I am babysitting this boy and he just walked in holding a snake. Is it poisonous? Please help...?

Question

It looks kind of like this: http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae264/ashantifan1224/snake_found_by_taylor.jpg

He's 7 and he's really happy with his find. I don't want to be mean and take it away, but I'm worried it might bite him.

Answer 1

This is a corn snake (Pantherophis Guttatatus) and is harmless. If he is going to keep it then you will need to research it's needs and have it treated for parasites. Any bites should be washed with soap and water immediately to avoid infection just like any other cut, bite, or scrape. Make sure he also washes his hands after handling the snake. People do not have allergic reactions to reptiles themselves though they may have a reaction to the bedding they are kept on. I would really stress to this young man not to pick up wild snakes unless he is capable of positively identifying them. In Virginia we have four snakes that are considered dangerous to people they are:



Copperhead or inland moccasin (Aqkistrodon contorix mokasen)

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus)

Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus)

Eastern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon p. piscivorus)



You can Google pictures of them for identification purposes.

Answer 2

This is either a corn snake or a rat snake. Neither species are venomous. If this is his pet the there is no harm in letting him hang on to it, it'll be fine. How ever, if he found this outside, then put it back outside! Explain to him that the snake needs to go home now, but he'll see him again another time. If he found it outside it is most likely a rat snake and will keep the local population of rodents down.



EDIT: There is NO need to take this snake to the pet shop if it is a WILD animal, it is summer and he will be FINE! When it becomes winter, he will go hybernate! Agian, this is a WILD animal and should STAY wild.

Answer 3

Yes, the snake in the picture is a "corn snake" (come on, red rat snake people... let's be somewhat professional, we don't identify yellow rats as chicken snakes when people ask, do we?)



My concern is "It looks kind of like this"



If that is not a picture of the snake the kid has, there is no way we can be sure that that is the species that the kid has, understand? I've seen red rats misidentified as rattlesnakes, copperheads, you name it.



Your best bet would be to do a search on " snake identification" and be ~sure~ of what the kid has brought home.



Don't forget to mention this to his parents, they need to be aware that he has an interest in his local wildlife, and if he hasn't been educated on what snakes he should and shouldn't mess with, he needs to get that education now before he does pick up something dangerous.



(btw, all snakes can bite, otherwise they'd starve.)

Answer 4

That's a harmless corn snake. I have one as a pet.

Although please tell him to put it back as it is a wild animal and, although it's not venomous could give him a bad case of salmonella, besides the fact that keeping a wild animal as a pet like that isn't fair, especially if the kid is small and not very educated on snakes.



ADD: Oh my people, is it really this hard to guess the #1 best selling snake in America?! That is a corn snake!

Answer 5

Looks like a corn snake to me(though I'm no good with snake breeds). Its not poisonous. Its probably someones lost pet.

Answer 6

You honestly favor to take the snake faraway from him. First, snakes are honestly less than pressure animals with somewhat remarkable care criteria--your son's taking section in with the animal is really a lot the same as torturing it. Please rescue the undesirable snake. 2d, reptiles would carry salmonella, and your son isn't the right age to understand more beneficial proper than to adhere his palms in his mouth or kiss it. third, it is your interest to coach your son a thanks to attend to wild animals properly. in case you do not recognize, do study right away. Fourth--the snake contained in the image is a ball python. that's a tropical species from Africa. that's a puppy snake, and under no circumstances one which would want to ever be got here upon contained in the wild in North us of a. This species makes a astonishing puppy, even if that's a very shy animal and it calls for temperatures of 80F with a 90F basking spot in any respect situations. I very somewhat recommend that you do a astonishing form of prognosis on ball pythons previously you go with in case you want to shop this animal. in case you commit to shop it, it must be YOUR ANIMAL--no longer your son's. A 6 year old won't be able to, and honestly might want to no longer, be the customary caretaker of a reptile. i'd say a toddler must be a minimum of 10 and somewhat in charge previously it truly is even considered. you ought to be certain the position the snake got here from. in case you could't discover the money for to shop it (setups will run over $one hundred), you ought to encounter an section reptile rescue or herp society to undertake it out to. this must be finished right away, as popular residing house room temperatures will right away make those animals sick.

Answer 7

Hello!!!

You have the same name as my sister xx



If the snake is moving a lot and struggling to get free, it may bite him to get away.

If it is just sitting there, letting him hold it, it shouldn't bite him.



I have looked on Google Images and it looks like a rat snake.



I would keep checking the snake to see if it is getting a bit uncomfortable and set it free if it tries to get away.



Good luck



Hope this helps



Rebecca

Answer 8

looks like a corn snake. (not poisonous) they do bite though but in this picture the snake doesn't look threatened in any way so it probably wont bite.him.

Answer 9

Nice looking snake. From the way that fellow is holding the rascal, I don't believe it is poisonous.

http://fohn.net/corn-snake-pictures-facts/

The corn snake is also called rat snake.

Answer 10

It's a corn snake. It's not venomous in the least.

Answer 11

awwwuh its a cute little cornsnake they dont bite their friendly and no their not poisonous where do you live because cornsnakes are very uncommon to find in california

Answer 12

That looks like a corn snake but I'm not positive so I would take it far away from the house!

Answer 13

No its not poisonous its a rat snake but some people can be allergic to them you can tell by there eyes of there pupils are narrow there poisonous if there round like humans then its not.

Answer 14

Nasty looking thing.