Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone identify this snake? This is a friend of mine and fellow Geocacher, who sent me this photo after he found one of my caches at a disc golf course at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi (South Mississippi). Sure looks like a boa or python to me, but I'm not experienced enough to know if that's correct, or to know what specific species (I had a ball python for four years before donating him to the high school science department -- as a pet, not for experimentation. Ha!). He only picked up the snake long enough to take a photo, and he released him/her back onto the trail at which he found him.

I sure would like to know what kind of snake this is. Thanks in advance for your help with this!
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Looks like a harmless ratsnake to me, not a boa or python. I'm not too good with my rat ID's, but I would say it is probably a gray ratsnake. Here is your picture:

Thanks for the identification! I thought it would be a cool story if it was a constrictor that escaped from the dorm or something. Haha. Pretty cool story anyway -- 6 foot snake found in its natural habitat while Geocaching! Thanks for your help.

A definite Gray Ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloites). North of that they overlap with the range of Black Ratsnakes (P.obsoletus). Further to the west is the Texas Ratsnake (P.lindheimeri).

Here is another Gray Ratsnake from Mississippi:

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

A boa or python (in most cases) would be considerably heavier than that. That is a really nice looking gray rat. ~~Greg~~

Thanks for the identification! I thought it would be a cool story if it was a constrictor that escaped from the dorm or something. Haha. Pretty cool story anyway -- 6 foot snake found in its natural habitat while Geocaching! Thanks for your help.

Beautiful snake! Both of them!

"I thought it would be a cool story if it was a constrictor that escaped from the dorm or something"

Yes, I would bet that if the news media got wind of it, it likely WOULD become........"GIANT ESCAPEE CONSTRICTOR TERRORIZES THE SLEEPY TOWN OF MISSISSIPPI!!!!"

Here is another perfect example of what I am talking about in the link below...

LINK

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Haha. That's hilarious. Oh, the media!

"Haha. That's hilarious. Oh, the media!

LOL! Yeah, they are very dependable like that..

And what about the idiot that took the photos claiming to not be exaggerating one bit after he obviously saw it and walked close up to it with his camera to snap the pics using the "forced perspective" method?. Either a blatant liar, or has the eye sight of Mr. Magoo!

I'm glad he isn't a carpenter, or construction estimator with those impeccable measuring skills..

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com