Identification Please!

[Cheaton]

I know this shoul probably be in the snakes or other area of these forums, but, I found this guy in my Kitchen tonite and need immediate identification.

Just for size frame of reference he's in my medium size Kritter Keeper. He's about as big around as my pinky (1/2" Diameter) and about 12-14" long. I need to know so I can either take this guy to the woods or to the pet store (or give it away).

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[PrototypeGeckos]

Im thinking Rat Snake (harmless) as they are pretty prominent around these parts and I think up your way as well, but I might be wrong.

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

I'm thinking it's a corn snake, probably anerythristic or anery for short. Looks like someone lost a snake, or there's a wild population in your area. 12-14" is still pretty small. They max out somewhere between 4' and 6'. It probably just hatched out in the spring. You'd better get yourself some pinkie mice if you plan on keeping it. I'd like to find a few of those hanging out around my house. Great Find! :main_thumbsup: :main_yes:

 

[Cheaton]

Thanks fo the help, I live in an apartment complex that's what made this even weirder. I'm definitly thinking this is someones pet. if it helps to clarify the identification, when I had it cornered it reared up at me like a viper and "struck" at a towel, shaking its tail like a rattlesnake. (I thought it was kind of cute). If I had my choice I'd keep him, but my wife won't have a snake in the house. I agree after lookign it up probably a corn snake, a few more conferring opinions would be great.

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

Corns are a form of rat shake, and there are several morphs. So you may not get a definite ID.

As for the initial reaction to your presence, I had a female anery corn that did the same thing while she was small. They don't have many ways to defend themselves when they're that small. As they get older they normally become very receptive to handeling.

If you're interested, I'd really try to convince your wife to give it a try for a little while. All you need to keep it in is a 32 qt. plastic storage box lined with paper towel. They make great pets and they're Very simple to keep!

 

[Cheaton]

Thanks Ink,

Keeping it definitely out of the question. Hehe. If anyone is interested and in the DC metro area and wants to come get this guy let me know. I'll post in the adoption forum as well.

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

That's cool. I hope you're able to find it a good home! Best of Luck! :main_yes:

 

[Murf301]

hey im not interested in it but i c ur from college park im from hyattsville ...first time ive seen sumone from the same area on here

 

[Cheaton]

Nice to meet ya murf. We're only temporary residents. As soon as my wife is done with her PhD at UMD we're off to somewhere alittle less crowded! Too many people! AHHHHHHH!! :bomb: :dizzy2:

 

[moosassah]

Chances are it is someone's escapee. Is there a place you can put up a sign--a common mailroom? It'd be nice if they could get it back. I would simply write, "Found Pet, contact *** within 24 hours".

 

[Cheaton]

I'm quite convinced that it's actually an Eastern Fox Snake. I don't know if its WC or not. I don't know how it got into my apartment from another apartment. We have all of the old vents sealed off. I think it came in from outside. We are on the ground flooor and had our sliding door open for a while last night.

 

[fabian60115]

looks like a corn snake to me:main_robin: :main_robin: :main_robin:

 

[Cheaton]

Ok we have a positive ID. What I have here is a baby black rat snake.

 

[yellermelon]

Id go as far as to say I am 100% sure its a anery corn.

 

[ALGeckos]

I have a cornsnake and it definitely looks like it is one. Its reaction to you is also something a young cornsnake would do. I did some digging of cornsnake morph images and found that it looks like an anerythristic (anery) corn. Anery corns have grey bodies with dark blotches outlined with a black band.

Here's an example from http://www.iansvivarium.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/morphguide/anerya.html:

HATCHLING

ADULT

I would suggest posting the image around your apartment complex for a couple of days before adopting it out. I know if I lost my corn, I'd be looking everywhere for it. If you don't get any takers, you can always reply back to any interested parties in the adoption section and have it picked up!

Good luck!

 

[Cheaton]

Definitly a baby black ratsnake. When he's an adult he will be completely black or close to it. Here's a page about them. http://members.aol.com/TheWyvernsLair/snakes/snakesMD.html

This little guy was wild. Came in for the warmth.

This is another pic.
http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/images/bratjuv4.jpg

This pattern was almost itentical to my snake. The distinguishing thing is the head; there is no pattern and the band across the "nose" running diagonal across the eyes to the neck. The patterns on the Anery corn snakes are similar but different (especially the highly decorated heads). Especially around the neck area. I'm confident this was an indiginous black rat snake, and I released him backto his natural habitat (after the people that were going to adopt it from me concurred).

Thanks for all of your help in this weird situation folks!

 

[yellermelon]

lol, well I wass going on the actions of the snake also. He does look almost identical to that pic you posted Cheaton. Perhaps he was indeed a black rat. But he sure did strongly resemble a anery corn, and the rattlesnake tail thing, my corns do it all the time!

 

[Cheaton]

lol, well I wass going on the actions of the snake also. He does look almost identical to that pic you posted Cheaton. Perhaps he was indeed a black rat. But he sure did strongly resemble a anery corn, and the rattlesnake tail thing, my corns do it all the time!

Ya that seems to be a common trait in this type of snake. I guess in the wild that "rattle" motion will create noise in the leaf litter on the ground and scare away predators. He was cute, I nicknamed him George. Hopefully he'll grow up to be a big snake someday that I have to avoid on the bikepath to work (I see the big rat snakes pretty regularly).