Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This snake was brought in to Seattle Animal Control without any data about it. It has been turned over a student at the UW for interim care. Looks like a colubrid (rat snake, kingsnake?) but the markings aren't familiar to me. I haven't seen it in person, just the photo. I'm told that it can flare out its neck to produce a hood-like posture. Any ideas" Thanks.

The "hooding" sounds like possibly a harmless escaped Hognose Snake (Genus Heterodon) that belonged to someone. Impossible to say without seeing a photo though. These snakes can be EXTREMELY variable in coloration and/or pattern. Other snakes such as the native Pacific Gophers can inflate their necks laterally and flatten their heads, but not really wide horizontally like the Hognose Snake can.

However, without knowing what it actually is, I'd recommend due caution. Here is an example of an Eastern Hognose doing their typical defensive posture hood flaring.

cheers, ~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com/index.htm

That is a false water cobra, hydrodynastes gigas (sp?)

Technically it is a rear fanged venomous snake but not considered dangerous to humans (wear gloves if you handle it, some people react worse than others when bitten and they tend to be mean).