Snake ID

Anyone give me a positive ID on this guy? Almost stepped on him this morning in driveway. Didn't recognize the type:

 

Not positive but it might be a rat snake.

 

I think Mark may be right.
http://myfwc.com/media/1321795/Guide...ous_snakes.pdf

 

I don't really mind snakes, especially since we are not supposed to have poisonous ones up here, but despite their rodent benefits I relocate or terminate everyone I find. The milk snakes get terminated. Since you do have poisonous snakes in FL my choice would be to remove it. If someone visiting came close to stepping on it the visitor might die from shock.

BTW, there were reports a few days ago of a snake as long as a truck in southern Maine. Then a follow up where 2 police spotted it and said it was 10' long and had swallowed a small animal. It escaped before they could get close to it, but I'm sure they will eventually get it. Must have been someones pet as I don't believe a python type snake can winter over up here. At least I hope so.

Bud

 

The biggest snake I've seen was in fla between Longwood and Lake Mary. There was a narrow dirt road thru the swamp that cut out 10-15 miles travel time. I don't know what type it was other than BIG. It was bluish grey, maybe 6" in diameter and about 20' long. Before I could react any type of way it flicked it's tail and was gone.

 

Yeah, the scariest part about some snakes is how fast they can move

 

We were thinking rat snake, too, but couldn't find a pic that matched the markings. Usually I only stumble across black snakes, so this one was a surprise. Not timid and didn't immediately slither away, but not aggressive either.

 

In case nobody looked at stickshift's link it appears to be a red rat snake:

 

i'm not what kind,but what I've been told if eye's are round it's not poisonous, at least pa, also if head isn't like a triangle and more streamline like the body it's not poisonous.

 

Many of the venomous snakes will strike from a coiled position, too. EXCEPT for a Copperhead. They will chase you like a mad goat. And as Stickshift said, they are very fast.

 

I don't know if it goes all the way back to the role that it played in Adam's life or if I am just a wus, but I hate snakes. Being the good country gal that she is though, my wife, while maybe not a true fan, is more tolerant of them. So, Saturday evening I guess it was, we were sitting on the front porch for a bit, and, mindful of my aversion to them, she said watch for the snake when you get up. Geez! Even in my work boots, my feet came off the porch immediately. Then she says something like "don't be silly; I don't know if it's still there". Turns out that she watched what she thinks was a garter snake, "about 3-1/2 to 4' long, longer than a yard stick anyway" slither under one of the hostas an hour or so earlier. Gee whiz honey, you need to let a guy know that sort of thing before he gets set down and comfortable! Now I am wondering where it's home is, and, since it's a bit longer than the garter snakes we usually see, if it's actually that or maybe a rat snake. Or, while not real common around us, but seen occasionally, a massasauga, although I'm sure she would have noticed the rattles.

 

Years ago I went in my shop, all the way to work bench and as I turned on the light a snake went across my hand/arm .... I was out the door in jiffy! and then realized it was just a large garter snake.

Cotton mouths are also sneaky and will come around to attack you from behind. I used to grab a six pack of beer and my .22 after work and go down to the river ..... I never ran out of beer or bullets, anything that made noise behind me got me nervous.