Can You Identify This Snake?

[Blazerman]

On Sunday my wife and I headed out on the Meramec for some much needed r&r. For us r & r involves running the Blazer upstream a ways to get away from the crowds then hanging out on a gravel beach. Most times she will kick back in a lawn chair and read while I wade and fish or fish from the boat. Yesterday I decided to try some cat fishing so I headed to one of my favorite honey holes. At this spot there is a nice beach with over hanging trees and then a nice drop off with a bunch of dead trees in the water.

Got her set up in her lawn chair and cooler and then I moved the boat a short distant away from the back and tied up to one of the trees sticking out the water.

Got my first line baiting up and in the water and before I could get my second line out I had a nice cat on the first one. Landed that one and got it in the live well and then noticed all these blue jays around us going crazy. My wife said what is up with all these birds and I said probably a hawk or owl in the trees above us and went back to getting my lines out.

Right then there was this big splash in the water between her and I and we both look up and it is this large snake that had fallen out of the tree. Now I was only about 10’ from the bank and this snake landed about 5’ out from the bank so 5’ either way and it would of landed on one of us. The snake was kind of stunned from the fall so I looked up to see where he came from and it had to be a 30’ fall. That explains why the jays were going crazy.

The snake ends up slowing swimming to the log right next to my boat so I took the picture of him. I am thinking it is a king snake or black snake but I have had a couple people tell me the head looks like a triangle. Never heard of a moccasin climbing trees. Anybody know what kind it is?

My wife was freaking out a little so I took my pole and swished him away and he ended up swimming over to the bank a little bit downstream. Talked her out of moving and got my lines back in the water and things settled down. About 20 minutes go by and splash, snake falls in the river again almost in the exact same spot. He ended up swimming across the river this time but for some reason I couldn’t convince her to stay there.

[Smalliebigs]

RATSNAKE...Blueracer...whatever you want to call it......they are awsome to have around the house and barn.We have a couple 6 or 7 footers under my front porch and the wife wants me to kill them soo bad but, it's not happening.

[Stoneroller]

that is a black rat snake. the blue racer is skinnier and doesn't have the banding. they also look 'blue' in the sunlight.

[Stoneroller]

also the 'triangle shaped head' thing is one of the worst ways to try to identify a venomous snake. All snakes should be observed from a safe distance, allowed to do their own thing, and left alone, unharrassed by humans.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I might add that Cottonmouths always, in my experience, appear thick for their length and when they swim they appear to swim high in the water.

My quick identifier is a thick dark snake near the water and seldom seen in it.

[Flyguide7]

I lived in Florida for over 20 years and I can tell you moccasins love to hang out in trees especially those hanging over the river. I agree with the rest of the guys that the snake in your picture does not appear to be a moccasin. They have very thick bodies and can have a stubby tail rather than tapering to a fine tip like other snakes.

[The Kayak Kid]

RATSNAKE...Blueracer...whatever you want to call it......they are awsome to have around the house and barn.We have a couple 6 or 7 footers under my front porch and the wife wants me to kill them soo bad but, it's not happening.

Amen. We had a property owner get bit by a copperhead down near the Black, now everyone is exchanging emails filled with paranoia. It's a shame more people do not (1) take simple steps to reduce the likelihood of snake bites and (2) appreciate these beautiful creatures and the roles they play.

Had the neat opportunity to view several snakes (copperheads, moc's, timber rattler, black rat, a few others) up close at the MDC Nature Center in Cape recently. Great staff there. They let me go in their work/storage area, and gave me a tour so I can better spot the differences between the species. Not sure if the other Nature Centers keep snakes or not. If you're in Cape, you might check it out.

[Stoneroller]

st louis zoo has a copperhead, cottonmouth (water moccasin), and timber rattlesnake on display all the time. They are all great examples of adults and have all of the characteristics typical of their species.

[jdmidwest]

Good ole Ozark Chicken Snake. Seen several squashed on the road this week, must be mating or migration season. They love eggs as much as they do rats and mice. Kept one as a pet in college at the dorm, it was good amusment watching it constrict white mice.

[Feathers and Fins]

That there would be a Black Ratsnake missing a good chunk of its tail to boot!...