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Help me identify snake - North of Houston, Texas
Old 03-23-2022, 03:08 PM   #1
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Help me identify snake - North of Houston, Texas

I'm sure this is a common garden variety snake but with the strange markings, I can't identify it. The little guy is about 2.5 feet long, has a small head, and is grey/black in color. He is also living in my in-ground sprinkler zone valve cavity.

I bumped into him when I was weed-wacking the area Saturday and he jumped up then dove back through the one inch diameter hole in the green zone valve cover.

Today he is sun bathing and waiting for a tasty morsel to come by. I didn't want to disturb him when I took the picture so I stayed several feet away and enlarged the photo.

Garden snake.jpg
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Old 03-23-2022, 03:18 PM   #2
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Can’t help you. That doesn’t look like a pattern. Is he getting ready to molt?
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Old 03-23-2022, 03:32 PM   #3
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Can’t help you. That doesn’t look like a pattern. Is he getting ready to molt?
Well, that's a good question and I don't know. I guess I'll just wait and see. He seems comfortable being in that area so my guess is that he will stay. If I can get a better look at him and use my "real" camera, maybe I can get a clearer picture over the next day or so.

We do have all kinds of snakes around here and I have seen copperheads, corals, and king snakes in the neighborhood.
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Old 03-23-2022, 03:39 PM   #4
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Looks like a recently molted spotted cobra-mamba. They can be very aggressive in the early Spring.
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Old 03-23-2022, 03:44 PM   #5
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Looks like a recently molted spotted cobra-mamba. They can be very aggressive in the early Spring.
I though a Cobra Mamba was a toy attack helicopter?

Oh, you mean the snake. OK, I'll be careful. But he needs a tree, which I have none in the back '40 at the moment as I cut them all down.
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Help me identify snake - North of Houston, Texas
Old 03-23-2022, 03:52 PM   #6
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Help me identify snake - North of Houston, Texas

Looks like a Buttermilk Racer to me, but not sure.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/...a32d2460_z.jpg

Non venomous, nervous, quick and in your part of the country.
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Old 03-23-2022, 03:54 PM   #7
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Looks like DD’s ex.
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Old 03-23-2022, 04:14 PM   #8
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Looks like a Buttermilk Racer to me, but not sure.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/...a32d2460_z.jpg

Non venomous, nervous, quick and in your part of the country.
Dash, that's him!

According to the write up him, he can grow to 60". This one has a ways to go then.

Thanks.
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Old 03-23-2022, 04:15 PM   #9
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Looks like DD’s ex.
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Old 03-23-2022, 05:52 PM   #10
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I mean, assuming it has a solid color, it could be a rat snake or an indigo snake or other. Hard to tell with your photo. Is it big and long?

I’ve never seen a buttermilk racer and had to look it up - that’s a very cool looking snake.
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Old 03-23-2022, 06:02 PM   #11
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It is for sure not a western diamondback rattlesnake.
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Old 03-23-2022, 07:22 PM   #12
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In the US all venomous snakes have a triangular head except for the Coral Snake. Do not step on snek.
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Old 03-23-2022, 08:20 PM   #13
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I tell people on my bike trips: If you see a wiggly stick on the trail, that’s not a stick. It’s a danger noodle.
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Old 03-23-2022, 08:41 PM   #14
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I mean, assuming it has a solid color, it could be a rat snake or an indigo snake or other. Hard to tell with your photo. Is it big and long?

I’ve never seen a buttermilk racer and had to look it up - that’s a very cool looking snake.
Looking closely at it in person, it's clearly a Buttermilk Racer, but a young one. It's about 2 - 2.5 feet long.
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Old 03-23-2022, 09:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Looks like a Buttermilk Racer to me, but not sure.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/...a32d2460_z.jpg

Non venomous, nervous, quick and in your part of the country.
Using the built-in Google Lens feature, my Pixel 5a phone also identifies it as a buttermilk racer snake.

https://www.naherp.com/photo.php?v_id=390690
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Old 03-24-2022, 05:41 AM   #16
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Using the built-in Google Lens feature, my Pixel 5a phone also identifies it as a buttermilk racer snake.

https://www.naherp.com/photo.php?v_id=390690
Very cool! I didn't know about the Google Lens feature. Thanks!
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Old 03-24-2022, 05:43 AM   #17
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It is for sure not a western diamondback rattlesnake.
Yes, that's a good thing. We do have plenty of rattlers around here though.
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Old 03-24-2022, 06:19 AM   #18
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A Rattle Headed Copper Moccasin?
but seriously I think Dash nailed it.
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Old 03-24-2022, 06:22 AM   #19
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Yes, that's a good thing. We do have plenty of rattlers around here though.
You should be ok. I heard that the most attacked demographic is 18-34 males where alcohol is involved.
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Old 03-24-2022, 07:11 AM   #20
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It is a buttermilk racer. Harmless.
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