What's that snake?

[Roba' Kai]

I come out my front door yesterday, completely unaware that I had hit this poor guy with the door. Coming back from the driveway, I almost did it again. When I noticed him, I was startled.

Living in Sedona, we have found that shoes must stay on the porch. Anything white quickly becomes pink when Sedona dust is allowed inside. This guy was intertwined in our row of shoes on the porch. I couldn't see his tail and at first glance, I thought I had just beaned a HUGE Mojave Green with the front door. Having seen almost every type of rattle snake BUT a green before, I didn't know for sure. It was green and had the markings of a rattler, that was enough for me.

I was only inches away from him, barefoot and in shorts. I was sure he would take his revenge....I would if I were him. I don't like getting hit by a big wooden door.

I slowly backed away off the porch. His head followed me, becoming erect for almost a foot off the porch while the rest of him remained in the shoes.

After I went around back and grabbed my camera, he was already tired of it all and decided to find a new resting place in the more uninhabited area behind my house.

So, what is he? I suspect he is a gopher snake, but I've never seen one so green before.

Anyone wanna play, what's that snake?

http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/album_p ... ic_id=1533

http://www.hikearizona.com/dex2/album_p ... ic_id=1534

[ghoster]

Try this web site it has all the snakes and other critters with their picture I use it to identify the different snakes and lizards and stuff I run across out in the wilds. Pretty good site.

http://www.reptilesofaz.com/h-accounts.html

[Roba' Kai]

In response to ghoster's reply:

That was the first place I checked, I couldn't find him here. If he had rattles, then he'd fit in perfectly, but the fact his head is shaped wrong and no rattles, I can't figure him out.

[big_load]

In response to Roba' Kai's reply:

My guess would be a gophersnake. Take another look at the reptiles site and see what you think. Coloration and patterning could vary quite a bit.

[Sredfield]

Try an email to these folks?]


http://www.phoenixherp.com/

[ghoster]

Do you have a picture of this snake? I saw the other day on the tube that in south florida they are finding burmese reticulated pythons in the everglades and not a few but lots of them they even have a special canine a beagle that scents them. The one they pulled out of the everglades was thirteen feet long. They said that they got over 150 of them over the last year, so they much be doing well, maybe this was a snake that was released out there and is just having a great time.

[Roba' Kai]

In response to ghoster's reply:

I pasted in links to two pictures of the snake in my original post.

[Nighthiker]

Its a Gopher Snake, Pituophis melanoleucus.

[Trishness]

Somehow I knew someone would eventually identify your boot lovin' friend. If these things are speedy than I think I saw one of them on the Peralta at Pinyon camp last spring. He rustled through the low lying vegetation and took off up the trail. I only saw a green streak of a snake.

:mrgreen:

[Roba' Kai]

In response to Trishness' reply:


Very speedy. When I got back with the camera, he decided he was done with the show. I was actually running to keep up with him. I was very surpised at just how speedy he was.

[kingsnake]

Was north of Cave Creek last weekend, about midway between Cave Creek TH and Spur Cross TH, when I almost stepped on a rattler. His body was across the trail, rattle to my right, head in the scrub to my left. At least two feet of visible length, so maybe three feet overall. About 1.5" diameter. Solid burnt orange color, no markings that I could see.

Tried Google and could not find any likely candidates.

Any ideas on species?

[kingsnake]

Neat page, but no ideas : http://www.reptilesofaz.org/herp-snakes.html

[Alston_Neal]

@kingsnake
Rattlers seem to adjust in color quite well with their surroundings. I've seen almost whitish ones in the open sandy desert, red ones on Camelback and black ones in malpais.
Their build and markings all appeared to be Western Diamondback.

[kingsnake]

I emailed the guy at that site and he thinks it is either a Diamondback or a Speckled Rattlesnake. From the habitat and behavior, I'm guessing it was a Speckled.

http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Snakes-Subp ... ellii.html

[johnlp]

Looks like they vary quite a bit in color. I've seen a couple speckled ones on South Mountain that looked pink and gray.

[azbackpackr]

@kingsnake
Rattlers seem to adjust in color quite well with their surroundings. I've seen almost whitish ones in the open sandy desert, red ones on Camelback and black ones in malpais.
Their build and markings all appeared to be Western Diamondback.

I believe it was a Ferrellated Kattsnake.

[Alston_Neal]

You spelt feral wrong....

[azbackpackr]

Ah. A feralous error.

[Alston_Neal]

I think you're being fecetious....

Anyhow back to the feral reptile thread. The site reptiles of AZ is really cool,thanks for that link.
I learned that the black rattlesnake I saw was what is known as a Black Rattesnake. Truly the meanest ugliest rattler I've ever seen.

[kevinweitzel75]

Liz spelled a word wrong?