Raystown Lake, PA Rat snake. (1 Viewer)

Redbecka

Well-known member

• Mar 1, 2015

• #1

While boating over the summer, I was relaxing and when all the sudden I hear my husband telling me I should move. I looked behind me and this is what I saw just a couple of feet behind me.

 

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ceasar

Well-known member

• Mar 1, 2015

• #2

Looks like a Northern Water Snake. Common in PA. Nonvenomous.

Bob

 

Redbecka

Well-known member

• Mar 1, 2015

• #3

Great. Learned something new today. Thank you.

 

RJP

Well-known member

• Mar 2, 2015

• #4

But don't try to pick one up if you don't know how - water snakes will always try to bite, and they have very sharp teeth for holding fish, with saliva that has an anti-coagulant in it.

 

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holzphoto

Well-known member

• Mar 4, 2015

• #5

it's a rat snake.

 

RJP

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2015

• #6

I didn't blow up the thumbnail until holzphoto posted, and now agree it's a Black Rat Snake. I think the confusion here comes from the fact that as Northern Water Snakes age, they become darker and their patterning fades a lot. Black Rat Snakes are sometimes just jet black, but can also show some faint patterning like an old water snake as here:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/reptile/blackratsnake.htm
which is very similar to the pic.

I think the most important field mark for separating them is the sharp line of contrast this snake shows between the dark scales on the dorsal side (upper side) of the head, and the unmarked light scales on the ventral side (underside) of the head. That sharp contrast line does not appear on Northern Water Snakes.

 

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holzphoto

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2015

• #7

their patterns and coloration are distinctively different in my observations.

where in hoosier land do you live?

 

RJP

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2015

• #8

Northern Indiana.

Perhaps a better way to put it is that many older Northern Water Snakes are quite dark, and not strongly marked (as they are when young). Here's a few examples:
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/Reptiles/Northern Water Snake/nwater03.jpg
http://m8.i.pbase.com/g1/65/601065/2/127278088.mdBUNCYR.jpg
http://m1.i.pbase.com/o4/94/339594/1/59768411.IMG_3742.JPG

 

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holzphoto

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2015

• #9

cool, i grew up near seymour, in.

i dunno, i guess i have been so into snakes all my life, especially hoosier and kentucky snakes that they are very easy for me to tell apart.

 

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Mar 5, 2015

• #10

I'll agree that it is a Rat Snake. For one thing it is in a tree and they are arboreal. Here is a u-tube of one that looks like the on in Post #1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJsFmvRfHQk

One of these guys is a naturalist associated with the local Audubon society and the other one writes an outdoor column for one of our local newspapers.

Bob

 

Last edited: Mar 5, 2015

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holzphoto

Well-known member

• Mar 6, 2015

• #11

those watersnakes will climb low branches to bask.