Found this on our front porch... ID please?

Ok so, my mom called me down to see this weird looking "worm" on the front porch... and low and behold it was a tiny baby snake, maybe only 5-6" long.

We live near water, so the dark browns and banding down the body made me think possible cottonmouth/water moccasin. Can anyone get a positive ID on this little thing?

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...coFox/snek.png

What state do you live in?

South Carolina

It does look kind of like a cottonmouth...but could also be a northern water snake or a brown water snake...both of which are often mistaken for a cottonmouth.

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsoc...tonmouth06.jpg

My guess is water snake.

a water snake would be my guess as well, probably a brown. the head is the wrong shape to be a cotton mouth.

Nerodia sp, northern or banded - harmless.

Harmless, wrong head for a cotton mouth


Molly & Steve
0.1 Normal BP. PRECIOUCESS
0.1 Normal Columbian BCI. LUNA

Not a cottonmouth. Baby cottonmouths, like baby copperheads, have a neon yellow tip on their tail. They use it to attract prey but lose it as the grow and shed.

Well we've come to the conclusion that this little guy is a Banded Water Snake (

Nerodia fasciata fasciata)

.

He keeps coming up and chilling on our front porch every night, and has been for the past few weeks now. It's like clockwork!

Here are some pictures I took last night with my good camera.
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...x/_MG_1463.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...x/_MG_1465.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/.../_MG_14654.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...x/_MG_1466.jpg
http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/...x/_MG_1469.jpg