Identify the snakes (all eastern US species)

[John_White]

from their vernacular names:
1. Horn snake, red-lined snake, sand hog, sand snake, striped wampum = ?
2. Blind snake, cricket snake, little red snake, eastern twig snake = ?
3. Black snake, mangrove rattler, saltwater rattler, swamp lion, stump-tail viper = ?
4. Beech snake, bead snake, brown sedge snake, mole catcher, spotted viper = ?
5. Dumb rattlesnake, red adder, red eye, red snake, white oak snake, deaf snake = ?
6. Ground snake, little striped snake, small brown viper, striated viper = ?
7. Adder, bastard rattlesnake, black adder, black blowing viper, buckwheat-nose snake, spread-head moccasin = ?
8. American viper, pit viper, velvet tail, rock rattlesnake = ?
9. Agassiz’s water snake, orange-bellied moccasin, red-bellied black snake = ?
10. Moon snake, seven-banded snake, pale snake, willow snake = ?

	Hog Island Boa hogg

[JuliusSqueezer]

OK here's my guesses. I'll be fair and not google

1- rainbow snake (Farancia e-something)
2- Lost me on the "little red snake" and "blind snake" everything else reeks of rough or smooth greensnake.
3- Black ratsnake? (Pantherophis obsoleta)
4- mole kingsnake (lampropeltis ...something)
5- Gray ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoleta spiloides)
6- Eastern gartersnake? ...maybe ribbonsnake? (drawing total blanks on the latin of both of these lol)
7- Eastern hognosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos).. Sometimes southern hogs too I guess.
8- Timber / canebrake rattlesnake (C. horridus horridus or C. horridus atricaudatus respectively)
9- Eastern mudsnake (Farancia...something...BW probably cares enough to know lol)
10- Queensnake (Regina septesomething...septevittata...septivatatta? something like that.

	Hog Island Boa hogg

[amercnwmn]

Rainbow snakes are Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma
Queensnakes are Regina Septimvittata (would have never got these)
My guesses
2. Eastern worm snake Carphophis amoenus amoenus
4. no idea
5. Gray rat is my guess too..lol
6 E. Garter, Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
7 E. Hognosed Heterodon platirhinos
8 Timber rattler they call them velvet tails here all the time
9 Red bellied water snake ? Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster

LOL sorry thats all I got on that one..lol

[JuliusSqueezer]

I've actually heard both mole kings and prairie kings called mole catchers. But since these are eastern snakes, I stuck with mole king.

Whatever number 2 turns out to be, greensnakes are called cricketsnakes by many.

Red belly watersnakes aren't black. Mudsnakes are so if it's not mudsnakes...somethings messed up on that one lol

[amercnwmn]

Orange Bellied mocassin was actually the phrase I thought of.
The head shape of a Red Bellied Water snake would confuse many people inexperienced in snakes. As it is a common statment that "venomous snakes have arrow shaped heads", the saying doesnt take into account many nonvenomous snakes have arrow shaped heads as well. Ive heard the harmless water snakes called moccasins often. So that was my "logic" if you want to call it that LOL

Not an easy little quiz for me..LOL

	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

[John_White]

1 - Rainbow Snake
2 - Worm Snake
3 - ?
4- ?
5 - ?
6 - ?
7 - Eastern Hognose Snake
8 - Timber Rattler
9 - Red-bellied Water Snake
10 - Queen Snake

3 - Black snake, mangrove rattler, saltwater rattler, swamp lion, stump-tail viper.
4 - Beech snake, bead snake, brown sedge snake, mole catcher, spotted viper.
5 - Dumb rattlesnake, red adder, red eye, red snake, white oak snake, deaf snake.
6 - Ground snake, little striped snake, small brown viper, striated viper.
* Hint: Two on the above list are venomous.

[JuliusSqueezer]

Some of those just make no sense even for hick-names.

For instance, queensnake...I got that one from willowsnake but 7 lines? nuh uh.
If it's a red bellied black snake...shouldn't it be black? That fits mudsnake way better. And since those are all off base, I went with grey ratsnake for white oak...I hear that name refered to them as often as I do grey rat ...they don't have red eyes though. Cornsnake? copperhead?

4---dusky pyg?

	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

[amercnwmn]

	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

[deadliestformula]

Embarassingly enough all I hear in my head while reading this post is that sound that Charlie Brown's teacher makes when she talks, WHAAA, WHAA,WHA,WAAAA. WHAAA, WHA,WHAAAAAA?

[amercnwmn]

lol
You are in St Louis, dont you ever hear the "normal people" talk about native snakes? LOL
They'll refer to a Black Rat or Racer as a Black Mamba? or have other quirky names that sometimes ID the snake, and others confuse the you-know what out of you?

	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

[deadliestformula]

Man folks around here never talk about snakes! Except for the water moccasins that *chase* them around rivers whenever they try to go fishin'.

City folks! I honestly haven't seen a snake around here in 20 years! And I live within a mile of where I grew up. And even then it was only a little garter snake that tried to get into my swimming pool when I was a kid.

[John_White]

LOL! Yes, I agree that many if not most of the vernacular names are misleading. Imanage being new to the area (or country) and every snake is a viper this or an adder that. Sure sheds some light on how snakes got and kept such a bad reputation.

Regarding the queen snake and the vernacular name 'seven-banded snake': I believe that the 7 bands refers to the 7 stripes found on some specimens, especially young ones. The scientific name septemvittata consitsts of the Latin words septem which means "7" and vitta meaning "stripe".

Thanks to all for playing!
Here's the rest of the answers:

1. Rainbow Snake
Horn snake, red-lined snake, sand hog, sand snake, striped wampum.

2. Worm Snake
Blind snake, cricket snake, little red snake, eastern twig snake.

3.Cottonmouth
Black snake, mangrove rattler, saltwater rattler, swamp lion, stump-tail viper.

4. Corn Snake
Beech snake, bead snake, brown sedge snake, mole catcher, spotted viper.

5. Northern Copperhead
Dumb rattlesnake, red adder, red eye, red snake, white oak snake, deaf snake.

6. Brown Snake
Ground snake, little striped snake, small brown viper, striated viper.

7. Eastern Hognose Snake
Adder, bastard rattlesnake, black adder, black blowing viper, buckwheat-nose snake, spread-head moccasin.

8. Timber Rattlesnake
American viper, pit viper, velvet tail, rock rattlesnake.

9. Red-bellied Water Snake
Agassiz’s water snake, orange-bellied moccasin, red-bellied black snake.

10. Queen Snake
Moon snake, seven-banded snake, pale snake, willow snake.

	Hog Island Boa hogg

	Corn Snake The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata) is a species of Rat Snake.