claudine hellmuth's blog: retro * whimsical art and illustration

any snake experts out there?

I just found a baby snake on our porch!! yipes! It was about 12" long and Stanley was playing with it!!! Akkkk! I put a towel over it and took it outside shrieking all the way while I did it.

(click to enlarge)

Only once I put him outside did I think to get a photo because I am worried it was a poisonous snake. So I ran in the house grabbed the camera and ran back out before he could slide away. Above is my blurry photo of him.

Anyone know what type of snake this is?? I looked on Florida Snakes, but they are no help. I hope I put him far enough away from the house so he doesn't come back!!

EDITED 8:30PM: Ok! I *think* I figured out what snake it was! It's an Eastern Hognose. On the Florida Snakes web site it says the babies are blue/grey with brown spots and they do this thing where they play dead when a predator is nearby. That's exactly what I found him doing when I found Stanley messing with him. I think this guy is it! whew! Glad I met him when he was a baby the adults can be 30" long! ick!

:: posted @ 1:29 PM by claudine hellmuth::

COMMENTS:

Hey snakecharmer, try this site: http://floridaconservation.org/viewing/species/snakesv.html
or this one:
http://floridaconservation.org/viewing/species/snakesn.html

They have good pictures for easy recognition.

=)
Christina

# posted by

Anonymous : 2:32 PM

Looks like you were shaking so bad it blurred the pic ;) Hope your nerves are a bit calmer now.

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:01 PM

Was the snake really purple? Or is there something wrong with my computer? Kitties think everything that moves wants to play.

# posted by

Jeanne : 3:10 PM

yeah he was like a purple/blue with red/brown blotches. really pretty actually.

i called the vet and they don't think he's poisonous because of his head shape. that's good!

Stan is mad that i took his toy away!

xxxox

# posted by

claudine hellmuth : 3:26 PM

It's hard to tell from your photo but was it's mouth open and did it have fangs? Did you hear a rattling sound? I lived in Arizona for a while and the diamonds on the back of the snake in your photo remind me a lot of a rattlesnake. I'd watch Stanley pretty close today, although if it did bite him, I would suspect something would have happened by now. Young rattlesnakes can be pretty venomous. Don't want to scare you more, but if you see it again, I'd call someone to check it out. (Animal control?? Look in the phone book and see if there is anyone dealing with snakes in your area.)

# posted by

Anonymous : 6:48 PM

Sorry Cluadine, can't help you out. I asked my husband (the biologist) and said he didn't know but, "it looks mean".

# posted by

bookbabie : 6:53 PM

AUUUGH! What a BAD SURPRISE! Once when I lived in NC, our puppy brought a live copperhead (a baby, which are more poisonous than the grown ones) into the house to play! Snakes are NOT my friends. This is a strange looking bugger - never saw one this color before. I'll be interested to see if you find out what kind it is.

Deb

# posted by

Deb : 7:21 PM

Ok! I figured out what snake it was!
it's an Eastern Hognose:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/heterodonplatirhinos.htm#comments

the babies are blue/grey with brown spots and they do this thing where they play dead when a predator is nearby. that's exactly what I found him doing when I found Stanley messing with him.

I think this guy is it! whew! glad I met him when he was a baby the adults can be 30"! ick!

# posted by

claudine hellmuth : 8:34 PM

oh my! i hope to never come across one! you were very brave to take it outside!!!

# posted by

sheetal patel : 8:15 AM

Hey Claudine! What an awful experience for you!
Inquiring minds need to know . . .
who exactly was shrieking - you or the snake :))
So glad to hear it is non-poisonous
The day can only get better, right?

# posted by

SweetPea : 12:47 PM

You actually picked it up with a towel?! You are a better woman than I am, Gunga Din. I once found a frog in our house, and I scooped him up with a plastic spatula and popped him into a casserole dish with a lid...no, I didn't cook him, I just put him outside.

My neighbors are still laughing about it.

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:06 PM

Now that you've had time to get over the fright of this encouter, do you see a Poppet sketch coming out of it??? Could be kinda cute, don't ya think?? You, the dog, the snake, imaginative hats for everyone involved....?

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:28 AM

Claudine, so glad it was non-poisonous. I had a hognose in my yard for awhile a few years back. It was really pretty amusing. He would coil up, shake his tail and hiss and pretend he was a poisonous snake, then if I kept coming toward him he'd play dead.

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:17 PM

i dont know the name in english but in germany we called this snake "Kornnatter".

its a lovely pet in germany and you can buy it for 50$!

greetz from good old europe
drew

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:38 PM