What Kind of Snake is This?

[analog_kidd]

We spotted this guy in the pen where we keep our guinea hens. The stupid birds lay their eggs where ever they are when the mood strikes them, and it's usually out in the pen yard. This snake had just eaten one of their eggs - whole. I feel bad for him, if you've never cracked open a guinea egg, they have the hardest shell I've ever seen. You almost need a pair of channel locks to break them open.

 

I decided I'd relocate the snake to the woods next to the barn, I coaxed him into a 5 gallon bucket, and when I stood the bucket up, darned if he didn't stand up like a cobra and jump right out of the bucket. He looked like a cobra, too, with that egg stuck in his throat. I eventually just shepparded him to the woods with a stick.

 

 

 

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Non venomous King snake I think.. or Black Snake...I am sure its a black snake.. thank you for not killing it:)

[bersaguy]

Black Snake, Blue racer, known by several names but harmless ad don't worry. That egg won't be an issue for it once it gets it far enough down to constrict in and it will pop like a light bulb when dropped. They eat rodents, eggs and will actually kill venomous snakes and eat them to. Use to see them kill copperheads on our Ranch while growing years ago........... :up:

[analog_kidd]

Well, I'm not crazy about it eating my eggs, and I hope it doesn't think it can come back any time it wants for free eggs, but a friend of mine has convinced me to leave the snakes alone. There was a time when I would have put a shovel through it's neck, but not anymore. Although the wife was doing her best to get me to reconsider  :cool:

[peejman]

Black Snake, Blue racer, known by several names but harmless ad don't worry. That egg won't be an issue for it once it gets it far enough down to constrict in and it will pop like a light bulb when dropped. They eat rodents, eggs and will actually kill venomous snakes and eat them to. Use to see them kill copperheads on our Ranch while growing years ago........... :up:

 

Sort of.  A regular black rat snake won't eat other snake, but a King snake that looks very similar will kill and eat venomous snakes.  Both are good to have around. 

 

 

Black rat snakes are all black with some white around their chin and belly.

 

 

 

 

King snakes are black with white stripes.

 

[.357SIG]

There is also speckeled king snake that looks like a mix of the two pictured above. The speckled king as its name states has specks of white or yellow instead of the stripes like the one above. Both breeds of king snakes have interbred and that makes it even harder to tell the difference between the two.

[Oh Shoot]

 

 

Yup, Kingsnake, bunch of different varieties in US, 3 or 4 maybe in TN.  That one most often called Black Kingsnake, Lampropeltis nigra. TWRA refers to it as both that and "Eastern Black Kingsnake" depending on pub.

 

- OS

Edited May 23, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[xjsnake]

Yep. Black Kingsnake. Great snakes to have around even if you aren't fond of snakes because their presence will keep other more harmful snakes away.

[Just2Honor]

Glad you didn't kill it. If snakes and birds of prey like hawks and owls weren't around we would be overrun with small rodents--mice, rats, voles, etc.. There are over 100 species in the US. We don't see them because they are out mostly at night or stay safely under leaf litter and in "tunnels" in the grass.

[frankmako]

king snake.  they are good to have around.  

[Dennis1209]

I guess that answers a question I had on the majority of snakes I see around here. Looks just like the one pictured but has off white dots sprinkled around. A few years ago one slithered by me standing still and it had to be an eight footer. Honest Injun...

 

Another one we have around here I often see looks like the King snake but it has "ripples" down its back? I'm guessing it's maybe a rat snake.