Need Help to identify a Snake
Posted by Doug Wilmer on June 25, 2008
Q: I found a snake lodged in the tilt mechanism of my boat motor, I must have pinched it when I lowered the motor, the belly seemed to be mashed. Can you Identify it for me, the location is
Lake Greenwood in Ninety Six, SC
Thanks Doug Wilmer
Habitat: pond/lake
State: South Carolina
Habitat: pond/lake
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A: Snakes can be difficult to ID so thanks for your photos - big help! From what I can see plus your location, this looks like a Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) to me. Kingsnakes are harmless, beneficial snakes that often feed on other snakes so are good to have around. Too bad your snake was killed. This species is a good burrower (hence the mole snake name) so I'm wondering if it was flooded out of its normal habitat and ended up on your boat?
The clarity of the pattern can vary quite a bit on this species so seeing one snake doesn't necessarily mean they all look the same. Check out this site for a couple nice photos of a Mole Kingsnake at: www.duke.edu
Hope this helps and thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( June 26, 2008)