Help I.D. This Little Guy

Originally Posted by Pruddock

Don't browns have than pretty dorsal stripe though? I couldn't find one on him because before I started looking through my Texas Snakes Field Guide I thought it was probably just a brown snake. I don't know...but I'm also reluctant to get help from those t'sippers over there in A town. Saw 'Em Off!!!

Aw man, you're rotten! Actually the AHS has some prettty down to earth members in there. Oneof the guys (Tim Cole?) is a guy who is regularly called to remove snakes from peoples yards and such. I think a couple of members live out your way as well.
I think you got it right with the first guess though, rough earth snake.

Yep, I checked a link through their site with critters in the area and it looks like you got a rough earth for sure!

http://www.austinreptileservice.net/solid.html

Sweet thanks for all the help. And i've gotta be rotten there are too many T.U fans around, us Ags gotta stick together and represent. Ya'll are gonna kill us next week though Do you do much field herping?

(I've nothing to do with UT, football, and such btw.)

I haven't done any field herping around these parts, but I've been wanting to. The guys in the AHS get a few people to go now and then, and I've been thinking about it. They tend to find lots of venomous, and a few non.

Sounds a little riskier than I was hoping, but could be very interesting and a good oppurtunity for some great pics. I have a friend that goes to U.T. maybe i'll come some weekend when they go out. I haven't done much around here yet, but I really want to but don't have anybody to go with. All of my friends are freaked out when it comes to snakes, and I'm still looking for some good areas to go. But, I just realized there's a nice little pond about 500 yards from my apartment so I might start snooping around there every now and then till it gets too cold.

It is hard to tell from the pics, but I believe it is either a flat-headed snake (Tantilla gracilis), or a Rough Earth Snake (Virgina striatula). It appears (again, hard to tell from the pics) that the snake is missing the Loreal scale (between the eye and nasal opening) if it is missing it is a flat-headed snake, if it is not missing it is a rough earth snake. You really need to look with a microscope or something to see it on a snake this small.
Herping around CS, is probably best near bottom lands, going towards Huntsville or out near the Brazos. Good luck.

Thanks and Gig'em

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41443

hook 'em.............next year maybe, as this one doesn't matter any more.

Thats right you longhorns...gotta wait till next year baby. WHOOOP!! Gig em Ags! By the way I forgot to post this, but i checked the loreal scale before I let him go. And he had the loreal scale and he is a he. I did a full check on him and noted him in my handy little herping book and set him free before it got too cold.

In NC we usually call that a Worm Snake. Find them under stuff all the time in the summer.

Originally Posted by mike17l

It is hard to tell from the pics, but I believe it is either a flat-headed snake (Tantilla gracilis), or a Rough Earth Snake (Virgina striatula). It appears (again, hard to tell from the pics) that the snake is missing the Loreal scale (between the eye and nasal opening) if it is missing it is a flat-headed snake, if it is not missing it is a rough earth snake. You really need to look with a microscope or something to see it on a snake this small.

An easier way to tell is that Virginia striatula has keeled scales (hence rough), and Tantilla gracilis has smooth scales. It doesn't really have the coloration of Virginia valeriae (Smooth Earth Snake). Additionlly, the very pink belly is sort of a distinguishing feature of V. striatula. I think that's what it is.