Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi!

I found a baby snake at the bottom of my stairs this morning inside the house! It very small so it is hard to see if it has any markings on it. Do baby copperhead snakes have a thin white band around the back of there neck? We have copperheads and timber rattlers out here and since we just moved to Eastern Tennesee we don't know how to id them yet. Any body have pics of those kinds of snakes so I can show my kids what to stay away from? So far we haven't run across any big ones...just little babys. Thanks for your help!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat

A newborn copperhead (or Timber Rattlesnake, for that matter) would be around 8-12 inches long and at least as big around as an adult's pinkie. I don't think you would describe either as tiny and you would have no trouble seeing the obvious pattern on either.

You snake was probably either a Ringnecked Snake (Diadophis)

or a young Red-bellied or Brownsnake (Storeria) which will have sort of a light collar or ring when young - this is an adult -

Either way, it would be a completely harmless little snake.
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Chris Harrison
Central Texas

Both look pretty much the same as adults or babies -

Copperhead - this one is from east Texas. Your Tennessee snakes will be slightly darker brown, but pretty similar

Timber Rattlesnake - again, this is the lowland form from SC, but you upland snakes will be very similar (they generally lack the orange stripe in the highlands)

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Chris Harrison
Central Texas

Thank you so much for your help! Whoever told us that these guys were copperheads seems to be wrong then. This little guy is small. I'd say maybe 4 inches long and thinner than my pinkie. He seems to be solid black but could have some markings but he is so dark it is hard to tell. He has the thin white strip around the top of his head...a lot like the picture you have here of the ring necked snake. I bet this is the same snake just younger. He looks nothing like the copperhead pictures I have seen. So the copperhead hatchlings are multi colored right when they are born and bigger? Thanks again for your help!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat

So the copperhead hatchlings are multi colored right when they are born and bigger?

Baby copperheads look just like miniature versions of the adults, although they have yellow tail tips.

I have lived in Copperhead and Cottonmouth country for much of my life. Most of the snakes people have shown me as copperheads or cottonmouths weren't those species at all. They are probably the most often misidentified snakes in the US. This has always seemed kind of strange to me since copperheads are quite easy to identify. They are very distinctive and often beautiful snakes.

Oddly, people who have shown me snakes were SURE they were copperheads and positive they know how to identify them, yet are completely wrong. Your "helper" is a classic example. A ringneck snake looks NOTHING like a copperhead, but he/she was confident enough to make the identification. I'm glad you took the time to get the facts.

I guess it is fortunate that these misidentifications tend to err on the side of caution (everything IS a copperhead) which is better for the people, but worse for the snakes.
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Chris Harrison
Central Texas

So true! So many people are afraid of snakes...including me! I think snakes are neat from a distance! Well we let the little guy go in the back yard. I don't feel right killing him poisonous or not. There are lots of trees and leaves and a creek running through there so he should be happy and away from us scary looking people! Thanks again for all of your help!!!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat

I wish more people had the live and let live attitude you have shown here.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Thanks. I just felt sorry for the little guy. I'm sure he was more scared of us than we were of him! As long as he stays way away I'm fine! Snakes just give me the willies but I couldn't kill him...he did no wrong. Just trying to stay warm I'm sure!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat

Sorry I'm late..power was out for the last ten days.

I agree..great attitude. The attached site may be of some assistance to you, Becki. Different state, but most of the same snakes, with good photos & info.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

Thank you! I will show the kids what the dangerous snakes look like so they can stay clear of them. I appreciate all of the help! I have one very adventurous boy that loves to catch anything that wiggles. I swear he has given me so many grey hairs!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
2 Finches
2 Betta
1 Cat

sounds like a southeastern crowned snake. I found a small one just today. no markings but if the head is darker than the rest with a sort of faded white ring then it may be the crowned snake...you can do a key word search on internet for it and see pics..juvenile are darker than adults

Could also be a neonate earth snake. They also have that faded white ring on a black/brown body.

thanks, then I bet that is exactly what it is. The body did appear to be too dark for a crowned snake. I did let it go about 2 days after finding it. But I did not know the young worm snakes had that ring as well....thanks for the info.

I grew up in East Tennessee, and I remember finding a ring-neck snake in a friend's driveway once. They're neat little creatures.

One thing that I remember about being a kid interested in snakes in East Tennessee is that many people identify every snake as a copperhead. I think most are just generally afraid of snakes and have decided that copperheads are the most dangerous species in the area. Therefore, every snake becomes a copperhead in their minds. Baby gray rat snakes are beautiful little animals with gray and maroon markings, and I remember having to protect them from people who were going to kill them as copperheads.

Bill