At this time of the year when herps are frantically filling up their bellies to get ready for hibernation, we have to be ready for possible run-ins with our scaly friends. Unfortunatly, many people are not aware of the crucial role these animals play in our environment. For example, my grandmother found a water snake in our pool yesterday, she killed it and threw it over the fence. Well, when I asked why she killed it, the answer I got was "because I didnt want it to bite me". It is because of this un-natural fear of snakes that the eastern diamondback is becoming threatened due to careless people who kill every snake they see. We must make it a point as reptile keepers to educate the unknowing about reptiles BEFORE a herp gets killed. Too often this has to be done over the blood that has been spilled of an innocent creature of the earth. Make it a point to try and find these animals FIRST before, (if you have a family like mine), your family finds it and kills it. Of course you shouldnt ever touch these animals if you arent a trained snake handler because you never know which ones are venomous unless you are, but a simple broom to pick it up with and a bucket to put it in is great. Then take it to the appropriate area to release it. The humane society and animal control are also there to remove snakes, call them before you kill one.

Here is the snake that my grandmother killed, i think it's a baby water snake, but if not ya'll can help me identify it better.

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-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

Good point about snakes...a lot of people hate them for no reason at all, or they think all of them are venomous because it's the only snakes that people find dangerous and it's all they hear about and they think every snake is bad so they kill them. I used to not like snakes at all, but even then I just left them alone to live in the wild. Of course now I love snakes and I'd like to help people understand that not all snakes are bad and that they are good for the environment! (By keeping wild rodent populations from becoming too high...humans help too of course...hehe...o.o) Anyway, if people can't realize that not all snakes are bad...actually, non of them truly are bad...they just have to do what they can to protect themselves and their young like we do, if people can realize that snakes are good, we won't be able to see them anymore in the wild and we'd only be able to see them in homes and zoos.

I have no idea what kind of snake it is, poor thing....you're absolutely right: education is the key...that and finding them first. I've rescued three snakes in the past from people who would have killed them. *sigh* I hate to think how many are killed because I didn't find them in time...

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~Juliane~

OMG;poor baby! It's a shame what some people do to animals they don't really know.We should respect even the animals we are afraid of,because they have the same rights to be on this world as we have.

and I guess i'm guily for killing spiders and destroying their nests in the past, but still, there is no excuse for this it was in fatc a non-venomous snake of some type (looked inside the mouth a while ago and saw no fangs but a small row of teeth) so I assume it's a colubrid. I am almost certain it's a water snake but if someone could give me an absolute on that i'd appreciate it. i'm trying to do a kind of census of the snake species in my immediate area.

I just hope that the next time I will be able to get to it in time, thank God winter is coming and the snakes will be out of sight, but until then and after winter I will be ready.

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-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

poor snake. i remember one time I pulled alarge water snake out from under a rock at the lake to get a good look at it. and these two older men came over and were trying to tell me it was a cotton mouth. i didnt want them to hurt it so I let it slip back into the rocks. they seemed awful surprised that I let it free.
cotton mouths dont even live in PA do they? i think we only have copperheads and rattlesnakes here

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0.0.1 Mali Uromastyx
1.3.0 Nigerian Uromastyx
1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.0.0 Green Iguana
1.0.1 American Toads
2.0.1 African Clawed frog
0.1.0 Dune Gecko Steno Petrii
0.0.1 Leopard Gecko
1.1.1 Red Spotted Newts
0.1.0 Red Eared Slider
0.1.0 Box Turtle

i think cottonmouths are restricted to the southern states where it is mor ehumid and the water stays warmer for langer periods. Not totally sure but i've never heard of a cotton mouth above like........the carolinas.

Anyone have a definite identification for this little guy?

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-Adam

"Help Protect our Planet from Overcollection, Purchase Aquacultured Livestock and Captive Bred Herps"

i think that is a baby black racer. keep in mind that im no expert. im just a kid that likes snakes. what do you guys think?

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2 Eastern Box Turtles-Calvin & Hobbes
1 Spotted Turtle-Guppy
Chow/Sheperd Mix- Colby
1 Cat- Evi
1 Black and white tegu- Strider

Its not the best photo in the world, but I would definitely say it is some kind of juvenile Nerodia.

Poor sanke my future mother in law is the same way..she will kill evey spider or bug she sees ive tried many times to explain to her that not all of them are harmful...none of them are with the proper caution taken to get them out of the house without killing em! youre rite..ppl just rnt educated enough