What kind of snake??

[Dakota]

http://oi56.tinypic.com/2r5yir8.jpg (http://oi56.tinypic.com/2r5yir8.jpg)

[RiverShoes]

Looks like the kind you leave alone.... =0

[navydocivan]

Was this snake found on Caney fork river eating a small fish? I have seen that same type of snake there myself .. Good thing is if its mouth if full of a fish it sure can't bite you. Probably better to keep your distance Im sure.

[ALANRAYG2]

I think what you have in the picture is a northern water snake. Here is a link for a better look. I have seen this snake around a lot of the lakes and streams in Tennessee.

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/northern_water_snake.htm

[Dakota]

This was on old hickory and yes I left him alone. I have a good zoom on camera so wasn't as close as pic appears.

[aero320]

Copperhead.

[master_cat]

looks like a copper head to me

[txnative]

Definitely NOT a copperhead. A copperhead has lighter "diamonds" over a darker background. This is either a northern or midland water snake. This thread has shown the problems with id'ing snakes, especially in the field with no fieldbook or way to determine certain features (triangular head, eye slits, etc) without getting close to the snake. A lot of snakes mimic venomous snakes, it's a great defense mechanism. Unfortunately, it backfires when humans are involved. Like i said in another thread, snakes are protected by state law, ALL snakes. Part of the reason for this is due to the difficulty in telling similar-looking species apart. Leave them all alone, and id'ing the snake is easy...it's a snake, give it space.


Chris

[clean air]

Banded water snake.Most common water snake in TN.Did it get killed?Looked like it was smashed in one spot.

[Dakota]

Clean air it was very alive not smashed and probably still eatin well

[skillet]

Not all copperheads are dark in color, I was bitten when I was 17 walking around a pond. Luckily I was able to kill the snake, keep calm and drive myself to the hospital. A nurse went to my truck and ided the snake. I told them I thought it was a copperhead but not sure because of color. I was also told it depends on what they are in and they could change shades of color. Not sure how true that is, but I know for fact copperheads can be light in color.

[lilmule]

Eastern banded watersnake,head looks triangular because mouth is opened and flattened on a fish,they mimic wrong types fairly well.
Copperhead is brighter or darker,same with any of the other pit vipers darker,they have an ace of spades head,and if one takes a pic of face they also have vertical slit eye pupils.And vipers are generally thicker in the middle section of body.
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp228/lilmule12002/looks20the20part.jpg

[lilmule]

Light and what side they are viewed on is often what determines what it looks like as well as what environment it is in,they tend to try to blend.
Same snake possible sub species hard to tell northern from eastern etc.but banded water snake.Should leave all alone,most will do same.
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp228/lilmule12002/Picture003-2-1.jpg

[FTBLFN]

Not a copperhead...too skinny.

All the common poisonous snakes in the southeast are stocky built.

[bd-]

Another way to tell it's not a copperhead is by looking at the shape of the markings. A copperhead's markings are kind of hourglass shaped - wide on the snake's flanks and narrow near the top of his back. Nearly all of the water snakes we have around here have markings that are either wider at the top or straight bands that don't get wider or thinner.

bd

[MickT]

looks like a banded watersnake to me. Did anyone else see the shed antler?