Reptile & Amphibian Forums

some one posted a comment on a video i made in florida saying that what i labled as a black racer was a watersnake and wanted some clarification

the snake is at the end of the video... please watch and give feedback
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=N0G80tZXw6w

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If holding a cobra does not make you sweat than you should not be holding one.

Definitely not a racer. It's a watersnake of sorts. Hard to tell exacly.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Too dark to tell what type but def. not a black racer!
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B

I would say it was a black rat. That is if they accure in the region of FLA where you live. The black racer deffintly has a more narrow head and with all that I have captured here in NC when cornered like the one in your vidieo they are more apt to stand there ground instead of fleeing.

Defitely a water snake, you can tell by the head shape. I don't think you'd see a racer sitting out like that at night either; and it doesn't have the upturned snout of a hognosed snake. It must be the Florida Water snake, albeit a dark version of that species. It is obviously a good sized snake and these snakes tend to darken as they grown older.

Here is what Conant says:
"in darker [specimens] black obscures the other colors, and virtually plain black specimens are not rare".

The only other watersnakes on the Atlantic coast are:
Atlantic Salt Marsh snake (not likely in housing area-habitats)
Green Water snake (This snake did not have the chunky head and row of scales between the eyecap and the upper labials)
Brown water snake (This snake is too dark)

Nice find! Florida has got to be one of the best spots in the country to snake hunt. Happy Herp'in!