Snake I.D.

[Fishinfool]

Was driving down a state forest road in central PA last evening, and ran this snake over. Stopped and took a quick picture. Is it a Copperhead, or maybe a Black Rat Snake? I see quite a few Rattlers in this area at times.

Even though run over by a 3/4 ton PU, he was still alive, and crawling off the road when I left. Pretty tough snake..

Larry

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I'm no snake expert, but it does not appear to have the "pit" of a pit viper, nor the correct head configuration (coffin-shaped) for a copperhead or any of the rattlesnakes. Nor does it have the vertical slit iris common to the veneous snakes of North America. My guess would be what we in my part of Texas would call a corn or rat snake.

By the way, I'm also no snake lover, so I would have been taking that photo by using a telephoto lens.

Regards,

Dave

 

[geoff40]

Looks to me like it IS a copperhead. The opaque look to the skin would indicate it is/was about to shed it's skin.

Here is a pair of copperheads, compare the female with your photo.

 

[bgrafsr]

The head is round or oval, not triangular, so I would say it is a corn snake too.

 

[wbraswell]

I agree with Double-o-Dave, the head and eye just aren't right. I think it's a Corn Snake, that would be shedding before long.

 

[rock doc]

Corn snake. My son had one once as a pet.

 

[truckemup97]

The head looks too round to be a copperhead, but maybe it's the angle of the picture. The last copperhead I saw was under the pickup with me while changing the shocks on the rear axle. I didn't get a real good look at him because the shovel kept getting into my line of sight.

 

[DeadAye]

It looks like Ted The Snake - Hard to tell though, Ted The Snake and his brother Fred The Snake look a lot alike. Did you take him to the vet? Car tires can be rough on snakes!

 

[Fishinfool]

Here is a better shot of his head. Might help w/ the ID. Thanks for all the replies. The red eyes are throwing me off...

Larry

 

[cass]

That is a Northern Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen. There is no mistake about that. It is a little dull in color, probably because it was ready to shed before it got killed.

 

[DeadAye]

All kidding aside -
That is still a DANGEROUS snake!
Even just a scratch by a fang will ruin your day, week, year, etc...
Handle with care!

 

[Pasifikawv]

Copperheads and the Harmless look-a-like Snakes

Numerous harmless snakes are confused with copperheads, but I think (with the new photo of the triangular head and the markings that are wide at the side and narrow at the spine) you have found a copperhead.

The first photo appeared to show a round/oval head rather than the triangular shape of a viper, but that may have been camera angle or damage to the skull. Round/oval head would indicate not a copperhead. The second photo appears to show a more triangular head like a viper. I tend to think it is a copperhead base on what evidence I can see and considering that roadkill can be deformed and camera angles deceiving.

 

[s&wchad]

The first photo appeared to show a round/oval head rather than the triangular shape of a viper, but that may have been camera angle or damage to the skull....

A pick-up truck will do that!
We ran over a Western Diamondback several years ago in Wyoming. It didn't look so good after the fact, but the darn thing was still alive.

 

[Lee Barner]

if it doesn't rattle, it's a copperhead. nuf said. lee

 

[PA Reb]

Definitely a copperhead. Lots of them around this part of PA.

 

[StatesRightist]

Copperhead vote here too.

 

[Straightshooter2]

Looks pretty much like the two copperheads I've killed in the yard.

CW

 

[Sebago Son]

Geoff's right. It's a Copper Head.

 

[silentflyer]

Now it's a good snake, the dead kind.

 

[Fishinfool]

Thanks for the replies. Figured it was a Copperhead, but wasn't sure. Didn't take the time to pry its mouth open and see - was late for a card game at a buddies cabin.. After looking at some pics on line at Rat Snakes, the skin patterning can be similar, but the head shape especially gives it away. My only concern around here is the rattlers. Certain rocky areas seem to hold quite a few of them in the summer, and I have almost stepped or sat on one before, and they don't always rattle to let you know they are there..

I don't usually kill a snake unless it's poisonous, and around the house, or where the dog can get into trouble with it. In the woods, no harm done. Raised a Python and a Boa in the past, so they don't really bother me, but the instinctual fear of things like snakes is in the human gene, as a survival mechanism.

Larry