Cute isn't it? My husband found this little guy outside of work tonight. He brought it home as a surprise Sweet huh? Anyhow, any ideas as to what type of snake it is? Thanks for any help.

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Its head is similar to that of a rat snake, but its body reminds me of a garter - someone will be able to tell you what it is. It is kind of imperative that you know what species it is though, otherwise how can you expect to take care of it properly? Maybe wild animals should be left wild? But it's with you now so good luck with it, i hope someone can identify it for you soon.

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This is all I could find..Blackneck Garter Snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis)..But I am sure someone will come with a better ID...I'm just guessing.

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:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Although there is a snake native to Colorado called the blackhead snake (genus: Tantilla), I'm fairly certain yours is not it. The name seems to match the snake perfectly, but yours is a juvenile, and has rough scales. Aside from having a black head, it doesn't match.

I'm with Rachel, I believe its a garter snake, and so far I think its a western terrestrial garter (Thamnophis elegans). There's also the possibility that its a plains garter (Thamnophis radix), but I'm more confident in the elegans. Could you get any side shots? Particularily of the head.

Garter snakes are extremely variable in color and pattern, but an elegans with your pattern is very possible:

http://www.bluechameleon.org/Field%2...ans,%20juv.jpg

however, the same can be said of radix:

http://www.ryanphotographic.com/Plai...is%20radix.jpg

The blackneck garter has a name that seems to match the snake, but a juvenile of that species has far more color and patterning to it typically:

http://www.egsa.de/galerie/images/005.jpg

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