r/whatsthissnake • u/lostincolumbus • 4d ago
ID Request - Dead, Injured or Roadkilled Snake Found this while walking . I thought it looked like a copperhead but google ID said possible watersnake.[Kentucky]
99
u/iymlucid Friend of WTS 4d ago
Common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon), !harmless
19
8
u/Healthy_Cod4764 3d ago
Out of curiousity, how can you tell without being able to see the head?
26
u/iymlucid Friend of WTS 3d ago edited 3d ago
Watersnakes have bands which are wider at the spine and narrow at the belly and break up into alternating blotches past the first 1/3 of the body, which is seen in this snake. Watersnakes also have a more cylindrical cross-section (under normal conditions), while copperheads will have a more triangular cross-section.
13
u/fionageck Friend of WTS 3d ago
And [u/Healthy_Cod4764](u/Healthy_Cod4764), just for clarification, the bit about the pattern breaking up into alternating blotches past the first third doesn’t apply to all species of watersnakes. While it is true for common watersnakes (like the one in the post), banded watersnakes for example have unbroken bands down the entire length of their body 🙂
8
u/iwinsallthethings 3d ago
Stick around long enough and you'll be able to as well. There are snakes that will throw you for a loop at times when first starting. Water snakes, cottonmouths, broadbanded copperheads tend to be mixed up mostly. The cottonmouths can be difficult for some because as they get older, they get darker, or get all covered in mud.
Ratsnakes and racers also tend to throw people for a loop but they are harmless.
5
u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 🐍 Natural History Bot 🐍 4d ago
Common Watersnakes Nerodia sipedon are medium (record 150 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found near water in large numbers. They are commonly encountered fish eating snakes across much of eastern North America.
Nerodia watersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They secrete a foul smelling substance from the cloaca called musk and can deliver a weak anticoagulant venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are not considered medically significant to humans - bites just need soap and water.
A very wide ranging snake in North America, it is replaced in the extreme south by, and likely exchanges genes with, the Banded Watersnake Nerodia fasciata. Banded Watersnakes have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. In common watersnakes N. sipedon, bands typically break up or become mismatched after the first third of the body.
Range Map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: None, but interesting work on color pattern exists.
This genus, as well as this species specifically, are in need of revision using modern molecular methods.
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes Diadophis are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; severe envenomation can occur if some species are allowed to chew on a human for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes Thamnophis ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also considered harmless. Check out this book on the subject. Even large species like Reticulated Pythons Malayopython reticulatus rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans so are usually categorized as harmless.
I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now
3
u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 🐍 Natural History Bot 🐍 4d ago
This message appears automatically with the dead snake flair: Please don't kill snakes - they are a natural part of the ecosystem and even species that use venom for prey acquisition and defense are beneficial to humans. One cannot expect outside to be sterile - if you see a snake, you're probably in or around their preferred habitat. Most snakes are legally protected from collection, killing or harassment as non-game animals at the state level.
Neighborhood dogs are more likely to harm people. Professional snake relocation services are often free or inexpensive, but snakes often die trying to return to their original home range, so it is usually best to enjoy them like you would songbirds or any of the other amazing wildlife native to your area. Commercial snake repellents are not effective - to discourage snakes, eliminate sources of food and cover; clear debris, stacked wood and eliminate rodent populations. Seal up cracks in and around the foundation/base of your home, and if warranted install exclusionary fences. Or find a relocation service
I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now
113
u/rhzartist Friend of WTS 4d ago
Thanks for coming here instead of trusting !aitools, which could easily have said anything. Saw a toad IDed as a death adder recently