Here's One for You

[Rusty]

[LittleM]

Nice.  Is that a pic of an older pic?

[Rusty]

Nice.  Is that a pic of an older pic?

 

 

Yes.  

[Bill from NJ]

This must be The poisonous Gardener snake I've heard so much about.

[Rusty]

This must be The poisonous Gardener snake I've heard so much about.

 

 

We have a winner.  

[Rusty]

Ok, I'll make it a little easier.  This isn't NJ, it's from the Okefenokee Swamp.                                    

[LittleM]

Cottonmouth?????????????

[Rusty]

Try this, it's pretty cool.

 

https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/identification/

[Bucksnbows]

Try this, it's pretty cool.

 

https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/identification/

 

The best way to ID if a snake is venomous or not is to encourage your hiking partner(s) to handle the unknown serpent and sit back and watch what happens if they get bit

[Bill from NJ]

Try this, it's pretty cool.

 

https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/identification/

 

 

That was fun and educational.

 

Thanks for posting the link.

[Rusty]

That was fun and educational.

 

Thanks for posting the link.

 

 

What answer did you get for this snake?  

[Bill from NJ]

Oh crap, a pop quiz.

 

The pressure is on… Hands getting sweaty, shaking. 

 

Can I say the dog ate the homework?, I left the answer on the school bus? My baby sister put it in the toilet?

 

While Not being a herpetologist, I will attempt to deduct from the following:

 

Southern Banded Water Snake, Brown Water Snake, or the Midland Water Snake.

 

Ruling out the pan handle region, due to being from Okefenokee Swamp, I will place my chip on:

 

Maestro Drum roll please ……..   

 

The Southern Banded Water Snake. AKA: Scientific name: Nerodia fasciata fasciata

 

[Rusty]

The Southern Banded Water Snake. 

 

 

You could be right.  I thought it was a brown water snake but I could be wrong.  I'm a Joisey Boy so what do I know about southern snakes?  

[Bill from NJ]

Rusty,

 

Whoa Cowboy,  don't take my feeble word on anything.

 

To paraphrase the words of Socrates; " I know, I do not know nothing".

 

I like the simple generic guess we all can agree on: "Water Snake"

 

Well then again, try this the next time you see an unknown snake.

 

Just Pick it up, wash it off with soap & water really well, leave it slightly wet to make the colors show a lot better, then as you are holding it, snap a pix or two.

 

Macro photography is an excellent resource when dealing with identities of unknown snakes. 

 

Oh, and if you happen to find two evenly placed little holes in your hand, finger, wrist, forearm, etc. with a slight burning sensation. You guessed it, it is possible it could very well be venomous.

 

And by using your hand in the pictures, it will also give approximate size of the said snake in context also. Just take before and after pix of your hand before swelling and necrosis begin to show the snake out of context.

[Dave B.]

Ahh Bill, you always manage to find the most descriptive pics no  matter the situation. It's a gift I'm sure! What I'm not sure about is the paisley fabric in the background of that last one! Feeling a bit less than hetero for a moment?