I was coming up from my basement five minutes ago when I looked down and saw something that looked like a black shoelace lying in the middle of the floor. I bent down to get a better look at it and it kind of…twitched. Needless to say (seeing as shoelaces aren’t supposed to move), I jumped back, causing the thing to raise its head and start slithering away. It was a baby snake! Cute, too. I don’t have a picture because I wanted to free it as quickly as possible and put it outside, but it was about six inches long, all black, and had a single yellow stripe on the back of its head. Its belly was paler, kind of brownish. What type was it? If it helps, I live in central Maryland in the suburbs. I was thinking a type of king snake, but I’m no snake expert…
My pleasure. There’s not much I feel like an expert about on this board, but I grew up in Baltimore and I’m a lifelong reptile nut. This is the second “identify this snake” thread from Maryland this week. Makes me feel useful.
Dave caught one of those in his parents’ back yard on Mother’s Day a couple of years ago. He played Jeff Corwin with it awhile and then set it free in the garden.
Don’t like snakes, no sirree. Where I come from, if you encounter a snake, it’s because you hear its rattle and run the hell the other way.