Snake

[Grillmaster33]

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I like the way they think!

Actually, I am TERRIFIED of snakes. I move into my new home in a week (Moved here JSUT so I could raise my birds) and as I am leaving the yard the other day, I see 3 feet of snake skin (Of course when I first told it, it was more like 33 feet of length!) sprawled out across the yard.

I'm sooooo paranoid now.

 

[sgtmom52]

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If you are in PA it is not a water moccasin. Could be a Northern water snake ~ often mistaken for a copperhead and found near water. They are not venomous but are nasty and if they bite it will bleed alot due to the anticoagulant in their saliva.

This is one from my house ~ we have 3 living in our little pond.

 

[Kimsfarm]

I had a snake yesterday in my coop wrapped around a chicken.....I pulled it out on the chicken and was able to separate them safely and kill it....The chicken lived!! Yeah! But, how do we protect our chickens from that type of predator? I have everything fox, dog & coyote proof, but now snakes. I always thought they just came in the coops and ate the eggs. I was told that since the drought they are coming out to get to the water, but this year has been crazy! Snakes in my garage, (baby copperhead), rattlesnake it the water swimming towards my daughter.....overwhelming! I just made some more coops and it is with wire that I thought would keep them safe and now this. I read to mix cinnamon and clove oil together and put it around, they don't like it! Posting this in a hurry so I can get out and get some safe coops built for my chicks...hopefully this hasn't been addressed.....Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Buckguy20]

One of our folks on the Okie thread has been using the snap together minnow traps with an egg in it and has caught several large snakes this year. Including two big copperheads.
I have used thef ish hook/boiled egg method and it works great but you will have to kill the snake. With the trap method, you can take the snake and release it somewhere in the wild.
Te traps are about $10 to 15 bucks and you can get them at Wal-mart or just about any place thas has sporting goods.

 

[LeBlackbird]

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Wow! How big was that snake in the last picture??? How big was the chicken???

That last picture is of a Centralian Carpet Python. They're gorgeous snakes, Reaching lengths of 8-9 feet. The only problem I have with this is that Carpet Pythons are Australian Pythons, they don't Occur in Oklahoma. Naturally, they experience High temperatures and humidity in their climate. They wouldn't last long in the Oklahoma wilderness

A lovely Centralian~

Here in New England, I would think of the following Suspects

First that comes to my mind is the Eastern Black Ratsnake. They ultimately reach lengths of up to 6 feet, making them a pretty good sized snake. They can range from Pitch Black to having a bit of pattern like this guy~

Second, but less likely, is the Northern Black Racer. These snakes only reach lengths of up to 5 feet, making them a bit small to do any significant havoc to your birds. However there is always a chance of getting that unusually big one. Here's a Racer, usually identified by the quite obvious white patch under his Jaw~

Agreeing with Sgtmom, Northern water snakes are another possibility. They grow to be 4-5 feet long and are chunky little buggers. The only thing with them is they prefer to live near good sized water sources of course, so if you don't have one, I'd probably be counting out these

Northern Milksnakes get to a good 4-5 feet in length, but since you pointed out a dark colored snake, it's probably not this guy. Just throwing him in here just in case. They range from a Brownish to a dark Redish.

Now, god forbid you have one of these, but it's a possibility. This is a Black phase Timber Rattlesnake. They can reach 6-7 feet and are thick snakes. Now, rattlers are uncommon in PA, thank god, but there have been reports of them around. Black Phase rattlers is a naturally occurring mutation