Appearantly I have a new neighbor...

[elevatethis]

I was taking out my trash today and ran into this little guy. I wasn't sure what kind of snake it was, so I figured all of you in here might be able to let me know. Either way, he's cute, and is hopefully keeping the rodent population around my house in check. He can stay around my house as long as he wants, damn gophers are chewing up my porch! (I wonder if thats why the snake showed up?)




(posing for a picture, knowing he's going to be on ball-pythons.net!)

[JLC]

VERY cool!!! I wish I could find wild snakes around my house!!

I think that is a black racer...either northern (Coluber constrictor constrictor) or southern(C. c. priapus). I could confirm that if I knew where you saw it. (As in what area of which state).

[Soul_Of_Fire]

Looks like a common Black Rat to me but you never know I could be wrong. Just saying what it looks like to me. Then again it could always be a Black Racer as Judy has suggested.
Andrew

[elevatethis]

I'm located in Central Virginia, Chesterfield County just south of Richmond. I was apprehensive at first because we get copperheads here all the time. Then I took one look at its head and found the little guy to be completely harmless.

[JLC]

I thought about a black ratsnake as well...but they usually have a lighter belly with at least a hint of some checkered patterning....this guy's belly is all black except where it looks like he took a drink of buttermilk.

[JLC]

Then it's definitely either a northern black racer, or a black rat. I'm leaning toward the racer, but can't rule out the other completely. It could have a darker-than-normal belly. Either way, it's a really great thing to find around your house!!

Definitely not a copperhead, as you've noted. Even if you didn't get a look at its head, the copperhead has a very distinct (and quite beautiful, I might add) pattern. Once you familiarized yourself with their look, it'd be very hard to mistake any other snake for them.

[elevatethis]

I thought this one was cute...I took my cat with me when I moved out, so it looks like snakes are moving in on the prey that the cat is no longer around to take care of. And my cat used to drag in birds, snakes, field mice, everything!

[JamminJonah]

Cool pics! Does that count as part of your collection? it is on your property ... haha

[elevatethis]

I guess as long as it wants to stay around! Amber, my bp, wouldn't like a winter in VA so she'll just hang out in her enclosure...

[elevatethis]

So I googled this subject and found my neighbor to be a black racer-


another:


Also heres the website, and it says they look very very similar to a rat snake, and the rattling of its tail, which I encoutered, is also noted. I live finding wild snakes around my house!

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Pests...ges/bracer.htm