# ID this snake

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 5, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751 "2005-04-05T00:36:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751/1 "2005-04-05T00:36:11Z")

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[Snake](http://www.officeinkllc.com/jason/snake.jpg)

My wife found this floating (dead) in the skimmer of our pool today. I wasn’t sure what kind of snake it was and took a picture of it. I’m wondering if it’s poisonous or not.

This is the second snake I’ve found in the pool…the first was alive and a neighbor identified it as a water moccosin.

We’re in New Orleans, Louisiana and I know there are plenty of snakes that are common around here, but we don’t see many in the suburbs, so I have no idea what it is.

Thanks,  
Jason

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**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751/2 "2005-04-05T00:41:18Z")

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Looks like maybe a diamondback water snake. Not completely sure, since my herping skills aren’t what my botanical skills are. 🙂

But it’s not venomous. The head is the wrong shape.

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751/3 "2005-04-05T01:05:12Z")

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[Diamond-back water snake](http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/snake.pics/Nerodia_rhombifera.jpg)

Could be. Poisonous snakes have a triangular head (not round) and have slits for pupils (again not round). Some young poisonous snakes, however, may have roundish pupils. Certainly looks similar to a water moccasin (cottonmouth): [http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/snake.pics/cottonmouth.jpg](http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/snake.pics/cottonmouth.jpg). However, neither the head or pupil is right.

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751/4 "2005-04-05T02:17:18Z")

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I concur that it’s a Diamondback Water Snake ( a species frequently misidentified as poisonous ). It’s the only one in that range that works. One possible confirmation ( if you still have the carcass ) is to look on it’s chin - if it was a male it will have a bunch of little bumps ( papillae) scattered there.

> [@barbitu8](#):
>
> Poisonous snakes have a triangular head (not round) and have slits for pupils (again not round). Some young poisonous snakes, however, may have roundish pupils.

While not a bad rule of thumb it is worth noting this is not 100% consistent, even in the U.S., or for that matter even in Louisiana. Witness the Eastern Coral Snake.

Also vertically ellptical pupils ( “cat’s eyes” ) are seen in a few non-( or at least only mildly and rear-fanged ) venomous snakes in the U.S., like the Desert Night Snake ( rear-fanged and slightly venomous ) or the Glossy Snake ( slightly elliptical eyes, non-venomous ).

- Tamerlane

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**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/297751/5 "2005-04-05T02:25:17Z")

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> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> I concur that it’s a Diamondback Water Snake ( a species frequently misidentified as poisonous ). It’s the only one in that range that works.
> 
> - Tamerlane

Actually, I take that back. Looking at the latter half of the body, I think I’m going to switch to the Blotched Water Snake, which also works.

- Tamerlane