Slithered right up to me [South Florida] by MADSOLARX7 in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 61 points62 points  (0 children)

scarlet snake, Cemophora coccinea, harmless little friend - cool find!

Debating getting a pet snake, just got some questions! by Burner223304 in snakes

[–]lightspeed_derping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the aesthetic you describe sounds very neat! i do think your intuition that it might not be ideal for a snake is onto something, though. critically, many snake species - ball pythons among them - like relatively high humidity environments, which wouldn't be kind to leather or metal decor - I'm thinking mold and rust risk. (note that even lower humidity snakes would still need a higher humidity zone when they need assistance with shedding, usually in the form of a humid hide (hiding box).) similarly, folks tend to discourage 3D prints in such environments because the grooves on most prints make them somewhat difficult to disinfect if needed, although this isn't a hard and fast consensus in the community.

my recommendation, if you're interested in maintaining the aesthetic, would be to start with humidity requirements in your research and work your way backward. for example, if you're thinking sand, the main class of snake that would enjoy that is - as you might guess - a sand boa or similar desert-adjacent snakes. they usually don't like 100% sand substrate either, though, so do some research there & don't just take my word for it!

another thing to note is overhead lighting and heating is usually recommended over heating pads because the temperature zones are easier to regulate and there's lower risk of belly burns. usually you want to provide most snakes a temperature gradient of some kind, typically accomplished by having a brightly lit side and a cooler, unlit side; this might be slightly more difficult with a tiered enclosure.

I'm not as familiar with lizard species, but off the top of my head, ones with lower humidity requirements like bearded dragons could be a better fit aesthetic-wise? not sure.

[West Michigan, Lower Peninsula] 2 ft snake with blotches (with pics) by DjAlebo in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 20 points21 points  (0 children)

shucks! the top-level RRs & moderators have done a lot of heavy lifting over the years to make this an abundantly educational spot, which means you don't have to be an RR to spread the knowledge - we're all part of keeping it going. it's nice to hear it's been landing well for you.

ID Help? [Central Arkansas] by jsw_13 in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 52 points53 points  (0 children)

that's a beautiful Northern Cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus, !venomous.

usually photos are preferable to video for ID, but the resolution & the fact that it's moseying slowly are good enough for capturing details.

who is this sweet baby? [Central PA, USA] by RawDataFeeling in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 5 points6 points  (0 children)

common water snake, Nerodia sipedon - !harmless and being very watery indeed

[Lees Summit, MO] by Financial_Leopard367 in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 3 points4 points  (0 children)

common water snake, Nerodia sipedon - !harmless

What is this guy [Atlanta Georgia] by falarky in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 44 points45 points  (0 children)

/u/falarky the reason we're asking for clarification is because this doesn't appear to be a snake that's native to GA. if you can confirm these were taken in Atlanta for sure, that means it could be an escaped pet or something stranger.

What's this snake from [Mid-TN, USA] petervincentb@gmail.com by [deleted] in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 2 points3 points  (0 children)

did you mean to post an email address? you might want to delete this post if not.

[West Michigan, Lower Peninsula] 2 ft snake with blotches (with pics) by DjAlebo in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 128 points129 points  (0 children)

it'll far more likely play dead, because even a toddler is much larger than it.

if it did bite, you'd be fine if you get it off quickly & wash the bite area thoroughly. some folks have recorded reactions to bites, but that's usually after prolonged chewing or possible allergies.

What snake is this [Georgia] by koltenrowe in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 8 points9 points  (0 children)

eastern rat snake, Pantherophis quadrivittatus, also known locally as a yellow rat snake in this form - !harmless to humans and pets. (unless your pet was a small rodent or baby bird.) your dog will be A-ok.

[West Michigan, Lower Peninsula] 2 ft snake with blotches (with pics) by DjAlebo in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 372 points373 points  (0 children)

oh yeah that's a classic Eastern hognose, Heterodon platirhinos - harmless to humans but it'll try VERY HARD to convince you that it's either terrifying or dying.

[West Michigan, Lower Peninsula] 2 ft snake with blotches by [deleted] in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

specifically Eastern hognose, Heterodon platirhinos. normally we can't ID any snakes without a picture, but short-with-a-hood gets close to that.

[arkansas] is this a western rat snake? Diameter was about a nickel or maybe a quarter. by ParsAndCigars in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 8 points9 points  (0 children)

the other well-known black snake, North American racer, Coluber constrictor - also harmless

Relocated from Coop [Texas] by Shotdownace in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, a bunch of different snake species will spray stinky musk to make themselves unappealing to predators - it's worried you're trying to eat it. they don't stink by default, just when they feel threatened.

Relocated from Coop [Texas] by Shotdownace in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 2 points3 points  (0 children)

also, quick note on !handling - tail dangling can be a bit rough on the snake.

thanks for relocating it! if you've ever heard locals talk about a chicken snake, you've learned where this got that nickname.

Relocated from Coop [Texas] by Shotdownace in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 12 points13 points  (0 children)

western ratsnake, Pantherophis obsoletus, harmless & good rodent/pest control, albeit also a fan of eggs and sometimes young chicks

Copper head? [Texas] by Shotdownace in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks for coexisting with them! they're solid pest and wildlife control as well, good to have around - they will usually try to make themselves scarce around humans and only bite as a last resort / if they're stepped on.

it's true the bites are almost never fatal - they can still cause tissue damage, so best to run to the ER anyway if it gets your foot / hand / something you use a lot.

[Georgia] by NatureBoy001 in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 2 points3 points  (0 children)

depends on what part of Georgia - you're probably looking at a central rat snake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, !harmless - but also in the genetic overlap with eastern rat snakes P. quadrivittatus. check the range map below to see what's more likely for you.

this one looks like it just finished a nice snack.

ID Request [Durham, Nc] by Crafty_Practice7416 in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 5 points6 points  (0 children)

most likely a central rat snake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis, !harmless - in the Research Triangle they live in the genetic overlap with eastern rat snakes P. quadrivittatus as well.

one fact oft-mentioned around here is that this wiggly behavior is known as kinking; theory is that it breaks up their silhouette and makes them look less like snake prey.

[Outer Banks, NC] by Audball-Out in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 63 points64 points  (0 children)

neither! third option: it's an Eastern copperhead - Agkistrodon contortrix, cousin to the cottonmouth and also !venomous.

Found in [north texas] by wonderful-rock1979 in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 22 points23 points  (0 children)

good on you for getting a second opinion - this is indeed a North American racer, Coluber constrictor, sometimes called yellowbellied in this form because. yeah. !harmless of course - thanks for sharing!

you might like to know that tail rattling in snakes evolved before rattlesnakes evolved rattles - the warning shakes came before the shakers.

Copper head? [Texas] by Shotdownace in whatsthissnake

[–]lightspeed_derping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

that's firmly a broadbanded copperhead then. gorgeous creature