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We found this basking on a rock in Upstate New York on the Adirondick Trails. I really just want to know if it is Poisoness or not , I don't know if I should be more leary when Hiking. Thank you

>>We found this basking on a rock in Upstate New York on the Adirondick Trails. I really just want to know if it is Poisoness or not , I don't know if I should be more leary when Hiking. Thank you

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It looks like a black Rat Snake to me...completely harmless.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you Do you know if this kind bites? My Husband was asking so we know how close we can go up to it to look at it, as an educational purpose. And what does the underside look like? Thanks again

If it's a Black Rat, the belly would be light with irregular grayish markings, generally square or rectangular.

If it's a Northern Water (my vote), I believe the belly markings would be darker and half-moon shaped, but like the dorsal pattern, Northern Water snakes can be extremely variable in belly pattern as well.

If it's a Northern Black Racer, the belly most likely would be the same color as the back, except for the white chin and neck.
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MichaelB

northern water snake gets my vote too.

water snake, hands down, look at the head and keeled scales, Old herper I think you need to pull out the reading glasses, you can do better then that!

I'm not so sure that's a Black Rat snake. The head doesn't look right, and the overall stout body, rounded belly and dull appearance (strongly keeled scales? ) tell me it's more likely a dark-phase Northern Water snake, or possibly a melanistic Eastern Garter snake. Was there a body of water nearby?

Either way, it's nonvenomous. As far as how close you can get before they attempt to bite, they will flee if they can, and will take a defensive posture only if they feel cornered and have nowhere to run. So the real question is how close you can get before he takes off.
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MichaelB

I agree looks like a northern water snake to me although a very dark one

>>I agree looks like a northern water snake to me although a very dark one
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Chris Harrison

Well, we can all agree that it is not venomous, so harmless to humans. If you were fast enough, you might be able to grab it, but it would almost surely try to defend itself by biting and releasing bad-smelling musk, at least at first. The worst you’d get if you weren’t wearing gloves would be a few tiny pin-prick-like puncture wounds. But like the other poster said, their first instinct is to flee the closer you approach.

The snake looks like a northern black racer to me, although I’m not sure if they occur as far north in the state as you were. The link below shows a black racer, but they don’t always have the white chin. I agree it could possibly be a very dark northern water snake or garter snake, but don’t think it is a black rat snake.

-Joan

northern black racer

Looks like a black racer to me also. The color is a little dark to be a water snake ... but it's not impossible. Just looking at the head reminds me of a black racer. We have a lot of them around here so I see them all the time.

the head was what made me think it was a water snake... seeing as i have one sitting here right next to me. lol

Looks too heavy bodied for a racer to me. I vote for the water snake.

I have seen some HUGE black racers so it's definately not to heavy bodied to be a racer. During the spring I had a lot of larger racers in my back yard or just around our house. I caught a smaller racer that was just sitting on my step! About 2 weeks ago I seen a racer feeding on the grass hoppers on the hill behind my house.

Definately non-venomous what ever he/she maybe. I doubt it's a black rat snake...Could be a water snake/could be a racer. No one will ever know besides the snake..LOL

racers don't have keeled scales,and the head is that of water snake. I've seen hundreds of water snakes like this one, I don't understand why there would be any doubt. They are very common.

Defiantly not a Black Rat Snake, Black Rat Snakes scales are not keeled,they are smooth, and you can see on this snake it is keeled, it is a old northern water snake, lost its color over time. I catch them all the time.

Brandon

99% sure Northern Watersnake, Nerodia Sipedon. Scales look keeled which pretty much rules out a racer (head morphology is different too). Ratsnakes are not quite that heavily keeled and usually not as heavy bodied as that snake. I've seen lots of very dark watersnakes in Northern Jersey, especially older ones. I'll take some pics of the gravid females that bask on a trail that I walk (there's a ton of them) for comparison.
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