies and none lived. Very hard species to keep. Water has to be just right in pH or they develop blisters. Mine would not take fish or frogs. I could not locate any sirens or amphiumas (their major food source).
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
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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

Man if that is a mud snake...SWEET! Amphibian feeders from what I hear. Very cool though. Rarely seen in KY even though they are here. Awesome find.

If you think about it most snakes could be called "ground rattlers". It is rare I do not see a snake not try to rattle its tale on the ground when confronted.
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14 Leopard Geckos 5.9.0
2 Tokay Geckos 2.0.0
1 Graybanded Kingsnake 1.0.0 (on vacation in my house)
1 Baird's Rat Snake (Thanks Vadoni!) 1.0.0
1.0 Ambystoma sp. "Axolotl"

Here in north carolinia peaple call a pigmy rattle snake a "ground ratler". they have small rattle but still "buzz" when confounted. Could you posbly get a pic of the snake?

It's really very simple. it sounds like a mudsnake. All true rattlers,copperheads and moccasins have "Keeled" scales. If the scales are smooth then it is harmless.

Coral snakes are the only smmoth scaled (dangerously venomous) snake in America and all my sources doubt that it even occurs there. Besides the warning color sequence Red-yellow-black does not apply here.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Here's another pic of my little find.
Thanks for your efforts as well
Mary

He will be impossible to keep healthy due to such intensely difficult diet and water needs. I know its hard to give up a beautiful reptile find, but you might just want to hold onto him for a few days and then return him to the wild.