Snake ID please!

[joshthaxton]

My dad works at a concrete block plant, and found a snake and brought it home for me to see. He swore that it was a copperhead "b/c of the way it was striking." Well I knew better that it wasn't a copperhead, and my initial guess is a eastern kingsnake, but he has red blushing on his sides. Some of the red could be due to where my dad found him, w/ all the dust and dirt on the ground. Any guesses? I know it's some kind of colubrid, but I have no idea what kind. His belly was clear, no pattern. Sorry that some of the pictures are blurry.

[Lucas339]

banded water snake.

[joshthaxton]

banded water snake.

Thanks, that was puzzling me.

[zoologist]

banded water snake.

I concur

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

It doesn't look like a banded to me. To me, it looks like a red bellied water snake, nerodia erythrogaster. The pattern looks wrong for fasciata but it lines up perfectly with erythrogaster. Banded water snakes also usually have SOME kind of marknigs on the stomach. Red bellies have a clear, unmarked belly. It also explains the red you blushing you are seeing a long the sides. Fasciata can have red too, but it is different, it's situated inside their bands and it goes up, and it is a clear red color, not blushing. As this snake matures it will lose the pattern and turn a solid reddish brown color with a red stomach. I have two... neat little snakes!