Please help identify this small snake

Rattlesnake Guy · 08-07-2010, 02:13 PM

Can anyone help us identify the species of snake we found on the island today. It is about 2 feet long. It did not seem to match any of the 11 species shown on the NH fish and game's web site.

Don't watch this if you don't want to see a snake.

Thank you for your help

RG^2

Jonas Pilot · 08-07-2010, 02:24 PM

My guess is garter snake.

Winni-Retired · 08-07-2010, 03:05 PM

I agree ..... Garter Snake

WinnDixie · 08-07-2010, 03:35 PM

I realize , by this close look, that I am obviously too blitzed to even notice markings, if I've been this close!! So: answer: "eeek, I don't know"; questions: "is that YOU, R-Gal, holding that camera so close you're getting in bite range? And where was Mac??" Whew!!

Slickcraft · 08-07-2010, 04:48 PM

Ayah, a small Garter snake. Absolutely harmless and good to have around, will keep the mice at bay. They are always way more afraid of you that anyone could be of them. Always nice to have a few around the yard.

Island Girl · 08-07-2010, 05:42 PM

Definitely a garter snake from the front six inches and the back six inches. The middle pattern is different for a garter snake. It is probably due to a mouse or some other snack in its belly stretching out the markings.

Cessnaair

Rattlesnake Guy · 08-07-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Girl

Definitely a garter snake from the front six inches and the back six inches. The middle pattern is different for a garter snake. It is probably due to a mouse or some other snack in its belly stretching out the markings.

Cessnaair

That makes sense. God knows there are plenty of mice to snack on around here. The center section without the top stripe and the hexagon pattern was really throwing us.

Thanks everyone.

Argie's Wife · 08-09-2010, 11:20 AM

Absolutely a garter snake... very common. These are the ones I pick up in the yard to chase Argie with... he hates snakes.

LIforrelaxin · 08-09-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

Absolutely a garter snake... very common. These are the ones I pick up in the yard to chase Argie with... he hates snakes.

That is not nice.... poor Argie!!!!!

Jonas Pilot · 08-09-2010, 12:06 PM

This guy was a little worse for wear after one of our cat's got at it. I stuck it in some logs and it was gone the next day.

View image in gallery

WinnDixie · 08-09-2010, 05:48 PM

(Well...I'm assuming guy)...that's good of you, Jonas Pilot! Even tho' the shudders overtake me around snakes...they've got to have their place and live, too! We had one in our yard back when we lived up there, and I'd always heard they were good to have in gardens. I gently tried to usher it along toward the garden with a shovel. It got there finally but--let me tell you--it bit the heck out of that shovel on the way!!

Lucky1 · 08-10-2010, 08:18 AM

Have had snake episodes this year for the first time. Something that looked like the larger snake shown in one of these posts must live in the large rocks on a side of this camp in which I do not usually spend much time. Have seen it come out from under a rock several times. It scares me. I did not feel comfortable going to that side of the camp for a couple of weeks. Now I do go there again and have not seen the snake. Do they move to other areas?

Then I was turning over a kayak for moving for grass cutting and there was a very small snake under it. I assume it went away but that one did not look dangerous at all.

Would anyone tell me what to do to discourage a snake from living near the house? Also would anyone know how I can find out if it is a dangerous snake? It was pretty good size. Several feet for sure.

AC2717 · 08-10-2010, 08:28 AM

If you go to trustworthy, or lowes, they have a product that causes snakes to move along with no harm to the snake or anything else

Kamper · 08-10-2010, 09:57 AM

Looks like a "Larry" to me. Or "Laurie." Hard to tell from this angle.

Slickcraft · 08-10-2010, 10:20 AM

Here is a good site:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wild...ame/snakes.htm

Of the 11 species in NH, only the extremely rare rattler is dangerous. There is only one known den left in the state and if it was in your area the locals would have heard about it. The exact location is not published as they are an endangered species in NH.

If over a long time you encountered 100 shakes in NH, the cumulative danger to you would be much less than one drive to the local store and back in your auto.

Lucky1 · 08-10-2010, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Here is a good site:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wild...ame/snakes.htm

Of the 11 species in NH, only the extremely rare rattler is dangerous. There is only one known den left in the state and if it was in your area the locals would have heard about it. The exact location is not published as they are an endangered species in NH.

If over a long time you encountered 100 shakes in NH, the cumulative danger to you would be much less than one drive to the local store and back in your auto.

Thanks for that great link! I hope I do not see the snake again but will try to get an idea of its markings if I do. It seems to stay in or under a large rock and comes out to bask in the sun. They may be more than one. There are a number of large old rocks (some with glacier marks that is quite rare I was told) where this snake appears. It seems to go off to some green area then to sun or???

jmen24 · 08-11-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Here is a good site:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wild...ame/snakes.htm

Of the 11 species in NH, only the extremely rare rattler is dangerous. There is only one known den left in the state and if it was in your area the locals would have heard about it. The exact location is not published as they are an endangered species in NH.

If over a long time you encountered 100 shakes in NH, the cumulative danger to you would be much less than one drive to the local store and back in your auto.

That den is located in a town south of Concord and it is completely contained on Private Property that is posted. It is quite well known by the locals and one side of my family has been living in that town for the better part of 125 years.

For a fee I can take you on a guided expedition to try and view the snakes as I have a contact at the quarry, a very large fee and I will stand near the gate and point in a general direction for you to look.

Endangered or not, I have never heard of a single story of someone trespassing to catch a glipse of the snakes, wonder why??

Folks are more likely to run into a week ruining spider in NH than a snake that will cause them harm.

Garters will bite if they do not want to be picked up, but their teeth are tiny and they will not hold on like a Python (relax, I am talking about the pet version, they are not native).

