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gray (all over) snake w/cream color band around head. think it was baby (6 - 7 inches long) Dog was asleep in diningroom. Went to let him out and when he got up thought piece of something he had destroyed during the nite under him. went to pick up, it wiggled & began to move away from me. at same time, caught glimpse of (at least) several others under the diningroom table also moving away in opposite direction. Have 4 yr old. must be nest somewhere in kitchen or diningroom? I know they are good to have around. I live around woods and they keep the mouse population down in which i am thankful. however, if these are poisonous would like the heads up. We have black snakes in our attic and thats fine as long as they stay up there. But these are not black snakes. Please help. Thank you!

Sounds like it might be a Ring Necked Snake, you don't say where you live but they are found all over the U.S. Here's a link to a couple of photo's of them. Look familiar?
RING NECKED SNAKE

thank you Hotshot & talkinghead for such a quick response. Yes, they were identical to the southern ring neck snake picture. They were battleship gray (same color as my diningroom carpet) w/cream ring around head. just wanted to be sure that they were NOT poisonous and did not present a danger to my family. As long as ANY creature does NOT pose a threat to my family i will never destroy... I live in Maryland. I am avid environmentalist and know that the eco system needs all aspects of life to maintain proper balance & function. I just do not understand why they asleep under my 160lb rottweiler and not in my 5.5 ft Iguana's cage on his bridge under the heat lamp.... or amoung the repta bark on the lower level of his ENORMOUS cage. Well, thank you again. Appreciate it greatly!

Probably a ringneck, but just remember, black snake juvies are not black.

Could either be a ring neck or a Dekays brown snake. The babies can be misidentified by a novice as ringnecks. If they are grayish tan with a cream colored neck band, then I would say Dekays. A non-venomous snake that only gets to about 10" and eats slugs, earthworms, and other soft-bodied insects.

Check out the pic of a baby DeKays
Brian

>>gray (all over) snake w/cream color band around head. think it was baby (6 - 7 inches long) Dog was asleep in diningroom. Went to let him out and when he got up thought piece of something he had destroyed during the nite under him. went to pick up, it wiggled & began to move away from me. at same time, caught glimpse of (at least) several others under the diningroom table also moving away in opposite direction. Have 4 yr old. must be nest somewhere in kitchen or diningroom? I know they are good to have around. I live around woods and they keep the mouse population down in which i am thankful. however, if these are poisonous would like the heads up. We have black snakes in our attic and thats fine as long as they stay up there. But these are not black snakes. Please help. Thank you!

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RATS
2.0 Corn snakes "Warpath" & "Thunderbird" (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 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian