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Snake ID

Jamie

Jamie

Senior Member
5,731
177
Ohio
Yesterday I went cut and split a load of firewood and got a surprise when I pulled tarp off of log splitter, which has been sitting next to pile of logs at High Voltage acres for over a month. I don’t mind snakes, but I don’t really like playing with them, either. We managed to convince this one to move off into the corn field without incident. I think Nancy might have peed herself a little when we discovered our squatter under the tarp.😆

anyone recognize this serpent?
IMG_4117.jpeg

IMG_4118.jpeg

It was not aggressive, and only tried to strike while we were both literally poking it with sticks because it was very reluctant to move.
 
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Mickey Merrie

Mickey Merrie

Junior Member
1,916
77
The State of Confusion...
Had one just like it working the vole holes under my air conditioner pad. I was pulling the tall grass and weeds away from the back of it. Saw the pattern and my mind went straight to copper head as I ran into myself trying to get some distance. I knew I've never heard of a copper head being that far north but a creative mind can do crazy things...

Went in the house to ask the Googles and came to the same milk snake conclusion. then went out to get a look at the head to be double sure. Yep! Milk snake! Wife, whose family is from Kentucky and kills all things without legs and most things with them wanted to know if I dispatched the devil and I said nope he is welcome here as nothing removes voles faster!

My other choice was the rat snake. We only see garders, racers, blacks around here on the lake Erie ridge, but occasionally a water snake. Now down in central pa we got them noisy snakes around my camp in Jefferson County.
 
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Jamie

Jamie

Senior Member
5,731
177
Ohio
eastern milksnake.jpg



I got a good look at this snake while we helped it off of the log splitter. I noticed the very distinctive "Y" marking on its head. No doubt a milksnake. this one was about 2' or so in length. Also under the tarp was a mouse nest just a few feet away on the I-beam up next to the wedge. No mice were seen fleeing. I think I know why, lol.
 
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Jamie

Jamie

Senior Member
5,731
177
Ohio
Mickey Merrie said:
Had one just like it working the vole holes under my air conditioner pad. I was pulling the tall grass and weeds away from the back of it. Saw the pattern and my mind went straight to copper head as I ran into myself trying to get some distance. I knew I've never heard of a copper head being that far north but a creative mind can do crazy things...

Went in the house to ask the Googles and came to the same milk snake conclusion. then went out to get a look at the head to be double sure. Yep! Milk snake! Wife, whose family is from Kentucky and kills all things without legs and most things with them wanted to know if I dispatched the devil and I said nope he is welcome here as nothing removes voles faster!

My other choice was the rat snake. We only see garders, racers, blacks around here on the lake Erie ridge, but occasionally a water snake. Now down in central pa we got them noisy snakes around my camp in Jefferson County.
Click to expand...
LOL, when Nancy started shrieking and I finally saw the thing my brain went straight to Copperhead, too. After a few seconds of looking at snake I decided that it was definitely not, but I wasn't totally sure what it was. I can tell you for sure that I'll be a lot more careful when I uncover that log splitter for the rest of the summer!
 
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Fletch

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
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Alot of them get killed by people cause they resemble a copperhead at first glance... Yeh... Always be carefully when uncovering something, esp. where there are snakes around...
 
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Stressless

Stressless

Active Member
2,191
85
Keene, OH
That's very cool, took a hike with the Mrs to Benton Falls in TN yesterday and she almost always lead us on trails, anyway as her right foot lifted i saw this guy's head about 6" from her ankle, headed toward her left foot- I let her take two more strids, she hikes a 4mph pace, and said freeze!

It slithered across the trail and I got this pic... don't look like a milksnake but unsure what it is, any help is appreciated.
20230712_101840.jpg
 
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giles

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
44,955
228
The real Amish country
You damned near died. For you to live to tell us about this is nothing short of incredible. Can you part water or have any other superpowers?
 
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