Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My brother found this snake in his kitchen in Annapolis, MD. Based on his description I'm pretty sure its a juvenile black rat snake but I'd like to be backed up before I tell him its okay to handle/feed/keep etc. I've heard they are occasionally mistaken for copperheads...

Yes, that is most definitely a harmless juvenile Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus)..

It will gradually lose the defined blotch saddles of the juvenile pattern as it matures and become much darker, even possibly solid black with the exception of their typical light colored chin and throat.

~Doug

-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

>>...I've heard they are occasionally mistaken for copperheads...

Well, yeah, but then any snake within 100 miles of anywhere someone once claimed to have thought they saw a copperhead may be mistaken for a copperhead...
-----
What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

"Well, yeah, but then any snake within 100 miles of anywhere someone once claimed to have thought they saw a copperhead may be mistaken for a copperhead"

And let's not forget the episode of the so-called "professional" Billy (the exterminator) where him and his dim-wit brother thought a typical brightly-colored cornsnake in a lady's back yard was a "copperhead" for the TV audience. Or another episode where he thought a freakin Ball Python found in a lady's apt. toilet was probably venomous as well...HAHA!!!

Gosh, I can't STAND watching hardly ANYTHING to do with snakes on TV. It just never fails to portray all snakes in a horribly negative light, and is always about the stupid "shock-value" they can dream up for the very snake ignorant general public.

If people on TV calmly sat there and gave true info regarding how harmless most snakes actually are, insted of acting like they are wrestling around with a deadly snake on the end of their tongs, it would simply have most folks changing the channel looking for something else far more "educational" and exciting,....like perhaps "Lizard Lick Towing", or "Parking Wars", or any other farse TV so-called "reality" show being aired now days..

As you already know, The difference between a copperhead and a juvenile Black ratsnake is so insanely obvious that Ray Charles could even see the huge difference. All anyone has to do now days with their computer is simply click on a few of the countless THOUSANDS of pics depicting either of them. But the problem is that many folks in today's society are about as smart as a rock.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

>>All anyone has to do now days with their computer is simply click on a few of the countless THOUSANDS of pics depicting either of them.

Unfortunately, that's no sure thing either. Unfortunately, everyone thinks they are an expert when it comes to snakes...

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1074968728045569519TTAYwh
http://www.nbca.org/Wildlife/Copperheads.htm
http://www.roamschool.com/photographs/animals.html
http://www.barbaracaryphotography.com/Other/Daily-Photos/14950598_jJnPVZ/8/1301012760_D9HgZmm#!i=1301012760&k=D9HgZmm

These two are especially disappointing...

http://brentwood.animalremovals.net/brentwood-snake-control/
http://etc.usf.edu/clippix/picture/northern-copperhead-snake.html
-----
What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

......wow!,....yeah, I cannot argue with what you said there one tiny bit. Pretty unbelievable nonsense there in those links Larry. Again I am thinking Ray Charles could have made a more accurate visual ID on those snakes. We both know it has been this way since the beginning of time, and probably won't be much different until the end of time when it comes to snakes......*heavy sigh*

Love the so-called "professional" snake remover there with the black ratsnake in the bucket with the 6 foot long set of tongs too..LOL!. He's acting like it was a freakin 12 foot Black Mamba he was pulling out of the bucket for chrissakes..

Anyway, I agree, to get the right information, one does have to seek some of the right sources. It's a pretty sad thing alright.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"

I've been bitten by the same kind of "cottonmouth" as on the Brentwood, TN web URL you provided. I didn't even have to go to the doctor...

And thanks to those on one of the other URLs that killed that "copperhead" shedding its skin. They saved countless human lives by that selfless and brave act.