snake
Posted by Kelly Coggins on August 15, 2006
Q: is a black snake with a gold stipe down it's back venimous?
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Pennsylvania
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: The snake you saw is probably harmless. Of the three poisonous snake in PA (Northern Copperhead, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake and Timber Rattlesnake), only the Timber Rattlesnake ever has a stripe down the back. When present, the stripe is typically rust-colored. One can sometimes see very dark — almost black — Timbers, but these dark snakes rarely have the stripe. Timbers also typically have dark bands around the thick-set body and a prominent rattle.
From your brief description, it is difficult to give you a positive identification. You probably saw an Eastern Garter Snake, a common and harmless snake with a yellow stripe down the back and one on each side. The ground color of these snakes can be very dark. You can view photos and other information at www.fcps.edu
Solon Morse ( August 16, 2006)