What kind of snake is this?

[Gilligan]

I just caught this snake when I was cleaning trash out of my ditch. It's pretty angry right now, but that's all I know. I'm in the mid west. Ideas?

[piedlover79]

Looks like an American Brown Snake (Storeria) to me. Once called the De Kay's Snake.

[Gilligan]

I need to get better pictures. It's hard to tell in the photo, but he has a triangular head yet no rattles.

[piedlover79]

The tell tale ID for a Brown Snake is that they only have two scales between the eye and the nasal opening, they also have slightly keeled scales. They have a slightly triangular type head, but they are not venomous. Their color depends on the locality.

[piedlover79]

Here is close up of the face where you can see the two scales and the keels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storer...,_Storeria.jpg

[Gilligan]

Thank you for the help. I took a few more photos and let him go.

[piedlover79]

No prob. Did you get a good look at the face?


He's probably thinking "What was that all about?!" Heehee.

[Gilligan]

I couldn't see the scale count but I didn't feel comfortable getting that close. I realized you were right - the head isn't all that triangular. Just slightly. I was tempted to keep him but it didn't seem right. I'm sure this has made for a rough day for him! He was cute.

[piedlover79]

I'm 99% confident you had an encounter with a De Kay's.

But you're right, even though not venomous that doesn't mean he wouldn't try to take a bite if you got your nose too close to his.

Good to take pics and release. I'm sure it was a strange day he will tell his friends about!

[Caspian]

Some snakes can make their head triangular if they feel threatened, too. I had a call from someone wanting to know if they'd found a baby rattler on their property some time back. I showed up, and they had the poor baby in a five gallon bucket, all coiled up, head reared up and tail rattling like crazy, a distinct, flattened, wedge-shaped head - it was a baby bull snake playing rattler to try and protect itself, rattling its tail against the bottom of the bucket. I took it out away from any houses and the road to turn it loose. As soon as it realized it was free, its head slimmed right down and it slithered off into the brush.