Gray Rat Snake ?
Posted by Keith Frisch on August 5, 2007
Q: I found a snake in my house last night, caught him in a wastebasket and released it outside. Then I berated myself on not having taken a photo, however he obliged me by returning to my deck. This time I took some pictures before moving him farther away from the cabin.I,m sending some photos to you hoping you can confirm my I.D. of a juvenile Gray Rat Snake, I determined this from photos on the internet, thank you.
Habitat: stream/river
State: Virginia
Habitat: stream/river
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A: Although your snake does look like a Gray Rat Snake, this particular species does not live in Virginia. I think your snake is more likely a Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata). There are three general color variations of this species, and your animal is one of the gray-background individuals. This species is not dangerous but is a good "mouser" so a valuable animal to have around your home. You'll need to look at several websites to find an individual that is the color of yours but I think you can quickly see that their colors do vary. Check out this website for one that is not too dissimilar www.state.nj.us
Sure hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( August 6, 2007)