Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone ID this snake. It was found in SC. I think it's a Northern Brown Snake which do range there-I was thrown by it's overly glossy appearence-which is hard to see in the photo. I took it to the local herp exhibit and they couldn't ID it and I figured they should know. So I decided to put it here and see what you all think.

I've seen Northern Brown snakes before and they never have that glossy appearence. It will eat earthworms, I found that out by offering them.

any opinions would be appreciated.

L

looks like a northern brown snake to me

Hi

Just for my own curiousity-how can you tell? what are the characteristic of how you know? I looked in Petersons and I couldn't be sure.

thanks

Thats a northern brown,midland brown intergrade.

how can you tell that it's an intergrade? I'm just curious but it makes sense to me-since I couldn't tell which it was.

thanks

If it was found in S.C.its an intergrade.Across most of southeastern N.C.and all of S.C.the northern brown intergrades with its subspecies the midland brown.Check out Alan Tennant and R.D. Bartletts book Snakes of North America Eastern and Central Regions.Hope this helps,Robert.

ah when I said the Peterson guide that was the you said to look in-I'll have to read that a bit closer

The snake doesn't have the dark crosslines-all it has are those side spots. It isn't marked on the head like this one from from PA.

thanks again

L