Snake Identification Needed

I found this little guy in my parent's garage. We were sitting there talking about this and that, and I see their cat toying with something. I glanced back again and saw it coil up..and immediately jumped to my feet and rescued the little thing from the cat. =P

Anyway, I'm wearing rubber gloves as I don't necessarily like to handle snakes of which I don't know what they are. He was dusty from the pine tree pollen, so I let him swim around the sink to wash it off before his photo shoot. And yes, I washed behind his ears.

He doesn't really look like a black rat snake baby to me, and I thought it was too early for snakes to be hatching out here in Southern Indiana.

He doesn't like to be held and hasn't struck at me so far, just sort of curls up in a gloved hand.

Anyway, was curious if any of you guys could help me ID him for my own personal curiosity. =)

I'm sure some preteen on here will contradict me, but that snake is without a doubt a water snake. Either a Northern water snake, Nerodia sipedon sipedon, or a Midland water snake, Nerodia sipedon pleuralis. Based on your pics it appears to be a Midland. In some areas they often intergrade.

That's what it looks like to me too, but I am absolutely AMAZED it isn't trying to bite you at every given opportunity! The cat must have worn it out, because those animals are ones often cited as a good species with which to work, before getting into venomous animals. If you can refrain from getting bitten by a Nerodia specimen, you're on your way to being cautious enough for hots.


Or so they say ... don't take what I wrote above as reason to get bitten by a green mamba, anyone!!!!!!!!

It looks very similar to the Northern water snakes I see around here. The water snakes I have handeld are insane-striking and thrashing unpredictibly. Interesting how that specimen is fairly calm.

I have had Nerodia fasciata that looked quite similar.. Nice specimen.

That is a great looking water snake tho! Most of the ones i see are dark black/brown and are very dull but that one is awsome..

Thanks guys! He was a cutie for sure. =)

I had pretty much narrowed down Midland Water Snake based on photographs I looked up through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and on Google. He looked very similar in markings to the juvenile picture that was posted.

And yes, I did read that they're quite "nippy" and thats one reason they're often mistaken for water moccasins. Something which only seems to occur in one county in Southern Indiana that the IN-DNR is aware of, fortunately.

He never did make any attempt to bite me, even with bare hands. He just sat there quite calm waiting for me to let him go. This morning I did release him not too far from where he was found, at a neighbor's woodland pond. I laid him on the bank next to some cat tails, and he slithered right in and underwater.

I always find it gratifying to know I helped a little one along and let it back to Nature. =)

Thanks for the input guys, I really appreciate it.

Lovely pictures
and I am glad that you let the little one back into nature.

Hope that little one will survive in the wild~~

LOL..I guess it knows that you're going to put it back in a save place thus not biting....lol~

I've never seen one that nicely patterned either. Mostly they are much darker - maybe he'll darken with age.

The keeled scales go a long way to help with the identification. I totally agree with the comments about the usual viciousness though. They are the most bad-tempered snakes I have ever had to deal with.

Skye