Help--is this a corn snake?

I have pix of a snake we've just been given responsibility for. We're thinking it's a corn--found in woods in Central Illinois--but are unsure. Can anyone help ID? We've got it in a 10-gallon with UTH at 85 degrees on warm side and two identical hides. Wants nothing to do with a FT pinky, nor a live one that appears too big. If you know what this is and what it might eat, please let us know. Unfortunately, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post a photo on this page (I've been trying for almost an hour), but if someone knows anything about corns, please let me know and I'll email you a pic pronto. We really want to give this snake a good home or set it free if that's what's best and it can survive. Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by digcolnagos

I have pix of a snake we've just been given responsibility for. We're thinking it's a corn--found in woods in Central Illinois--but are unsure. Can anyone help ID? We've got it in a 10-gallon with UTH at 85 degrees on warm side and two identical hides. Wants nothing to do with a FT pinky, nor a live one that appears too big. If you know what this is and what it might eat, please let us know. Unfortunately, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post a photo on this page (I've been trying for almost an hour), but if someone knows anything about corns, please let me know and I'll email you a pic pronto. We really want to give this snake a good home or set it free if that's what's best and it can survive. Thanks.

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if you caught it in the woods, google up wild corn snakes or corn snakes and match the photos up. you can take the picture to tinypic.com upload it, and post the link here..?

email me a picture at chargedgs@yahoo.com i'll give you some help.

Hi,


Here are a couple of links explaining how to post pictures on the forums - note 800 x 600 pixels is the largest image size so if your picture is larger than that use a link instead.:)

Video showing how to post pics.

Thread on how to post pictures.


Hope that helps.


dr del

Corns aren't native to IL, so I doubt it is. Unless you caught a former pet; but you never know. Stranger things have happened.

It might be a fox snake. They are local to IL. That's the one native herp I can think of that looks similar to a corn.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...his_gloydi.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by digcolnagos

I have pix of a snake we've just been given responsibility for. We're thinking it's a corn--found in woods in Central Illinois--but are unsure. Can anyone help ID? We've got it in a 10-gallon with UTH at 85 degrees on warm side and two identical hides. Wants nothing to do with a FT pinky, nor a live one that appears too big. If you know what this is and what it might eat, please let us know. Unfortunately, I cannot for the life of me figure out how to post a photo on this page (I've been trying for almost an hour), but if someone knows anything about corns, please let me know and I'll email you a pic pronto. We really want to give this snake a good home or set it free if that's what's best and it can survive. Thanks.

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I know you sent me a pm but where are you in Central Illinois? If you are close enough i might be able to meet you or something.I am thinking off hand without seeing a pic you might have a black rat snake or a fox snake(i think thats the name) as they are both native snakes.I rescued a black rat snake and its pattern is similiar to a corn snakes.

Thanks, all. Here's a link to a picture I've tried uploading on tinypix.com. Hope it works:

Click here for picture.

Wow, wasn't what I expected. Let me try again. Be right back.

Looks like a prairie King Snake.

Hi,


Turned it into a link for you Digcolnagos so you shouldn't need to change anything your end if you don't want to.:)


dr del

Let's try this:

Click here for picture.

Yup a Prairie Kingsnake


http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetol...d=58&Itemid=26

Thanks, all, for putting up with my rudimentary computer skills. Yes, it was found in the woods in Central Illinois. A fabulous temper, very docile, but hasn't eaten (offered a FT pinky and a live one, albeit one that looked too big. My SO has just offered pieces of hot dog). I'd love to keep it--it has gorgeous coloring and temperment--but won't hesitate to free.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by digcolnagos

Thanks, all, for putting up with my rudimentary computer skills. Yes, it was found in the woods in Central Illinois. A fabulous temper, very docile, but hasn't eaten (offered a FT pinky and a live one, albeit one that looked too big. My SO has just offered pieces of hot dog). I'd love to keep it--it has gorgeous coloring and temperment--but won't hesitate to free.

