Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I found a snake skin in the yard. Turned out to still be attached to the snake which was in a small hole in the yard. I dug hum up with a screw driver and held his head down gently so i could grab him with a flurry of children screaming everywhere. Ugh. Anyways, I can usually identify just about any snake I find but with garters there seems to be endless morphs. Soooo What in the hell is this?

Sorry the image is rather large.

P.S. Found in Williamsfield Illinois.

Im not too familiar with garters but I think that is a brown snake(dekays). Others will know for sure.

ep
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Occupants not paying rent:
1.1.5 balls
2.1.8 corns(candy cane, creamsicle, ghost, 4 normal,
4 anery )
1 pueblan milk
1 everglades rat
1 cal. king
1 gray band king
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
1 fish
1 mouse
3.3 cats

Its a Brown snake (Storeria dekayi).

Thanks guys! Now that I know it's non venomous I might have the balls to hold it without restraining it's head. Though it is pretty agressive.

Thanks guys! Now that I know it's non venomous I might have the balls to hold it without restraining it's head. Though it is pretty agressive.

Brownsnakes will flatten out and sometimes even lunge, but it is all bluff, they never bite.
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Chris Harrison

Nope they will bite to, even though it doesnt hurt at all, most of all the northerns and midlands i find bite. so yeah they do bite.

I could safely estimate that I have handled several hundred Texas and Marsh Brownsnakes as well as many dozen of the subspecies in South Carolina and I have never been bitten by a single one.

You must have some cantankerous snakes up north! Must be those long cold winters. LOL
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Chris Harrison

probally lol, i live Alabama though, south al, near the beach, but it does get a little chilly lol...I think all the snakes here are evil, the black rats try to kill me lol.. im from south carolina, and there is some awesome snakes there.

That is a DeKays brown snake. It also looks to be a very gravid female, and would probably be best to release her.
Brian
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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Gravid? Is this the time of year they're all breeding? I thought she was pretty fat myself. I thought to myself "that's a very well fed snake". Maybe I'll keep her around and experience the miricle of birth. They're related to garters i'm guessing so do brown snakes give birth to live young or lay eggs?

Live young

I agree it looks gravid. They eat earthworms in captivity and make good pets.

Actually already bred and will be giving live birth within the next month or so.
Brian

>>Gravid? Is this the time of year they're all breeding? I thought she was pretty fat myself. I thought to myself "that's a very well fed snake". Maybe I'll keep her around and experience the miricle of birth. They're related to garters i'm guessing so do brown snakes give birth to live young or lay eggs?
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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

thay give birth to live young.
-Emily

That isn't a garter snake. It is a dekay's brown snake.
-Emilyb