ncherps's Identifications

My first observation of a Copperhead and sadly it was dead along the road. This is in the area where I was working on building a new trail with a local hiking club, however we haven't seen any live Copperheads around. Just a few miles south of here there used to be an annual Copperhead Roundup at Indian Steps. They stopped doing this years ago due to too many people getting bit. I will never attempt to handle one of these but would love to get a photo of a live specimen this year.

This is the second time I've observed this same snake. He was in the exact same place he was last week when me and my son found him. He has very distinct colors and size. I am happy to know that this is a permanent home for him and that he's not passing through. The only problem is that his habitat is directly alongside a busy road. Today I actually picked him up and handled him for a while, he seems old and his skin was rough. He eventually bit my arm as if to say he had enough of me. When I came back through this area he was back on the same rock as before.

Me and my son were looking for snakes and found this one under a rock. I was almost certain it was a Water Snake being that I see nothing but those in this area, not to mention I had just caught a couple here a week ago. I saw this snake's bright red tail before it disappeared and it struck me as odd. Then looking at the photo when I got home I realized what it was. Awesome find for me being my first Milk Snake!

Definitely an eastern fox snake (Elaphe gloydi /Pantherophis gloydi) - a little over a meter long (three feet) - a small one as these snakes get quite large in this area. ID:yellow body, two rows of prominant alternating black spots.

Definitely an eastern fox snake (Elaphe gloydi /Pantherophis gloydi) - a little over a meter long (three feet) - a small one as these snakes get quite large in this area. ID:yellow body, two rows of prominant alternating black spots.