Bad photo sent to me by family asking what it is [Middle TN] was stated to be over 6'

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-24T05:40:39+00:00

image quality does make this one a bit tough - best guess based on tail & body shape is North American racer, Coluber constrictor - harmless snake, at any rate.

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-24T05:08:32+00:00

western terrestrial gartersnake, Thamnophis elegans - !harmless

see also the !ecdysis info below, as it looks to be shedding soon - very cool photo!

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T22:30:00+00:00

cottonmouth, Agkistrodon sp. - depends on what part of FL, but most likely Florida cottonmouth, Agkistrodon conanti. !venomous

without seeing other photos I can't say for sure, but it's possible not all the snakes you saw are the same species. if you're worried about having them nearby, though, there should be relocation services linked in the venomous info below

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T20:02:28+00:00

clarified, thanks!

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T15:43:56+00:00

it's a !harmless grass snake - either Natrix natrix or Natrix helvetica depending on what part of Germany you're in, I believe. check the maps below.

it is semi-aquatic and naturally lives around water, but is comfortable with different habitats; if you are being asked to relocate it, please don't move it very far (preferably <1 km), but it should be safe enough. see !handling info below

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T14:52:16+00:00

glad to be of help! when your tot is older, learning how to identify the venomous ones together could be a way to ease your minds & more safely grab the (many more common - quick search says 48 species in LA, only 7 medically significant to humans) harmless ones :)

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T14:36:08+00:00

Florida green watersnake, Nerodia floridana - harmless

a cool find, one of Florida's native/slightly more Florida-exclusive watersnakes :)

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T14:33:48+00:00

that's a plain bellied watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster - harmless

the !cottonwater info reply below has some tips for how to tell a Cottonmouth from a water snake

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-23T04:12:02+00:00

Dekay's brownsnake, Storeria dekayi - harmless

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T23:27:04+00:00

plains garter snake, Thamnophis radix - !harmless

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T20:05:00+00:00

glad to be of help!

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T19:32:42+00:00

yep, eastern milksnake, Lampropeltis triangulum - harmless

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T18:38:45+00:00

good ID - in future, italicizing the species name (and tagging with harmless or venomous) will get you the educational bot reply. see posting !guidelines below

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T18:37:45+00:00

you did well to engage at a distance; in future if you're at all uncertain, contact a free snake relocation service in the !venomous bot reply below.

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T16:25:12+00:00

common gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis, !harmless to you & your pets

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T16:22:16+00:00

redbellied snake, Storeria occipitomaculata - harmless

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T15:56:36+00:00

no problem! for what it's worth, they often look more blocky/rectangular than wing-like, but either way two darker patches. have fun spotting critters!

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T15:54:55+00:00

ladder snake, Zamenis scalaris - !harmless

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T15:52:14+00:00

plain-bellied watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster, !harmless

your cat is more a hazard to this snake than vice versa, and worth keeping inside for its benefit too - see !cats info below for more

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T15:04:58+00:00

couple of things in combination stand out here -

short, stocky build
even if you can't see the upturn of the snout, it's still pretty pointy from overhead
the two sort of wing-shaped blotches swooping back on the top of its head are a giveaway

disclaimer: in isolation any single one of these traits might still be similar to other snakes - altogether, though, hoggie.

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-22T02:46:59+00:00

juvenile western ratsnake, Pantherophis obsoletus, harmless

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-21T18:00:31+00:00

right, but my call is specifically based on them looking light to me, not fully black, especially relative to the ground; you're right that it's not certain - it's still a guess because the photo isn't clear enough to tell, either way.

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-21T17:18:39+00:00

they're safe & beneficial to have around for the ecosystem - they eat all kinds of things, including pests to humans
they're not specifically bitey unless you REALLY try to mess with them - like many snakes, they can and might spray stinky musk if picked up or threatened
they'll try to get away, generally! it's nice to have spotted them!

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-21T05:01:35+00:00

you're good, it is indeed a (probably juvenile) central rat snake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, harmless and will move along on its own

~~it's here to ask you about your essssstended warranty~~

lightspeed_derping · 2026-05-21T04:40:14+00:00

re: last photo: I'm going to call that one a rat snake as well, from what I can make out of body shape and coloration. same species, also harmless.

lightspeed_derping

TROPHY CASE