What kind of snake is this?

[gypsy2621]

Its NO secret I am a huge snake lover.
But here is the ONLY Scenario there is when living in an area that has even one venomous snake
WHEN IN DOUBT TAKE IT OUT!
any other way is just foolishness and riskiing severe sickness or possible death.

ETA:
I would much rather see a post over mistaken identity than a post stating a child was bitten because the mistake was in thinking it was a non venomous species.

 

[CMV]

It's funny. The only reason I knew what that snake was- I found one sunning itself on my front stoop where my toddler was playing. I looked it up online and found it under the heading "Snakes that Look Poisonous, but Aren't". If I had been able to catch it before I found out what it was, it would have been dead, too. They are very intimidating snakes.

 

[Boyd]

Down in Texas I always wear my boots and bluejeans when out in the country.....

I didn't get a chance to examine it's tail before I shot it because it was shaking all over the place. When it tried to strike is when I shot. Postmortem, no rattles, but I've run across michigan rattlers once before, and it was a juvenile without rattles. Garder snakes and blue racers around here dont coil and rattle though... at least not that I've seen yet.

I do feel bad, because i'm sure anyone with critters has spilled feed, which in turn brings in rodents.....

Hopefully I wont have to act as quick next time.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Boyd:
You have nothing to apologise about nor do you have to explain yourself, you did what you had to do.

You like me likely grew up where there was a venomous snake every 50 ft,
I grew up in Fla and it was nothing to come acrossed a coral, moccosin, coppers, and large rattlers in the driveway or yard and dont get me started on gators.
as I mentioned when something pretends to be something it isnt ,is when snap decisions are made. better safe than sorry.

 

[TN.MamaHen]

At least everyone is safe and ok,your family and puppy,well minus the snake.

I think you did exactly what I would have done,I too have some curious children and doggie,and wouldn't take a chance on it. Our neighbors down the road have already killed 3 rattle snakes just the past couple months...needless to say I got my eyes open when we're outside now!!

 

[Bluemoon420]

It's not a massauga. I know this because I had one next to my foot near my garage last fall.

I took a picture of it, slowly backed away, and found out later from my MI DNR that is was a massauga. They were surprised I had one, and wanted me to call back if I saw it again. ( I didn't) They aren't prone to attack, which this one didn't. The fella from DNR basically told me, if you poke it with something it will attack, otherwise it would rather make a quick exit.

The one you got is a milk snake. I've seen those too. They get angry easy!


Bluemoon

 

[lleighmay]

Boyd- you did what you felt you had to do to protect your family and pet in the immediacy of the moment. I'm an amateur herpetologist and I enjoy snakes but if you don't know what you're looking at you have to act on the information and circumstances that you have at the moment. Sometimes there's just not time to go read a book or research on the internet, and who wants a poisonous snake concealed somewhere in their yard with pets and children roaming about? Lot's of snakes (including rat and milk snakes) will rattle their tails and can sound pretty convincing, especially in dry leaves. I've spent years educating my formerly phobic landscape designer sister (now she'll call me first if at all possible) and I'm sure you'll use this as an educational moment for yourself in the future.

 

[sdgdh1]

Hey, screw all snakes.

 

[briana1975]

Looks like a milk snake. My kids found a little one in our yard last summer. I wouldn't let them touch it till I could check what it was. I think I found it on the DNR site.

 

[Boyd]

Yeah, I feel bad for doing it, but didn't want to take the chance. I do dispatch predators without worry, but I know how helpful snakes can be in helping the rodent population. My daughter is still in shock that I can draw and shoot at a lil moving target

Her first phone call after she came back in was to her boyfriend

Hopefully he remembers this

j/k