Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Could anyone please ID these two snakes, as we have a lot of them around and I want to stop killing them if they are not dangerous. (An what is the exact name of these snakes?)

Thanks for any help!

-Bill

SNAKE 1

SNAKE 2

the second one is definately a corn snake,the first one is a kingsnake,not sure of which exact species...maybe a dark chain king,possibly a speckled?
either way,both are positively harmless.they will eat a ridiculous amount of rodents,though.
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Thanks Megalon. Now I feel pretty guilty: But it's just that every darn snake (to an average person) looks so darn venomous and viper-like that it is tough to figure which is which, but from now on I, at least, won't kill either of these two snake species again.

Best Regards,

-Bill

"looks so darn venomous and viper-like"

Not so much trying to give you hard time, but I have to ask. What looks "venomous" or "viper-like" about a corn snake other than being roughly "snake shaped"?

There are only about 5 species of venomous snakes in MS and you have never seen one of them. If you looked them up and learned how to identify those 5 you'd probably never have an excuse to kill another snake.

Now to give you little bit of hard time. I ran into perhaps of couple of dozen (positively identified) venomous snakes long before I ever started keeping them... I never saw any need to kill one. If the second one was actually in your house, I can sort of understand that, though if you google something like "relocating venomous snakes" you can find descriptions of how to safely remove them with probably less danger to yourself than you would have incurred while killing them.
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

LARRY: Not so much trying to give you hard time, but I have to ask. What looks "venomous" or "viper-like" about a corn snake other than being roughly "snake shaped"?

BILL: Sorry Larry, but for the average person, simply looking like a serpent is MORE than enough to cause a very violent reaction on the part of most people!

LARRY: There are only about 5 species of venomous snakes in MS and you have never seen one of them. If you looked them up and learned how to identify those 5 you'd probably never have an excuse to kill another snake.

BILL: Thanks Larry, I will ID them immediately so I know what I am looking at next time.

LARRY: Now to give you little bit of hard time. I ran into perhaps of couple of dozen (positively identified) venomous snakes long before I ever started keeping them... I never saw any need to kill one. If the second one was actually in your house, I can sort of understand that, though if you google something like "relocating venomous snakes" you can find descriptions of how to safely remove them with probably less danger to yourself than you would have incurred while killing them.

BILL: My wife freaked, as did I, when we found that snake in our house (that was the 3rd snake that got inside, too). She has an issue with snakes, but now we will try to relocate the non-venomous ones. But, sorry to say, the venomous ones -- whether I find them in our house or outside in the garden -- will be on the wrong end of my pellet gun. I will not risk my family for any snake!

Thanks again,

-Bill

That king snake won't just eat rodents -- they are also snake eaters and especially good at ridding your property of copperheads and small rattlers. A great defense against thos venomous snakes you worry about. Next time give it a pass.

Sounds good to me; will do Mike!

-Bill

The one thing I can't understand is everyone's justification of killing the venomous snakes. You claim that you kill them to protect your family. Your family is in much more risk of many other dangers that you probably overlook due to the rarity of the danger happening. What I am trying to say is there are sooooo many other dangers that happen on a much more frequent basis. Venomous snakes DO NOT attack or look for an opportunity to bite people. The proof is in the numbers. Ask yourself how many people you know that have been bitten by venomous snakes and how many have died from a venomous snake bite. I am willing to bet you don't know someone that's died from a venomous snake bite. In the USA on average less than 15 people die from venomous snake bites every year. And a huge percentage are due to people menacing them trying to kill or play with them. Do you know how many kids die from choking on hot dogs? Maybe you should start shooting hot dogs with your pellet gun. The diseases spread by the rodents the venomous snakes eat are much more dangerous than the venomous snakes that are eating them. So next time someone takes their child to the hospital due to a terrible illness it very well could have been avoided due to the snakes, non venomous and venomous that could have been eating the rodents spreading that disease. I don't want to hear the excuse of having a good mouser cat to handle this problem because a cat will do more damage to the environment than help (research it). If you research the medicines that are derived from snake venoms you would advocate their preservation rather than killing them. I am sure you have family members that are still alive due to a medicine made from snake venom. At least seven ace inhibitors that control blood pressure, copperhead venom has been used to treat breast cancer, other snakes venoms used for congestive heart failure, lupus detection, coagulation tests, the list goes on and on and on. It's amazing how many more peoples lives have been saved rather than killed in the USA by venomous snakes. Another fact that most people don't point out is the reason the snakes are at your home is that the habitat and food supply is optimal for snakes. When you kill the non venomous snakes other snakes will most likely eventually take their place. They most likely will be other non venomous snakes due to the fact they outnumber the venomous so dramatically till the odds are actually in the favor of a venomous snake to take it's place in that environment. Trust me if you was to do enough research on the subject you won't find it acceptable to kill any snake rather it's venomous or not. People aren't protecting their family by killing a harmless venomous snake.

I have to add that I can appreciate you not having the mindset to just kill every snake that you come across. It was pointed out in a very recent thread to find appreciation for someone like you that are looking to educate yourself rather than blindly killing everything you don't completely feel comfortable with. I thank you for that. I do however feel the best way to protect your family is by educating them about the animals rather than killing them. Same as the old proverb "you can give a man a fish to feed him for a day but teach him to fish and feed him for a lifetime". "you kill a snake trying to protect your family from this individual snake but educate them about the snakes and you protect them from all snakes for life". Thank you again for your desire to educate yourself about snakes.

