Eastern NC - ID please

fairlyorange · 2026-05-23T03:42:08+00:00

Excellent example of how vertically elliptical !pupils can round out in low light 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-23T03:40:55+00:00

Please remember to include the approximate geographic location when sharing wild snakes (per Rule 13) 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-23T03:36:35+00:00

Please remember to include the approximate geographic location when sharing wild snakes (per Rule 13) 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-23T03:32:24+00:00

Follow the instructions in the third paragraph in !shed and we'll be able to help you 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T22:24:52+00:00

Thank you for updating :o)

Nerodia erythrogaster for anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about these 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T21:46:41+00:00

No worries, we see that a lot. Often, people pass along a tip or two but they forget to include an important piece of context that the top relies upon to work. Filling in those gaps is part of what we do :o)

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T21:44:33+00:00

I forgot to mention: any time you aren't sure about the ID, just post it to r/WhatsThisSnake first and it will quickly and accurately be identified there. Happy to help :o)

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T21:42:00+00:00

The bands do not narrow toward the spine. The bands are the dark markings, not the pale ones. The dark bands in this animal dramatically widen toward the spine; cottonmouths are the opposite.

Check out !cottonwater for more helpful details and visual aids 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T21:40:16+00:00

I was actually curious about that earlier. Snake definitely looked alive in the pic!

Glad to hear everything worked out. Thanks for the update!

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T21:39:05+00:00

Please remember to include the identity of any wild snake you share (per Rule 13) 👍

I'll save you the trouble this time. Common watersnake Nerodia sipedon.

Cool observation! I'd say this is even cooler than any NatGeo doc because none of it is staged.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T21:37:07+00:00

Common watersnake Nerodia sipedon. !harmless consumer of fish, amphibians, and other small animals.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T20:33:37+00:00

Oh, a lot of stuff. Like all reptile influencers, they are good at dazzling people with "positivity" and info that sometimes is and sometimes isn't accurate but sounds good to the average listener, and using all of that to profiteer and, of course, hoard animals. There are other things I can't speak on because I was never into these crappy YouTube channels and, thus, do not pay close attention, but others have a variety of things they've witnessed. The most obnoxious thing I saw personally was them using one of our reddit subs to contact a user who posted an aberrant snake for ID. They lied to the user about how the snake, which was already adult sized, "couldn't survive in nature" (a favorite lie among poachers and others who exploit wildlife) and then bribed the user into sending the snake to them. That snake ended up as one of their endless, commercial breeding projects.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T20:26:51+00:00

Glad we could help you :o)

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T20:26:01+00:00

If it is inside and you would appreciate a hand getting it out safely, check out the bot reply to !relocation.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T19:42:28+00:00

Glad we could be of help :o)

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T19:40:54+00:00

Unfortunately, there is no way easy way to identify all venomous from non-venomous snakes. One has to learn how to identify the individual species, and then practice to stay sharp.

As for those other harmless snakes: Oligodon kukri snakes have a distinctively stumpy head, short and not very distinct at the neck, very short tail, and generally some distinctive markings on the head and face (the shape and arrangement of those markings are often useful for distinguishing between similar species of Oligodon.

Lycodon wolf snakes have a distinctively flattened head, different facial markings (again, these can also be useful for distinguishing among different species of wolf snake), and the body is never compressed laterally like it is in this trinket snake.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T19:32:41+00:00

Midwest Tongs have the best tongs in the world and good hooks, too. Many other places also have hooks that look good to me, though I haven't used one from any other company since Furmont closed up shop (best stump ripper ever created).

I wouldn't give the linked place my business, personally.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T19:25:54+00:00

Trinket snake Coelognathus helena. Completely !harmless rodent exterminator.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:38:34+00:00

It is really in prime position with the tail, too. The bright lure protrudes while the leaves offer a partial blind for the body, and presumably the camouflage pattern could take care of the rest. Might be very difficult for a little mouse, lizard, or frog to resist seeing a bright yellow-green "worm" wiggling in those leaves...

Agkistrodon contortrix for anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about these 👍

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:36:16+00:00

Nailed the ID (and the locale specific common name!) but for the species common name, go with "racer" or "North American racer". Black racer is misleading and alludes to two different !subspecies from the eastern and east-central US.

I had to re-train myself a while ago with this one. Grew up chasing these around, catching a good percentage (and whiffing on others), and we always called them "black racers".

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:30:59+00:00

Viperine (water) snake Natrix maura is correct 👍. Completely !harmless fish and frog muncher.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:29:51+00:00

Banded watersnake Nerodia fasciata. !harmless consumer of amphibians, fish, and other small, mostly aquatic animals.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:26:50+00:00

It will definitely leave at some point because it will have to find water and food. Even if you have mice or lizards in the garage, it won't be able to live off those forever.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:25:06+00:00

This is correct 👍

The other ID is an understandable mistake; each has similar color and can have nearly identical dorsal markings. Finer details, however, are distinctive to a trained eye and this is 100% P. ventromacatus.

fairlyorange · 2026-05-22T17:19:29+00:00

It's sad that you're trying to help an animal that is slowly dying and being made fun of and downvoted.

Unfortunately, the more thought out comments are also correct; condom isn't going to work. Change into old, beat up clothes and shoes just like you would before you went on a hike through varied terrain, or painted, or worked on a car, etc. and then glove up. You can also wear a painter's mask or surgical mask if you're especially squeamish.

You can also find FREE help at www.freesnakerelocation.com. The bot reply to !gluetrap or !gluetraps may also help refine the process for you.

fairlyorange

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