# Id this snake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754 "2012-10-05T00:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/1 "2012-10-05T00:08:41Z")
Central South Carolina (USA). No indication of size: [![](https://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm119/badger60/?action=view¤t=snak2.jpg) ](https://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm119/badger60/?action=view¤t=snak2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/2 "2012-10-05T00:29:53Z")
According to the image name, it’s a deadly snak2. Sorry, I got nothing ☹ ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/3 "2012-10-05T00:35:04Z")
It’s a horrible photo, but my guess is it’s a gopher snake. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/4 "2012-10-05T00:36:49Z")
Common water snake? ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/5 "2012-10-05T02:32:46Z")
Looks like the Brown Snake, [_Storeria dekayi_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storeria_dekayi) . The snake in the photo on Wikipedia is even striking a similar pose. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/6 "2012-10-05T13:57:58Z")
Good poster/OP combination there. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/7 "2012-10-05T14:03:39Z")
The markings make me think juvenile snake, which may make it harder to identify. [Juvenile garter snake](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2618/4086893731_95b6e39844_z.jpg), maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/8 "2012-10-05T15:22:00Z")
It’s an eastern garter snake. [Pics.](http://images.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=770&q=eastern+garter+snake&oq=eastern+garter&gs_l=img.1.0.0l3j0i24l7.1895.4607.0.6465.14.11.0.3.3.0.88.737.11.11.0...0.0...1ac.1.M-Q3eTXEyZg) ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/9 "2012-10-05T15:35:40Z")
The OP photo doesn’t look at all like any of those garter snake photos. One thing all garter snakes seem to have are stripes running length-wise, and I don’t see any stripes on Earl’s photo. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/10 "2012-10-05T15:40:55Z")
My guess is a copperhead. [http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/images/copperhead1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/copperhead.htm&h=165&w=550&sz=35&tbnid=3z0Ljm3uV-XvuM:&tbnh=36&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcopperhead%2Bsnake%2Bphotos%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=copperhead+snake+photos&usg=\_\_lyxxCODjgM-Rqxk28na9zdjLRlc=&docid=TGfFWQuZQwrArM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Kv9uUOmrJPSx0AHooYDACQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ9QEwDA&dur=376](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/images/copperhead1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/copperhead.htm&h=165&w=550&sz=35&tbnid=3z0Ljm3uV-XvuM:&tbnh=36&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcopperhead%2Bsnake%2Bphotos%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=copperhead+snake+photos&usg=__lyxxCODjgM-Rqxk28na9zdjLRlc=&docid=TGfFWQuZQwrArM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Kv9uUOmrJPSx0AHooYDACQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEkQ9QEwDA&dur=376) ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/11 "2012-10-05T15:45:18Z")
Definitely NOT a copperhead; it does not have the classic rust-colored hour-glass markings and its head is not distinctly wider than the body. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/12 "2012-10-05T15:49:08Z")
I think **Crotalus** nailed it. Looks exactly like an [eastern garter](http://images.google.com/imgres?q=eastern+garter+snake&start=208&num=10&hl=en&biw=843&bih=785&addh=140&tbm=isch&tbnid=57GhlFdQgFuQLM:&imgrefurl=http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/glottis/Interesting&docid=f6opDgMZ5hWyqM&imgurl=http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4614128288_7ec615ed4f.jpg&w=500&h=333&ei=gABvUJq4Cob69QT5xYH4Aw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=79&vpy=63&dur=6359&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=158&ty=97&sig=106606476633292062808&page=13&tbnh=104&tbnw=156&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:208,i:92) to me and he’s a bona fide herpetologist. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/13 "2012-10-05T15:52:16Z")
