ajfries Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 DH, despite knowing how much I "adore" snakes :scared: brought home a little baby snake from work to show the kids. He & FIL are totally sure it's not a rattler, and I trust them...but I thought I'd get some second opinions. His markings look exactly like the picture posted here of a garden snake, but his head is a little darker. His head is a bit thicker than his neck, but it's not triangular shaped and I can't get a good look at his eyes, but they don't look elliptical. I'd just hate to be the idiots who welcomed a baby rattler into their home. *WARNING: SNAKE PICTURES* If you're so inclined, you can view bigger pictures in my flikr album (I think I have it set to Public). In the midst of taking pictures, the, uh, little fella decided to get all amped up or something. He's coiled and his tail is up. There are no signs of a rattle, but from what I've read they don't form a rattle until after they're first skin shed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acorn Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Looks like a garter snake to me, there are variations in colors between garter species. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Dude, we have garter snakes around here, and they're never as thick and freaky looking as that!! :scared: Wouldn't want that in my house!! :willy_nilly: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I'm not a snake person, so take this with a shaker of salt. I tried to identify a baby snake before and read that baby snakes often look nothing like their adult counterparts and even the experts can't ID many of them. That said, the head doesn't look like a poisonous snake (I don't know if the head shape changes with adulthood, though). I know there are differences in pupil shape from venomous to non-venomous... can you get a close up of the pupil? ETA: I don't care for snakes, bugs, etc, but almost any babies make me say aww, and I said "aww" at your photos. Cute wittle baby snake!! Now, let it go far away from your house! :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Um, what kind of work does your DH do that makes him able to bring snakes home from work? I'm feeling very appreciative of DH's non-snakey job right now! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Dude, we have garter snakes around here, and they're never as thick and freaky looking as that!! :scared: Wouldn't want that in my house!! :willy_nilly: I think the photos are misleading :) He's only 1/4" thick at his thickest. I tried to get a picture with a penny in the frame but the little bugger was so fast & I was just trying not to pee my pants out of fear. I'm not a snake person, so take this with a shaker of salt. I tried to identify a baby snake before and read that baby snakes often look nothing like their adult counterparts and even the experts can't ID many of them. That said, the head doesn't look like a poisonous snake (I don't know if the head shape changes with adulthood, though). I know there are differences in pupil shape from venomous to non-venomous... can you get a close up of the pupil? ETA: I don't care for snakes, bugs, etc, but almost any babies make me say aww, and I said "aww" at your photos. Cute wittle baby snake!! Now, let it go far away from your house! :lol: Getting a close up of his pupil would mean getting closer to him. Maybe DH will hold him so I can do that. Um, what kind of work does your DH do that makes him able to bring snakes home from work? I'm feeling very appreciative of DH's non-snakey job right now! He works at a tire store! In the middle of town! Surrounded by pavement. Apparently his coworker found another baby snake the day before and disposed of it. I'm not sure what kind of mama would decide that this was a good place to have babies. He really is kind of cute until he starts slithering around. The kids have named him. And have declared that I will be ousted from the family if I do not call him by name. So that's where I rank, in case I ever had any doubt. :lol: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cintinative Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 That said, the head doesn't look like a poisonous snake (I don't know if the head shape changes with adulthood, though). This, and it looks like a garter snake or something similar to me. No rattle at the end, wrong head shape. Not a rattler. Pic of baby garter snake below. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 He really is kind of cute until he starts slithering around. The kids have named him. And have declared that I will be ousted from the family if I do not call him by name. So that's where I rank, in case I ever had any doubt. :lol: So.....what's his name? :bigear: Another thought occurred to me; snakes vary by region, too, so IDing the little guy also depends on where you are and what snakes are in your area. Can you put a penny on the table and put his container on top of the penny? That might show through in a photo for a size comparison. I always joke that I'm not getting close enough to a snake's eyes to tell if it's friendly or not, so I just avoid them all. LOL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 My first double post! :thumbup1: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I think it's cute, although I still wouldn't want it in my house. It's a checkered garter snake, by the way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 They named him Leopard Spots. Which, IMHO, is a terrible name for a snake. The species choices are: Rattlesnake, gardner/garden snake, or bull snake. Here he is near a penny, sorry it's blurry. I didn't feel like messing with my manual settings :D ETA: If you click through to that pic on Flikr & zoom in, you can see his pupils are definitely round. I sure hope no one gets any bright ideas to keep him. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 It is a checkered garter. They come in lots of colors too-- we had a very pretty baby blue one in the house a few years ago (same hatchling size as yours)... so blue, brown, green, reddish... If eyes (pupils) are round then it is a friend... if eyes are slotted it is NOT! I brought home a baby copperhead once when I was 9... luckily it did not bite me! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 The penny makes such a difference...the other pictures made it seem huge! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 He's tiny!! :001_wub: <--- that's my non-snake-loving-but-everything-baby-loving smilie. I haven't seen a snake that small. The ones we have found were about twice the length. Round eyes = you may have a new pet. Seriously, though, from one non-snake person to another, your "out" is to tell the kids that Leopard Spots is a wild-caught snake and needs to be released in a while in a nice, big field somewhere where he can happily grow up to be an adult snake and do what adult snakes do. :thumbup1: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Garter snake, and a cutie at that. Having said that, if you want an "out", garters can be relatively hard to feed-they eat a combination of insects/worms and small fish in the wild, and do best on a varied diet. And, like many fish eaters, their poo can really stink. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 I think it's a garter snake. Snakes that young are hard to take care of, especially for people who aren't experienced with snakes. Now I have given you a good reason to let Leopard Spots go. (We've had snakes as pets, but I wouldn't want to try to care for a baby garter snake.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 He's cute!! I can see why your kids are attached! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 He works at a tire store! In the middle of town! Surrounded by pavement. Apparently his coworker found another baby snake the day before and disposed of it. I'm not sure what kind of mama would decide that this was a good place to have babies. So, you're saying that none of us is really safe from our DHs bringing home snakes. It could happen to any of us! Eek! I must admit that he does look much less threatening next to the penny, but it doesn't totally absolve him of his inherent snake-iness.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Last time dh and the kids went camping, he told them that they could bring home any snake that they caught. They were very close to catching one. I told dh that he was very close to being "released" if he had let them bring it home. :glare: Fortunately, for marital harmony, they were not able to catch it. (It probably was fortunate for the snake too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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