Can someone ID this snake

[Texas Star]

Interesting on the venom. I have been refering to Petersons field guide for years. never failed me yet.
For the sake of the species I wouldn't go spreading the possible fact that they do have some amount of venom given the fact that to date, no one has died of a garter snake bite. Used to catch them by the dozens as a child.

Uhhh... the fact isn't "possible." At least some species of garter snake do have that and not making it clear could result in a serious bite, especially for a kid or an elderly victim. I don't know of any real studies done of the venom, but one writer said that it's worse than expected. I'd think that really big snakes like the one that began this thread might be especially dangerous, for their species.

Any venomous snake bite will result in a large hospital bill and considerable anxiety. No fun!

 

[Texas Star]

1) A small boy in Santa Barbara, CA died from a garter bite but it may have been a protein reaction.

2) One of the authors of the Navy ID book, Dr Fred Shannon, died in Randsburg, CA after being nailed by a mohave rattler. He was with Dr Findley Russell (his co-author) and died in 15 minutes. He was bit on the left thumb.

But the boy did die. And I read somewhere of several other fairly serious bites.

 

[chud333]

But the boy did die. And I read somewhere of several other fairly serious bites.

Come on it's a Garter snake. Muchado about nothing.
We are'nt talking Black Mamba here. I too caught these
by the dozens as a kid growing up. And while there may
be the occasional reaction to ANYTHING, it's not a poisonous
variety. Just as getting bit by a dog is not. All animals will
carry bacteria, some form of proteins in their saliva etc... on their teeth.


MHO Chuck--

 

[PA Reb]

Wow, the coloring on that beast does suggest a Garter snake but I have never seen one with the infamous "viper shaped head" like that! My son has a beautiful Red Tailed Boa in the neighborhood of 8 feet long so big snakes don't bother me much . I also believe ALL snakes should be left unmolested in the wild unless they are posing a threat. Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone!

 

[FTG-05]

Come on it's a Garter snake. Muchado about nothing.
We are'nt talking Black Mamba here. I too caught these
by the dozens as a kid growing up. And while there may
be the occasional reaction to ANYTHING, it's not a poisonous
variety. Just as getting bit by a dog is not. All animals will
carry bacteria, some form of proteins in their saliva etc... on their teeth.


MHO Chuck--

Speaking of Black Mambas, here's a pic of my then-11 year old son with his pet Black Mamba. Several snake experts tell me that BMs make excellent pets!

 

[chud333]

Speaking of Black Mambas, here's a pic of my then-11 year old son with his pet Black Mamba. Several snake experts tell me that BMs make excellent pets!

Your son sir has bigger kehonies than me and i'm 52 yrs. old. EXACTLY what part of Alabama do you live in?
I'd like to steer clear of the area. Yikes !!!!
Me and my brother and buddies used to hunt Copperheads
with our bb/pellet guns when we we're 10-12 yrs. old in
S. Carolina but never ran across those B. Mambas. hahaha

 

[ogilvyspecial]

This thread brought back the time, the only time, that I was bitten by a Garter Snake.
Well, the only time I was bitten and it hurt.

I was about 10 or 11 and while it did hurt I was more ticked off that it bit me than anything else.
Like others here I caught a bunch of 'em when I was a kid.

The one that "got me" was almost, but not quite, as big as the one in the pic at the start of this thread.
I remember that when it bit me I pulled my hand away and it was dangling from my hand, still holding on.

That sucker did draw blood..........

 

[FTG-05]

Your son sir has bigger kehonies than me and i'm 52 yrs. old. EXACTLY what part of Alabama do you live in?
I'd like to steer clear of the area. Yikes !!!!
Me and my brother and buddies used to hunt Copperheads
with our bb/pellet guns when we we're 10-12 yrs. old in
S. Carolina but never ran across those B. Mambas. hahaha

This snake was caught in the hills just east of the Killingsworth Cove area, NE of Huntsville.

It's a standard issue Alabama Gray Rat Snake - completely harmless to humans. It struggled the first 20-30 seconds after we caught it, then it just calmed down like it had lived with human beings all it's life. We let it go about 5 minutes after that pic was taken.

 

[Jim Fuller]

Son of a gun, That thing looks just like a 'politician' snake.

 

[mwtdvm]

garter snake venom

relying on memory that may be faulty, I recall that garter snake's venom was toxic but to amphibians. A neurotoxin IIRC.

As to the flattened head, I can remember catching them around Park Forest IL (before it got developed) and when they were PO'd they would flatten their heads.