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OT/what kind of snake

N

Nancy Howell

Well-known Member
This afternoon James and I were checking on the grass in the part of the property we call the bottom (its at the bottom of the hill).

Just happened to spot a snake. Couldn't tell how long it was, but it was fairly thick, about 1-1/2 inches. From what I could see, it was between 2 and 3 feet long. It was black, but not like any black snakes I've seen before. It had tiny, uniform white speckles on it. If you think of how the seeds look on a strawberry, that's what the tiny white spots looked like.

Got a surprise, thought the snake was moving away, but it was wadding up (not coiling). Got a look at the head and the nose looked a bit snubbed.

I googled black snakes and didn't see anything that looked like this snake.

Anyone know what it was?
 
Did it look like this speckled kingsnake. Specks vary in number and color from pure yellow to almost white from snake to snake.
lg_holbr.jpg
 
Sounds a lot like a speckled kings snake which in Missouri is a $10,000 fine for killing since it is on the endangered list and a very good one to have on hand since it eats snakes like the copper head and rattle snake
 
Yes, Nancy,these guys are right---it's a king snake. They're quite common here in our east Texas-west Louisiana area. And put down your hoe---as Old said, they eat copperheads and other snakes. I have convinced all the women at my place to leave them be.

Several years ago I was bushhogging, and I saw one in the grass by my tractor, lying still. I assumed I had hit it with the 'hog, or rolled over it, so I picked it up and carried it to a safer place. At the time I noticed something odd sticking out of its mouth. I laid it down and it did not move.

About 15 minutes later I decided to check on the snake. As I approached it, it was in the final stages of disgorging a black snake that was about six inches longer than itself! Divested of the black snake, it quickly slithered away. I figured that the king snake was so full of snake that it couldn't couldn't move, and felt in danger. Wish I could have told him to be cool and enjoy his lunch.
 
That snake is your friend and may ever save your life sooner or later since it loves to eat those snakes that will send you to the hospital. By the way I have been a snake handler for some 50 years or so. O starter to handle snakes at a ripe old ag of 5 or so
 
Rat snake maybe ? I had one here in the basement last fall. and it had more white on than the one shown had several spots on the top of its body. I just coaxed him out side and turned him loose not a threat and not too many mice get by them.
Black rat snake
 

That's a pretty snake..... I miss them.... we have 2 snakes in this area...1 poison and 1 not and plenty of lizards and legless lizards. I would love for someone to feed and box up a couple blacksnakes and send them to me for the barn but don't know if they'd survive the trip............
 
Never seen a King snake like that before. Around here the most common ones are striped/ringed instead of being speckled. In fact I've already seen and moved 4 out of my way in the last month. Like others said, they do a really good job of killing and eating the poisonous ones like copper heads, etc, so I tend to leave them alone, especially since I saw one years ago doing just that.
 
Yes that is A king snake for sure. We see them often here in E Texas. We never kill them, they are harmless.
John, that is A good pic. of one.
 
Fat chance, Dave, don't forget the Zollamt and quarantine for 30 days!! Zoogeschaeft is so much less hassle and cheaper!!
Tschuess, Ralph.
 
These snakes mostly hunt rats and mice as adults. But they will eat other snakes including other king snakes if given the chance. The young snakes eat more snakes.
If you draw a half moon from New Orleans you can see their prime area. Mostly found around rivers and swamps because they love water.
Tree trimmers dumped a load of chips in my yard one fall. When I went out the next spring to put some in my garden as mulch I found a whole nest of king snake eggs. Just covered them back up and let them live. They really make a difference in our cottonmouth population.

2690807816_87198b79e9_z.jpg
 
We didn't harm it. Knew it wasn't poisonous by the shape of the head, just didn't know what kind of snake it was.
 
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