snakes

[mdbucks]

my daughter caught this 67 inch black snake, is that a bad thing,

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Looks like a Blue Indigo, (or a different species of indigo- depending on where you live). Great snake to have around. They prey on other snakes, including venomous ones, as well as rodents and such. They are really quite beautiful snakes.


On Edit: It is non-venomous.

 

[wendy]

your daughter is brave girl.
is that the same as what they call a king snake?

 

[AccidentalFarm]

King snakes have a banding pattern. They are not the same as Indigo's. King snakes are also called Chain snakes and Milk snakes. Some look much like a Coral snake with its banding and coloring.

 

[Buckguy20]

It could be a black rat snake.
Also speckled king snakes are black with yellow flecks while the other king snakes are colored somewhat like the coral snakes. They get much bigger though.

 

[wendy]

Quote:
here is a pic of the snake i am talking about they call it a king snake and that is what they call these kind of snakes down around here. there are no bandings on it. what do you call this kind of snake?

 

[rooster-red]

There are a lot of variations of king snakes.
Good to have around, keeps thesnake population way down.

As for the coral snake poem, this is the one we've always heard:

Red touch black - Friend to Jack
Red touch Yellow - Kill a fellow

 

[wendy]

Quote:
i have heard that poem too. wegotchickens had another on here. i just can't remember the poems. so sad, maybe i need that gingo biloba for memory

 

[Buckguy20]

It looks like a black rat snake.

Quote:
here is a pic of the snake i am talking about they call it a king snake and that is what they call these kind of snakes down around here. there are no bandings on it. what do you call this kind of snake?
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/winlea/07-26-2007025502PM.jpg

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Quote:
I don't think I've seen a snake around here that looks like the one in the magazine photo. Does it have brown on it with the black? (last photo looks like it might)

Maybe there are types of King snakes that are solid black (i'm certainly not a herp expert)...I Googled and couldn't find any, but then it also could be that whatever it is, it is commonly called a King snake in your area. I know there are several names for the Rat snake where I live (ours is not solid colored) and I'm not even positive that it is actually a Rat snake. Buckguy20 mentioned a Black Rat Snake...so there ya go. Same snake...different names/ same name...different snake. Go figure.

The only other type of solid blackish colored snake that I came across on the web that is also indigenous to that area is a Racer (barring moccasins). I did however, see that there are several types of Racers and not all are solid colored.