Need help on snake ID?

Question

Its a relatively small black snake with yellow spots in Charleston South carolina, any ideas?

Answer 1

Here are some links to photos and information on snake species of South Carolina.





How to Identify Snakes

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/ident/index.htm



Main page of guide to snake species of South Carolina

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/scsnake.htm



Seven common small snake species photos

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/small_snakes_poster.htm



Photo of baby black rat snake (One good possibility of being the species you saw)

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/images/bratjuv4.jpg



Juvenile black rat snake (young, but older than a baby)

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/images/blackrat3.jpg



More photos of black rat snake at various ages from baby to adult, as well as information on the species.

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/brat.htm





Yellow rat snake baby is another possibility, babies are splotched whereas adults are striped.

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/images/yratjuv.jpg



Another possibility, juvenile Eastern Kingsnake

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/images/ekjuv1.jpg

Eastern kingsnake info and photos of various ages

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/chain.htm





Here's a cool site I found to use for identifying animals of all sorts in North America!

http://www.enature.com/home/

Here's the link to the snake ID section of the site.

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?curGroupID=7&shapeID=1060



Incidentally, KINGSNAKES ARE NOT POISONOUS!

Answer 2

Look at the site below (in my sources) for pictures to better identify the snake.



*If it has yellow blotches on the side, it can very well be a Easter Mud Snake which is NON-venomous

*If it grows up to 26 inches it can be identified as the Scarlett King Snake (as previously suggested by another answer here).



But the site I suggested would probably help most as you personally know what it looks like. There are pictures of each kind and they are all prominent in South Carolina.

Answer 3

Possibly a Rat Snake. Check this link for pictures:



http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Elaphe_obsoleta.html



Could also be a Garter Snake. Another link with pictures:



http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Tha_sir.html

Answer 4

Eastern Kingsnake

Answer 5

hers a link with pictures of snakes native to south carolina:



http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/scsnake.htm



if you dont see the snake you were looking for then it is not a native species and should be reported.

Answer 6

sounds like a king snake to me.

Answer 7

get the hell out of there, those are poisonous colors and it sounds like a king snake

Answer 8

Look at these sites,maybe you can identify the snake

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects/herpcons/herps_of_NC/snakes/Het_pla.html

http://www.calusanature.com/Animal%20Facts/RatSnake.htm

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Mic_ful.html

http://www.calusanature.com/Animal%20Facts/IndigoSnake.htm

http://www.kingsnake.com/articles/Glossary.html

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests/reptiles/snakepix3.html

http://www.floridaconservation.org/viewing/species/snakesn.html

Answer 9

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/faq/faq1.htm

Answer 10

www.animalplanet.com