Found this little guy last night in my Houston, TX garage, hoping to warm himself against my heated reptile set ups. I apologize for the blurry photos but he's very wiggly and musky, though he hasn't attempted a bite. I have him in a 5g with an undertank heater and am keeping him around 80, with a water bowl and hidebox. Besides species ID, any opinions on husbandry are welcome, although I'll probably release him to a less residential area once the freeze weather has passed.
Thanks.
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Garter or?
bettiepagestyle
Jan 17, 2005 07:14 PM
Replies (5)
wayne13114
Jan 17, 2005 07:45 PM
kind of looks like a brown snake, not sure
chrish
Jan 17, 2005 09:05 PM
Very common in and around the Houston area, although any snake in January is a good snake!
If you want to find out more, they are sometimes called Dekay's snakes as well.
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Chris Harrison
bettiepagestyle
Jan 18, 2005 09:09 AM
Thanks so much. After further reading online I suspected it might be a DeKay's, but the limited info showed a much more colorful specimen and used the description "thick". This guy is like a moving spaghetti noodle and his coloration changes depending on mood (especially if I'm trying to get a decent photo). He's very curious and is always watching what's going on, but if he refuses worms I'll release him somewhere further down south 288 where he won't be mowed. (I actually live in Pearland and this is only the 3rd wild snake I've seen in six years.)
bettiepagestyle
Jan 18, 2005 09:17 AM
www.houstonherp.com/MarshBrown.htm
As I live between Galveston and Houston, not far from Brazos Bend, a marsh loving snake isn't too far off. I wonder if it hatched in the bags of mulch that have been sitting in my garage all season, which I haven't moved since those little geckos nest there and sneak into my cricket bins.
chrish
Jan 19, 2005 03:00 PM
Could be either a limnetes or a texana in Pearland, but is probably an intergrade. I used to find a lot of these on the west side of Houston (Eldridge road near I-10) area. Along the coast you find "pure" limnetes. I think your snake is more likely to be a texana or at best an intergrade, but they aren't that hard to differentiate (it has to do with the presence of dark bars on the head).
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Chris Harrison