I read the title as **Is this snake** , and I came in with an answer and everything… ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/14 "2012-10-05T16:01:54Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > The OP photo doesn’t look at all like any of those garter snake photos. One thing all garter snakes seem to have are stripes running length-wise, and I don’t see any stripes on Earl’s photo. Garter snakes are amazingly variable. In some the stripes are barely visible and the checkered pattern is the most obvious feature, in others the stripes are very bold and the checkers can only be seen if the snake has just swallowed a frog or if it inhales to swell itself up. If you look through the array of pics I linked to, you will see a pretty wide range of bold versus less-obvious stripes. The OP’s picture isn’t a real good one, but based on observations in the wild of hundreds of garter snakes, I am pretty certain that’s what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/15 "2012-10-05T16:08:03Z")
Thanks, all. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/16 "2012-10-05T17:12:23Z")
Among the pics I linked to above was [this one](http://images.google.com/imgres?q=eastern+garter+snake&num=10&hl=en&biw=1600&bih=770&tbm=isch&tbnid=0RrQMH28U3Uu4M:&imgrefurl=http://members.nuvox.net/jmaloney/animal13.htm&docid=OaWbIOluQB4K9M&imgurl=http://members.nuvox.net/jmaloney/snake8.jpg&w=360&h=300&ei=yAJvUNzBLYW89gSfpIDYDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=761&vpy=323&dur=2242&hovh=205&hovw=246&tx=123&ty=150&sig=104256410094401328755&page=2&tbnh=134&tbnw=164&start=32&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:32,i:297), which shows an eastern garter snake with barely visible stripes. They pretty much have just two elements to their dorsal pattern, the three stripes and the checkerboard, but the variations in those elements among the many I have seen is just amazing. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/17 "2012-10-05T17:15:27Z")
Are there any other snakes that have a similar style of checkerboarding or is that a good diagnostic for the species? I wasn’t aware of it before and it’s really cool looking. Amazing what nature can come up with, especially when contemplating the ‘why’. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/18 "2012-10-05T17:29:30Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Are there any other snakes that have a similar style of checkerboarding or is that a good diagnostic for the species? I wasn’t aware of it before and it’s really cool looking. Amazing what nature can come up with, especially when contemplating the ‘why’. The [northern brown snake](http://images.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=770&q=northern+brown+snake&oq=northern+br&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.4428.8144.0.9944.11.7.0.4.4.0.71.436.7.7.0...0.0...1ac.1.LEwvQpzb6cM), mentioned by **newme** above, is also a variable species that also can have some checkerboard pattern. It also has stripes. The [eastern hognose snake](http://images.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=770&q=northern+brown+snake&oq=northern+br&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.4428.8144.0.9944.11.7.0.4.4.0.71.436.7.7.0...0.0...1ac.1.LEwvQpzb6cM#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=eastern+hognose+snake&oq=eastern+hog&gs_l=img.1.0.0l5j0i24l5.136785.141658.0.144200.11.10.0.1.1.0.123.800.8j2.10.0...0.0...1c.1.mLEKBRGFWls&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=a95bcad613deebc4&biw=1600&bih=770) may be even more variable than the garter snake, and it has a checkboard pattern in some phases. Then there’s the [eastern ribbon snake](http://images.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=770&q=eastern+ribbon+snake&oq=eastern+ri&gs_l=img.1.0.0l4j0i5j0i24l5.4223.7337.0.8782.10.9.0.1.1.0.70.578.9.9.0...0.0...1ac.1.dxwx778JxSU), which is in the garter snake’s genus, that has pattern variations similar to the garter snake. And I’ll leave the question of why to others. 😉 ETA: While I appreciate lieu’s endorsement above, I am not a trained herpetologist, just a fairly knowledgeable layman. I have observed and collected reptiles and amphibians extensively in the eastern US, and worked for a few years milking snakes at a venom lab. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/19 "2012-10-05T17:43:49Z")
Concur with Crotalus – you can indeed see a cream stripe on the flank of the snake in **Earl’s** linked pic, albeit not sharply delineated (though how much of that is due to the 1990-era digital camera apparently used is debatable). Scale is harder to ascertain, but said snake seems larger than I’d expect a DeKay’s snake to be; they’re typically described as “about the size of a pencil.” And the snake looks too gracile to be a hognose – those guys tend to be robust widebodies. Also, the area in question is – figuratively and literally – _crawling_ with Eastern Garters; they’re quite common. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754/20 "2012-10-05T18:03:27Z")
Duly noted, **Crotalus** and thanks for the links. Ooof, those hognose freak me out. There’s just something about thick snakes that doesn’t sit well with me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-snake/636754.md?page=2)