Pine Woods Snake (Lifer)

[Nanci]

A friend of mine sent me a cell phone photo of a snake on FaceBook last week. The snake was living under her garbage can, and she was terrified of it. I incorrectly identified it as a Penninsula Crowned Snake. (The head looked black in the picture). So yesterday I was over there, consulting on a tortoise enclosure project. She showed me where the snake had been, and there was the snake. My friend went shrieking away as I picked it up.

So I looked it up using the Florida Museum of Natural History snake key and came up with Smooth Earth Snake, and then Googled images, and there he was!

Oops! Misidentified again!! It appears this is _really_ a Pine Woods Snake. Oh well. Some day I will know all the little worm-like snakes of Florida! I need a better snake key!!

I took him home to a more welcoming place, and wanted to photograph him before releasing him, but then I discovered a surprise clutch and had a possibly second clutching snake refuse a meal and got all busy with that and feeding half the collection, so I had to wait till this morning.

Why I bothered, I don't know, since these may be the worst snake photos I have ever taken! This little snake was gorgeous- he looked exactly like a miniature African House Snake, especially about the head. And the color was a nice red velvet cake red, with a creamy pale yellow belly. Which I did not manage to capture at all...

 

[Nanci]

So I released him in Fort Tort, where he can have nice sandy soil to burrow in, and lots of slugs and snails and worms. He was NOT cooperative about having his picture taken! He also musked me with some of the foulest musk I have ever smelled. I let my friend smell it yesterday when the snake was captured, and I thought he was going to vomit! (It wasn't that bad, but it made garter snake musk smell like perfume!) He never attempted to bite, though. I don't think little worm eating snakes do that. Anyway, here's his tail, in the sun. You can see the actual color. And there he goes...

Edit: Since he is actually a Pine Woods Snake, and won't be eating my slugs, snails and worms, he will be happy to know I have placed him in lizard and frog Mecca!

 

[wax32]

Awesome find Nanci. I'm jealous of you guys all finding cool snakes. I need to get outside and poke around!

 

[ratsncorns]

They are just so cool. Fort Tort has its very own snake now, hopefully you will see him again, someday.

 

[RobbiesCornField]

Awww! What a widdle bitty cutie!!!

 

[Jessicat]

Awesome catch! Kinda reminds me of yesterday.. I was at the lake. The peole next to me had a bug on their blanket, and the only way they could think of to get it off was to pick up their blanket and shake.

After getting sand and dirt all over me they appologized and exlained what they were doing. I was left brushing all the derbis off thinking, if they'd only just asked me to pick it up for them! I'd probably have taken pictures too!!!"

Nice little documentation, Nanci! Did the little guy get a meal before he left?

 

[CrazyCorn]

That looks more like a Pinewoods snake from the pictures especially in the second one where the sun show the true coloration. Nice find regardless and glad it found a safer home.

 

[Nanci]

You're definitely right! Okay- meet my pine woods snake! So glad I introduced a predator into my little haven! At least he will have plenty of food...

 

[desertanimal]

Very cool little thing!

 

[Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z)]

He's amazing! I'd have one for a pet if I could! I find his velvety "texture" and his coloring very much to my liking .

 

[ceduke]

Pretty little fellow. He's so small and adorable!

 

[Dorgrim]

wow! so pretty! I wouldnt be able to give the little guy up if i saw him! awesome find!

 

[Cflaguy]

Nice find....

We should start a "lifer" list and check em off as we go.

 

[cobained]

Always cracks me up when people get panicky over a snake and then you find out it's teeny weeny! Ha!

 

[Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z)]

Hey, I don't care how small it is, if it's a cobra or a mamba or somesuch, I promise to get panicky if I see one up close and personal .

 

[Carinata]

A neat fact about Pine Woods Snakes, they have primative rear fangs, like a False Water Cobra or Mangrove snake!