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Unless you have had experience (or know someone that has) getting a Wild Caught (WC) animal to eat I would recommend you let it go. WC animals are prone to internal/external parasites and are typically very very skittish so they don't eat or settle in well. Not saying it isn't possible to do just usually a lot of work and zero room for error.

Hi,

Cute lil booger.:)

So is it legal to collect or keep where you are? (excuse my ignorance of American geography but compared to Scotland you just have so much of it.:P )

I ask because of this line;

"PROTECTED. It is illegal to kill or collect this species by law in Iowa. " in the previously linked page.



dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr del

"PROTECTED. It is illegal to kill or collect this species by law in Iowa. " in the previously linked page.



dr del

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That is just from the link where I found a picture for him...he actually collected the snake in Illinois (not Iowa) :)

Correction: I didn't collect the snake, it was given to me, owing to my fondness for reptiles (it's been kept in a tank with UTH and t-stat with hides on both sides pursuant to caresheets for corns). Just want it to be known that I'm careful and responsible with animals. It is extremely beautiful, docile and tempting to keep, but at this point, we're leaning toward letting it go.

Hi,


Trust me I didn't mean to imply foul play or anything.:)

And I mentioned my lack of geographical knowledge because while I knew Illinois wasn't in Iowa or vica versa I have no idea of their respective positions or laws.

I just about know they are states but in my case so is terminal confusion. :oops:


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

Unless you have had experience (or know someone that has) getting a Wild Caught (WC) animal to eat I would recommend you let it go. WC animals are prone to internal/external parasites and are typically very very skittish so they don't eat or settle in well. Not saying it isn't possible to do just usually a lot of work and zero room for error.

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I agree on just releasing him in the woods somewhere.:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by digcolnagos

(offered a FT pinky and a live one, albeit one that looked too big. My SO has just offered pieces of hot dog).

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OK, I admit, I know nothing about Kingsnakes, but somehow I don't think that processed meat scraps (which is what hot dogs are) is something you want to feed this snake. I'd stick with pinkies for now.

LOL! thats the funniest thing i've read today! Hot dogs taste so good! :D

Anyways, I would personally let that animal go, we found a baby eastern milk snake, and after 3 days put him back out, he wouldnt eat, and again, you never know what they may carry. I would have forgotten to wash my hands at some point. only a matter of time. Nice catch though, real pretty, nice red saddles

That is definitely not a corn. So yeah. Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster it is.

First let me say I am not one of the wild caught are all bad crowd, :rolleye2: so take what I have to say as just advice that may or may not be wanted.

First the problem getting one of these snakes at this size to eat is it has probally been feeding on small snakes and lizards until it was collected. Think about it pinkies are not the easiest thing to find on demand for snakes in the wild, let alone then fuzzies, then weaners all nice and size appropreiate as they grow.

So many snakes (specificly kings in the US) either eat smaller snakes or lizards when young until they are big enough to subdue the average mouse or rat. So your goal now is to quickly see if you can move him to mice, provide lizards or small ground snakes and then scent him over.

To get him strait to mice try a week of total non touching, peeking, etc. Give him 14 hours of light 10 of dark during that time and introduce a pinky in the evening at the end of that week. If that does not work try a gecko or lizard if you can get one. If he eats that try next scenting a pink. If none of this works then turn him loose.

One caution I have seen people feed ringneck snakes to kings with almost lethal results. Ringnecks while harmless to humans have a venom much like a coral! While some kings are somewhat immune to viper venom apparently elapid type venom even injested is highly toxic to them. I only bring this up because in some areas up north the little rings are very common and small and because of this I have seen it done more then once always with a regurge as the best possible result.

It could be a prairie king, but the saddles and other patterning doesn't quite look like a typical prairie king. Through my searching I have found 2 different types of coloration when it comes to Prairie kings, I have one of them which is a grey-blue ground color with "tarnished gold" to chocolatey colored saddles, and the other is more like the colors you have there. But the markings aren't typical of either type. To me it looks more like a gopher snake, which are fairly common throughout North America. Just my opinion.