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Unidentified Snake, Adult (March 24, 2007), Athens, Texas Non-poisonous (none of our poisonous snakes present with these markings on a smooth, shiny body) Photos courtesy of Ruth M..; text by Jerry Cates The snake in this photo is moderately long, with a dorsally marked head that is not much wider than its neck, conspicuous spinal saddles from head to as much of the tail as shown in the photo, and conspicuous lateral blotches between the saddles and the belly. The portion of the snake's body that is in direct sunlight appears to be reflecting light efficiently, suggesting a glossy skin. The snake was mistaken for a copperhead (a common mistake, likely resulting from the orange-colored markings) and killed.
It is impossible to make a precise identification from this photo, but one thing is very clear--it isn't a copperhead. The copperhead has either broad copper-colored bands (the broad-banded and Trans-Pecos copperheads) or hour-glass-shaped markings (the southern copperhead). Saddles on the spine, and blotches on the sides, as with this specimen, are characteristic of several snake species, all non poisonous, including the Texas rat snake, Louisiana pine snake, bull snake, Sonoran gopher snake, Texas night snake, great plains rat snake, corn snake, Texas glossy snake, and the Kansas glossy snake. Superficially, several poisonous snakes have markings that can also be described as spinal saddles and lateral blotches, though their bodies are not smooth and shiny, like this specimen, and the lateral blotches are less distinct. These include the Mojave rattlesnake, prairie rattlesnake, desert massasauga, western massasauga, and western pygmy rattlesnake. The size of this snake suggests it is mature, yet the head seems to have dorsal markings, which rules out the Texas rat snake. Also, the head does not appear to be larger than the neck, and the neck markings are suggestive of those found on the Kansas and Texas glossy snakes, as well as those of the corn snake, great plains rat snake, Texas night snake, Sonoran gopher snake, bull snake, and Louisiana pine snake. A close up photo of the head would clarify which of these is most likely. The Sonoran gopher snake, bull snake, and Louisiana pine snake all have rings at the tail rather than saddles. Since most of the tail is out of the picture, the presence or absence of rings cannot be determined. A second photo, sent later, doesn't provide additional detail and was not posted. Many thanks to Ruth for these photos. |
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