What snake is this?

[DonTom]

This is a native snake to southern AZ. This species is found from around Kingman south.

If you saw one, would you know what it is?

Would you think it is venomous or not?

This is a tough one to ID, IMO. This one was found in SE AZ.

@Tulecreeper what would your guess be if you saw this one?

This photo I took today, but from a book on herpetology (I have never seen one):

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Jackiemac]

He thinks it's a steak

 

[DonTom]

He thinks it's a steak

If he can guess this one on the first guess, I will buy him a steak instead!

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[old RV guy]

This is a native snake to southern AZ. This species is found from around Kingman south.

If you saw one, would you know what it is?

Would you think it is venomous or not?

This is a tough one to ID, IMO. This one was found in SE AZ.

@Tulecreeper what would your guess be if you saw this one?

This photo I took today, but from a book on herpetology (I have never seen one):

View attachment 175588
-Don- Auburn, CA

I always go with venomous.

 

[John From Detroit]

Copied your photo into Google Lens

https://www.outdooralabama.com/non-venomous-snakes/scarlet-kingsnake

 

[DonTom]

I always go with venomous.

You would be wrong more than 90% of the time. More than 90% of the snake species in the USA are harmless to humans.

But "venomous" can be tricky, as even garter snakes have venom but they are harmless to humans, so those are not normally counted as "venomous". However, there are a few that should be handled with care because they can have some small effect on some humans, such as the Lyre Snake.

Some venoms only work for what they eat, which does not include humans.

Also, garter snakes can eat the rough-skinned neut, one of the most poisonous animals that exist.

" garter snakes are the only known animals today that can eat a rough-skinned newt and survive."


-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

Copied your photo into Google Lens

https://www.outdooralabama.com/non-venomous-snakes/scarlet-kingsnake

Nope. That is NOT it!

As I said, this one is very tricky.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

Copied your photo into Google Lens

I already tried to find it on the web--I couldn't.

Even the web doesn't have everything!

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[old_toys]

Red next to Yellow can kill a fellow, Red next to Black you might get back. I think that's how it went but that one has both.

 

[rvlifer]

Red next to Yellow can kill a fellow, Red next to Black you might get back. I think that's how it went but that one has both.

I have heard a similar version

Red touch black; safe for Jack,
Red touches yellow; kills a fellow.

To be safe i always give higly colored snakes a wide berth and assume they are venomous

 

[old RV guy]

You would be wrong more than 90% of the time. More than 90% of the snake species in the USA are harmless to humans.

But "venomous" can be tricky, as even garter snakes have venom but they are harmless to humans, so those are not normally counted as "venomous". However, there are a few that should be handled with care because they can have some small effect on some humans, such as the Lyre Snake.

Some venoms only work for what they eat, which does not include humans.

Also, garter snakes can eat the rough-skinned neut, one of the most poisonous animals that exist.

" garter snakes are the only known animals today that can eat a rough-skinned newt and survive."


-Don- Auburn, CA

I'm good with being wrong 100% of the time.

 

[DonTom]

Red touch black; safe for Jack,
Red touches yellow; kills a fellow.

There are many versions of it, but it is NOT always true, especially when outside of the USA.

But even inside the USA, there are exceptions.

Here is the harmless Organ Pipe Cactus Shovel-nosed snake:

Here is the venomous AZ Coral snake:

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[rvlifer]

Agreed. That saying is a rule of thumb thing. I never wanted to be a snake expert and learn which are and are not poisonous so i just assume the brightly colored ones are

 

[jymbee]

Copied your photo into Google Lens

Same here. Bottom line: Don't bet your life on Google!

 

[DonTom]

Same here. Bottom line: Don't bet your life on Google!

I made sure that this one would be very difficult (or impossible) to look up on the web before I posted it.

About this time tomorrow, I will explain what it is and why nobody here could figure it out--if nobody does by then.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[rvlifer]

Most of the snakes i know of with those colors are banded or have consistent patterns, unlike that one. Milksnakes have more varied patterns but ive never seen one like that before

 

[DonTom]

Most of the snakes i know of with those colors are banded or have consistent patterns, unlike that one. Milksnakes have more varied patterns but ive never seen one like that before

It's not a milk snake.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Sort of looks like the non-venomous long nosed snakes we would occasionally see in desert areas around the Mexico border.

Gayle & Bob
"Los Gatos Casita"

 

[DonTom]

Sort of looks like the non-venomous long nosed snakes we would occasionally see in desert areas around the Mexico border.

Gayle & Bob
"Los Gatos Casita"

Nope, it's not a long-nosed snake.

BTW, did you normally see those long-nosed snakes on dark nights (no moon)?

They are common nocturnal snakes but only rarely seen. They spend most of their lives underground.

But they are sometimes on desert roads and are noticed in the headlights of cars.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Nope, it's not a long-nosed snake.

BTW, did you normally see those long-nosed snakes on dark nights (no moon)?

They are common nocturnal snakes but only rarely seen. They spend most of their lives underground.

But they are sometimes on desert roads and are noticed in the headlights of cars.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Yep, we only would only see them late at night around camp. I don't recall the exact moon phase, but suspect not much moon as we typically were camping there for the stargazing.

Bob & Gayle
"Los Gatos Casita"