bull snake

Texas Rat Snake

skb2706, I think you are correct.

Nope--

http://www.houstonherp.com/TxRat.html

http://www.texas-venomous.com/sayi.html

I saw those pics as well, but coloration can vary and what sold me was the three sets of diamond patterns...also the head is the same width as the neck/body unlike the rat snake.

Clearly I'm not snake expert, I'm just going by the descriptions.

I can see how it could be either one.

Head shape is different it the two, the rat snake's head is longer thinner in general like the one in your picture, the bull's head is shorter thicker.

The colors do vary, but in general from Dallas to the east the snake you pictured is what I 've seen predominately.

Dealt with these routinely growing up in the barns and chicken coups on the east Texas farm.

And, the rat usually gets bigger than the bull besides color and head shape.

Have you tried to confront the snake?

The bull can act really tough, thinks he's the owner wants you to back off, the rat usually is more timid.

I was called to deal with the snake, but he was gone by the time I got there. My wife's friend did say it was agressive which also made me lean towards the Bull...

Doesn't matter, I was just curious. I grew up in West Texas and have killed hundreds of rattlesnakes, but never paid much attention to ones that weren't poisonous.

thats a "good" snake,
say goodbye to the rats,mice,chipmonks and squirrels.

did you say rat or cat?

Boy , be glad you didn't put that pic it the CATS forum !!!

Many types of non-venomous snakes will react in a defensive posture; vibrate tail, strike if you get close enough. All different types of rat snakes are great climbers, bulls not. They are both constrictors.

In any event, Rat or Bull, we don't see many 5 ft snakes in Dallas. Thanks for everyone's help. I know she'll feel better knowing he's keeping the rat population under control.

A good snake is a dead snake! So he is not good

Raghorn, do ot like snakes but haveing a cabin and mice always trying to get in... Here in Pa. we have black racers and we had resident one under the cabin in the crawl space...just make some noise and he would avoid you.. Was hell with the mice population..

I know it is not a black mamba..Met one up close and persoanl..

Mike

Mike

It is a Texas Rat Snake (Family : Elaphe)

My guess would be a dead snake.

quote:

Originally posted by Wade Derby:
It is a Texas Rat Snake (Family : Elaphe)

Yup!

rat snake

Looks like a Fox Snake to me. Cousin to Bull Snake, Texas Rat, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:
Texas Rat Snake

Correct! Give that man a Cupee doll!

It is a Texas Rat snake! Certainly not a bull snake!

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
Correct! Give that man a Cupee doll!

Not lookin' a gift horse in the mouth,but-----Can I get that Doll with a Prenup??

I second the Fox Snake.We got tons around here that look just like that.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
I second the Fox Snake.We got tons around here that look just like that.

BUT---You are in Wisconsin--not in Texas with this snake.

Texas Rat Snake, I have killed two quite recently, one that was in my chicken house eating eggs and the other in a quail brooder after consuming 5 or 6 2 week old quail and trying to eat a 3 week old chicken.

Texas Rat Snake. Very common throughout the eastern 2/3 of the state.

Reticulated Lance Head Bush Viper. It obviously escaped from a zoo. I lost two cousins to one. Had to follow it around for a week to get them back.

I don't think that snake would have gotten my last cat...

This time of year he always had a slithery toy...

Typically a "Baby" Copperhead, he was a real artist at catching and killing them... but only killed them after he tired of playing with the pissed off baby snake.

For some odd reason he was completely disinterested in the "resident" Milk snake that lives next to my patio.


AD

quote:

Originally posted by Allan DeGroot:
I don't think that snake would have gotten my last cat...

This time of year he always had a slithery toy...

Typically a "Baby" Copperhead, he was a real artist at catching and killing them... but only killed them after he tired of playing with the pissed off baby snake.----
AD

My Mother insisted on us painting the back slab(patio), I got the bright idea to try some of the " new" epoxy for concrete (1966 IIRC).

Any way, the surface came out slicker than snot,
our cats discover it was a great place to play snake tennis.

They would routinely wake me up slammin' snakes up against the sliding doors like hockey pucks.

Had to be careful leaving through the back of the house lest you find a "lost kitty toy" usually a small copperhead.

In the last month I have killed 2 six foot snakes that looked a lot like that one.

Duggaboy and the others who have said Rat Snake are correct. Regionally, they are also called egg snake or chicken snake because they feed on --well, you get the picture.

The grow big -- 6 ft or longer and nearly as thick as a man's arm are not uncommon -- and can wipe out a brood of chicks in short order and and a nest of eggs even quicker.

Several years ago, their population around here reached a level I have not seen before. There were quite a few cottontails around the house, and we had chickens and ducks, so the food sources were easy pickings. That Spring and summer (summer here runs to November!), we killed something like 21 of them in the yard and around the ckicken house.

well it kinda looks like a rat snake, but upon further study, i believe the mouth opens to far for a snake, thereby making it a politician, if it was much larger is girth it may have been a secretary of state, but is much to small around the rectum and much better looking

No doubt it's a cooper/headed/rattle/moccasin

CornBack Rattler

quote:

No doubt it's a cooper/headed/rattle/moccasin

Those are bad dudes. Only hear about them out in the sticks around these parts

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
I second the Fox Snake.We got tons around here that look just like that.

BUT---You are in Wisconsin--not in Texas with this snake.

Sorry I did`nt fuggin see comments only to be made by Texans.

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
I second the Fox Snake.We got tons around here that look just like that.

BUT---You are in Wisconsin--not in Texas with this snake.

Sorry I did`nt fuggin see comments only to be made by Texans.

THE SNAKE IS IN TEXAS.

Fox Snakes are not indigenous to Texas.

Have another Pabst and think about it.

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by OLBIKER:
I second the Fox Snake.We got tons around here that look just like that.

BUT---You are in Wisconsin--not in Texas with this snake.

Sorry I did`nt fuggin see comments only to be made by Texans.

THE SNAKE IS IN TEXAS.

Fox Snakes are not indigenous to Texas.

Have another Pabst and think about it.

I made a friggen comment that it looked like a FOX Snake.Which is related to a RAT snake.