herpetoligist please

Post by **Rags** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:24 pm

while climbing today at Funk Rock we noticed a small snake on a ledge about 10' right of cruising lane/ rite of passage. It didn't look like a copperhead as it had a black tail and very dark head with a pattern on his back---unfortunately didn't have the camera with me at the time...

length: approximately 16" but about the thickness of a sharpie (1 cm.)

could it be a young timber rattler?

saw 2 more copperheads around the stream crossing though. One was 2' long and as thick as my wrist.

any ideas on what it was?

Post by **Danny** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:58 pm

This link has a copper head and timber rattler. The rattler does have a dark tail, but it's head doesn't seem that dark compared to the rest of it. Did your snake have a rattle?

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/safety/cr ... akes.shtml

http://michaelcravens.com/sitebuilderco ... rridus.jpg

Post by **MSMITH** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:36 pm

Could anyone ID this one eyed snake I saw? It was about 9" long, 1" thick, and shot funny fluid everywhere.

Post by **Andrew** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:44 pm

I heard you were staring eye to eye with it.

Post by **MSMITH** » Mon May 26, 2008 11:11 pm

More like mouth to eye, you know how I do. hahaha.

Post by **hamsco** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:00 am

Sounds like the very common Black Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta)
They have a pattern when young ,which fades to black when older.
They are great climbers, and I have found them on more than one climb, in cracks and on ledges.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/s ... oleta.html

Post by **Rags** » Tue May 27, 2008 8:42 am

hmmmm...didn't see white on the underside of the head, though, Hamsco but other appearances are really close. Danny, didn't see any rattles but I sure wasn't going out of my way to share space with it.

Definitely was not a copperhead though. The patterns of the rattlesnake link looked a little closer than the rat snake. I kept looking around for the rest of them though as I was climbing. and was making sure that there wasn't any in the crack...

lots of snakes in that area.

Post by **caribe** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:32 am

yep, rat snake or racer.

Post by **tutugirl** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:37 am

Wow msmith...I did not know you were so flexible!!

Post by **kidney_dave** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:05 am

not only is MSMITH flexible, he is glad to offer demonstrations of his flexibility to help make money for gas for his trips to the red.....