And no, under no circumstances will I present the information of where the den is located and yes I am joking about the expedition.

Argie's Wife · 08-13-2010, 08:12 PM

I scoop up snakes all the time... never been bitten... not sure why folks up here are scared of them. Down south it was a different story.

I was fishing once with Husband 1.0, and watched a snake getting into the river, across the bank from us. It was swimming right to us, so I mentioned it to hubby, who yelled at me to get away from the banking. Turns out it was a water moccasin - all black, nasty looking snake. I learned to have a new respect for snakes... wasn't too keen to go fishing after that, tho.

08-07-2010, 02:13 PM	#1
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	Please help identify this small snake Can anyone help us identify the species of snake we found on the island today. It is about 2 feet long. It did not seem to match any of the 11 species shown on the NH fish and game's web site. Don't watch this if you don't want to see a snake. Thank you for your help RG^2

08-07-2010, 03:35 PM	#4
WinnDixie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 239 Thanks: 44 Thanked 75 Times in 17 Posts	Questions?! I realize , by this close look, that I am obviously too blitzed to even notice markings, if I've been this close!! So: answer: "eeek, I don't know"; questions: "is that YOU, R-Gal, holding that camera so close you're getting in bite range? And where was Mac??" Whew!!

08-07-2010, 05:42 PM	#6
Island Girl Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Central MA Posts: 2,352 Thanks: 18 Thanked 535 Times in 179 Posts	Definitely a garter snake from the front six inches and the back six inches. The middle pattern is different for a garter snake. It is probably due to a mouse or some other snack in its belly stretching out the markings. Cessnaair __________________ Island Girl ....... Make Lemonade

08-09-2010, 12:06 PM	#10
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	Garter snake This guy was a little worse for wear after one of our cat's got at it. I stuck it in some logs and it was gone the next day. View image in gallery

08-09-2010, 05:48 PM	#11
WinnDixie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 239 Thanks: 44 Thanked 75 Times in 17 Posts	You're a good guy! (Well...I'm assuming guy)...that's good of you, Jonas Pilot! Even tho' the shudders overtake me around snakes...they've got to have their place and live, too! We had one in our yard back when we lived up there, and I'd always heard they were good to have in gardens. I gently tried to usher it along toward the garden with a shovel. It got there finally but--let me tell you--it bit the heck out of that shovel on the way!!

08-07-2010, 02:24 PM	#2
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	My guess is garter snake.

08-07-2010, 03:05 PM	#3
Winni-Retired Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: SE Mass / Lake Posts: 125 Thanks: 96 Thanked 102 Times in 22 Posts	I agree ..... Garter Snake

08-07-2010, 04:48 PM	#5
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and The Taylor Community Posts: 3,278 Thanks: 1,214 Thanked 2,052 Times in 942 Posts	Ayah, a small Garter snake. Absolutely harmless and good to have around, will keep the mice at bay. They are always way more afraid of you that anyone could be of them. Always nice to have a few around the yard.

08-09-2010, 11:20 AM	#8
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	Absolutely a garter snake... very common. These are the ones I pick up in the yard to chase Argie with... he hates snakes.

08-10-2010, 08:18 AM	#12
Lucky1 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Moultonborough and FL Posts: 459 Thanks: 318 Thanked 123 Times in 53 Posts	Have had snake episodes this year for the first time. Something that looked like the larger snake shown in one of these posts must live in the large rocks on a side of this camp in which I do not usually spend much time. Have seen it come out from under a rock several times. It scares me. I did not feel comfortable going to that side of the camp for a couple of weeks. Now I do go there again and have not seen the snake. Do they move to other areas? Then I was turning over a kayak for moving for grass cutting and there was a very small snake under it. I assume it went away but that one did not look dangerous at all. Would anyone tell me what to do to discourage a snake from living near the house? Also would anyone know how I can find out if it is a dangerous snake? It was pretty good size. Several feet for sure.

08-10-2010, 08:28 AM	#13
AC2717 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Maynard, MA & Paugus Bay Posts: 2,547 Thanks: 751 Thanked 350 Times in 263 Posts	If you go to trustworthy, or lowes, they have a product that causes snakes to move along with no harm to the snake or anything else __________________ Capt. of the "No Worries"

The Following User Says Thank You to AC2717 For This Useful Post:
Lucky1 (08-10-2010)

08-10-2010, 09:57 AM	#14
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,302 Thanks: 67 Thanked 171 Times in 127 Posts	Looks like a "Larry" to me. Or "Laurie." Hard to tell from this angle.

08-10-2010, 10:20 AM	#15
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and The Taylor Community Posts: 3,278 Thanks: 1,214 Thanked 2,052 Times in 942 Posts	NH snake info Here is a good site: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wild...ame/snakes.htm Of the 11 species in NH, only the extremely rare rattler is dangerous. There is only one known den left in the state and if it was in your area the locals would have heard about it. The exact location is not published as they are an endangered species in NH. If over a long time you encountered 100 shakes in NH, the cumulative danger to you would be much less than one drive to the local store and back in your auto.

08-13-2010, 08:12 PM	#18
Argie's Wife Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alton Posts: 1,908 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 533 Thanked 579 Times in 260 Posts	I scoop up snakes all the time... never been bitten... not sure why folks up here are scared of them. Down south it was a different story. I was fishing once with Husband 1.0, and watched a snake getting into the river, across the bank from us. It was swimming right to us, so I mentioned it to hubby, who yelled at me to get away from the banking. Turns out it was a water moccasin - all black, nasty looking snake. I learned to have a new respect for snakes... wasn't too keen to go fishing after that, tho.