Thanks celticvamp, you have definitely given me a lot to chew on; very logical reasons not to kill snakes in general. I think I have also given up on killing snakes because I find it totally impossible to tell the venomous from the non-venomous ones anyway -- they all look alike to me.

Thanks,

-Bill

I can very much appreciate your open mind. But it's not as difficult to ID the venomous snakes in your area as you think. I live in Alabama and would be happy to offer any help I can. The venomous snakes in our area's are very few. You have 40 non venomous snake species in Mississippi and 6 species of venomous snakes in Mississippi. The 6 venomous species are Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin, Copperhead, and the Coral snake. Depending on where you live in Miss. you may only have as few as three species. Three of these species are rattlesnakes so the rattles will give a positive ID for these. The rumor in the southeast that the (ground rattler) is a rattlesnake that has no rattles is not true. All rattlesnakes have rattles. Other than newborns that have one button that don't rattle due to the lack of other segments to rattle against. Pygmies have very small rattles and sometimes can't be heard or noticed easily. The coral snake is easily ID'd by the red and yellow bands being next to one another. The copperhead and Moccasin is a little more difficult to explain how to ID but a good study of photo's would help. Be sure to also search for photo's of watersnakes that are easily mistaken for both. The watersnakes that are most likely to be mistaken are the banded watersnakes, and the plain bodied watersnakes. Like I said I'd be happy to help if possible I do live close to you. If you study photo's of those six you can ID all the venomous snakes in Mississippi. Try to educate your children which are venomous so they can steer clear of them and leave them alone. Let them know the safest thing they can do if they do see a venomous snake is just slowly calmly get away from it. If let go on it's way chances are it will never be seen again. Remember education is key here.

Wow; thanks! You really know your reptiles celticvamp. Great info!

I live in North-East MS, near the Alabama and Tennessee border (a town called Glenn).

Good to know there are so many non-venomous snakes in this area, but I will study and look into what the venomous ones look like. We don't live near any large body's of water, so I am hoping there are only the three rattler species you spoke of around these parts. (I am much more use to rattle snakes and their obvious tail rattles, as I am originally from California where I saw far more Western Rattlesnakes than any other snake of ANY type. Unfortunately, I was quite aggressive towards this species, and would shoot or knife (via throwing!) any and all I spotted. ).

I know all of this may sound excessively cruel to you, but my wife has a horrible phobia towards all snakes, but I am now trying to educate her about their benefits (with your great emails).

Thanks again,

-Bill

Thank you for the compliment. There are four of the six species in North East Mississippi. Good news is the two that aren't are the most toxic being the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and the Coral Snake. The four that are native to where you live are the Copperhead, Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth, Timber Rattler, and Pygmy Rattler. The Timber being the most toxic of this group by far. The other three are very mild compared to most. Of course a bite by any would need prompt medical attention immediately but the Timber being the only one I'd consider life threatening. There are reports of the others causing death but it's extremely rare and normally due to some other contributing factor (bad heart, drinking, etc.).

Also, please keep in mind that MANY totally harmless snakes, such as this very harmless Black Ratsnake will rapidly vibrate their tails when they feel threatened by something(a large monster human for example..LOL!).

When they do this in dry leaf litter for example, it can give the false impression that it is a rattlesnake to many people, when in fact, it is very much not one at all. So do not get all worked up from a thin tail with no actual RATTLE on it either just because you hear an audible vibrating sound coming from one in the future.

This is very common for them to do, and they are needlessly killed by people quite often for that very reason. All it means is......please just leave me alone, I don't want to be bothered..LOL!

regards, ~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Very good point. That is one reason I assume the rumor of the "ground rattler" not having rattles.Someone not knowing any better will kill a snake that's rattling to discover there was no rattles. The other being the pygmy having such small rattles it sometimes being difficult to see or hear them. And Just as he said in leaves it can sound just like a rattlesnake, very loud even.

Yes, all as true as the day is long!..LOL!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks DMongm, I will try and be aware of that.

And thanks again celticvamp. I am going to print out color pictures of the Copperhead, Water Moccasin/Cottonmouth, Timber Rattler (especially!), and the Pygmy Rattler, so that I can instantly see what is what.

Snakes are sure varied and interesting, but I sure wish they wouldn't move into my house all the time (I have now put up screens on all in/out air vents, sealed all doors, pipes, and drains, and etc: After the 3rd indoor snake, my wife was about to move to Ireland!).

-Bill

Yes, that is a great idea to get yourself familiar with what they actually look like, especially with all the countless thousands of photos you can google-up online. Your confidence in knowing what you're looking at will help thing immensely to put you more at ease.

Hard to be afraid of some of these cute little selectively-bred tike's I have produced..LOL!

enjoy!, ~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Cool pics -- and serpentinespecialties.webs.com is a very interesting snake website, Doug!

-Bill

I really appreciate it Bill!

regards, ~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

*drools* As always, gorgeous snakes, Doug!

Droopy, you could always just ask your wife whether she wants mice in the house or snakes, because chances are they're getting in to go after some rodents that may be in your walls or something. Otherwise, I just don't see *that* many wild snakes randomly wandering into your house. I live in Florida and haven't had a snake get in the house since I've lived here (Since 1990). We always have lots of snakes in the yard and near the barn, but apparently I don't have any rodents really close to the house.
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Holly

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0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Belle Gunness)
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1.0 Vietnamese Golden Gecko (George Chapman)
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1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Kids (Justice & Trevor)

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com