Help identify this snake?

[Kathy Golla]

Clearly that is a black mamba.

Omg roosterhavoc
I vote taipan

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I am convinced that chiggers are not actually an insect, since no one actually seems to see them. You get them after walking through tall grass., and by tall I mean. It could be freshly mowed. Ankle high. That's where I got bit, anyway. And I didn't feel a thing at the time... half an hour later. Driving down hhe highway is when he burn set in.
So here's my theory. The grass itself BITES. About half an hour after walking through tall grass, your feet will start to itch and burn a little bit. This will increase exponentially until your feet are on fire. You finally rip off shoes n socks and scream when you don't recognize your feet. They look like ostritch hide boots, full of little bumps and pus-fillded craters - no, fiery volcanoes, each one itching and burning and causing you to screech in agony. At which time some weisenheimer will walk casually by, chewing on a blade of grass, grin n spit, and say something helpful and vlever like, "Huh. Got you into some chiggers, didja?" And walk on, completely lacking anything in the way of compassion or sympathy, although he might offer you a wad of poison ivy to wipe away your tears. Calamine, caladryl lotions don't do much, Benadryl made me sleepy but hardly touched the itch. I had to get a steroid shot and pills for two weeks and it was still an agony. Now I just Keep Off the Grass like a good little citizen. Chiggers are the curse of the earth!

 

[nicoleee]

Looks like a plain-bellied watersnake. Non venomous but will eat that small chicken. Where are you located? It would help me identify it better.

Oh. And yes I forgot that. I am in south Florida. Miami area.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Agree, that’s some sort of racer.

I’d be surprised if its any sort of major threat to your chickens. Although I’ve come to the point that rat snakes are no longer welcome on my farm, I would have to see some evidence that a racer is a threat to chickens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do they have rat snakes in Florida?

 

[nicoleee]

Looks like a Racer to me... here we’d typically call it a ‘blue racer’ ... other places, it’d be a ‘black racer’

You might Google “coluber constrictor” for reference and see if that matches what you saw and where you live

I just did a little identification test to help me narrow it down and it says an “Everglades Racer”. So I'm not as concerned as before (phew!!). There are a few rats and mice here so maybe thats why its around?? When my girls lay eggs I always put them inside right away. I’ll still keep an eye out for it though. Thanks again! Everyone helped so much..The little guy was so darn cute thats for sure!

 

[centrarchid]

The Racers I have seen (black, blue and indigo) go after mice, frogs and lizards in a big way, although they show little interest in chickens and would probably have trouble with even a newly hatched chick. The Black Rat Snakes are a major pain. They do eat mice, but no where near enough to help control the mice population.

 

[centrarchid]

When asking for ID's; it does help to provide details such as location (range map information) and sometimes even habitat description.

 

[getaclue]

Black snakes won't hurt your chickens, but they will keep poisonous snakes off your place. Instead of relocating it, which is rather cruel, simply get a garden tool, and shoo it away every time you see it in the coop. After a few times, it should stay away.

 

[getaclue]

BigBlue, Yes we have black racers, black rat snakes, and indigos, as well as most poisonous snakes common to the US.