Obviously not a cornsnake...

[TripleMoonsExotic]

but what is this little guy? I found him while out for a smoke at work...

[danvega]

Maybe a juvenile black rat snake or black racer

[Taceas]

Racer maybe, but I've never seen a juvie black rat that looks like that.

Can you get a closeup of the head? Racers have pretty conspicuous features. Also, whats the temperment like. ;)

Its pretty whatever it is.


Here's a pic I found online, similar even to the head pattern:
http://www.kentuckysnakes.org/snakes/blackracer-juvenile-full.jpg

[Paradigmboas]

Hard to be sure from the pic but it looks like a baby banded water snake.

[TripleMoonsExotic]

I was thinking Black Racer or Black Rat...But I'm not sure...

He's not mean, hasn't tried to bite...but he's super fast!

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Banded Water Snake was on my list too...

He has belly checkers (kind of)...

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Here's a larger copy of the original photo...

[TripleMoonsExotic]

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/nersip4.jpg

Hatchling Northern Water Snake

[Paradigmboas]

Yeah it's a watersnake. Here is another photo.

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Thanks so much! I was hopeing that's what he was! :)

[CAV]

I'm going with Nerodia as well. The split color bands are common in most water snakes.

[Paradigmboas]

Banded Water Snake was on my list too...

He has belly checkers (kind of)...

I just noticed you live in PA. This means it must be a Northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon.)
Banded watersnakes don't live that far north.

[Slippery Ernie]

I could be wrong, but I think northern water snakes have keeled scales and racers do not. Can you tell if his tiny scales are keeled?

Put him in front of a bowl of water with a guppy in it. See what he does :)

[Jimmy Johnson]

Northern water snake

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Yeah, that's what he looks like. Bug eyes and everything. Before I was sure what he was, his bug eyes concerned me. Then I recalled that water snakes are supposed to have bug eyes.

[KatieL]

My first thought when I saw the pics was northern watersnake. My northern at work just had 27 babies about a month and a half ago (which was amazing to watch), and they look very much like the picture you posted. But it looks like you may have already reached that decision yourself anyway.

I'm not sure if this will help you or not, but our babies are not quite coordinated enough to catch live guppies out of the water yet. I feed them teeny tiny guppies in a seperate feeding container with just enough water in the bottom so that the guppies can lay on their side half submerged in water - this makes them flop a little which drives the snakes crazy in terms of feeding response. Mine currently eat 3-4 guppies each, once a week (and they are just not interested in eating more often than that). I'm not sure this will help you, as I am no expert in watersnake care, but thats what I do, and it seems to be working fairly well.

Good luck with your new little guy/girl! It certainly is a cutie.:)

[Slippery Ernie]

Come to think of it, my wild-caught adults weren't able to catch fish out of the water bowl either. :rolleyes:

A lot of people say that northerns are vicious biters, but I had one that was docile like a corn snake. If you decide to keep it, I bet yours would turn out OK if raised from a baby.

[CopperCornsnake]

I we've got a bit of variety down here in East Texas. We've got:
Copperheads
Cottonmouths
Kingsnakes
Ratsnakes
(very small amount) corns
Coral snakes
:crazy01:

[paint_baller_dude1]

you gonna keep him?

[Testykalz]

Pretty neat, I caught a water snake(hatchling) the other day and it was definately one that liked to bite. He bit me probably 4 times even though he wasn't big enough to even break the skin! :D I thought about keeping it but then decided the water/land set up in a tank would be a pain to clean and I would rather keep something a lil more rare(limited space in a dorm).

[Paradigmboas]

Pretty neat, I caught a water snake(hatchling) the other day and it was definately one that liked to bite. He bit me probably 4 times even though he wasn't big enough to even break the skin! :D I thought about keeping it but then decided the water/land set up in a tank would be a pain to clean and I would rather keep something a lil more rare(limited space in a dorm).

Actually, water snakes should be kept in a dry viv just like cornsnakes. They are just as prone to skin blisters and other skin problems as any other snake. In the wild they do a lot of basking to avoid skin problems.

I kept a banded water snake in a dry set-up for over 10 years with a water bowl just large enough for her to soak in.

[Gintha]

Wish we had wild snakes here ~,~ Well.. other than garter snakes LOL.. and even they are rare now ~,~

Thats definately a cute snake hehe.. I'd keep him/her if I were you hehe =D