Robert,

One distinguishing feature for a copperhead snake is the "Hershey's kisses" looking white skin patches. (those patches are upside-down in the picture) 

Check the uppermost picture that Glenn included in his post, above. (that's the picture with the male & female).

(the shape is somewhat like a apically indented gumdrop).

SLAG.

All the snakes in my part of the world are both nonpoisonous and non-venomous. People do occasionally see a northern watersnake swimming in our local lakes and ponds, mistake it for a water moccasin, and freak out.

(On a side note, the Lake Eire watersnake (nerodia sipedon insularum) which was on the threatened species list in now making a comeback on account of the accidental introduction of the Eurasian round goby (neogobius melanostomus) via ballast water dumped from cargo ships. The goby now makes up about 90% of the snake's diet, and the snake's population is well-established and growing.)

Last summer we had a red tail hawk visit out shop last year. The little fella stood on the railing for about 10 minutes watching us as we were watching him.The hawk flew to the back of the shop and I was lucky enough to take a couple picture before the bird flew away.

I've had a Humming Bird that I spent a considerable amount of time shifting out of the shop---it kept trying  to fly out of the fiberglass panel skylights instead of the 10'x10' open doors.

At my casita I had a family of Kestrels nest in my roof last year; good neighbors, no mice in the house that year...the Harris hawks and the owls nest in the big trees next door. The Gambel's Quail are everywhere.  (I live on the side of the valley with desert behind me and irrigated fields in front of me so a lot of wildlife traffic...)

Gaswizard, nice chandeliers. When you say N CA how north are you? I grew up in Fairfield. 

Scared this bloke out of my shed tonight. If he keeps the mice down, he is welcome, as long as he stays away from the chooks! About 3m long ( that is 149129/10000000 of a furlong for the metrically challenged)

furlongs are for horse races, are you racing this snake against Glenns new friend?

Furlongs are for horse races,

Inches are for rough dressmakers

Everything else can be measured in metric with no problems!

This carpet snake, or "nope rope" would win in a slow race! He wasnt in a hurry

Back when belt mount calculators were considered a neat thing; I had a Physics TA that said we could answer problems using any units we cared to---he changed that after I did a problem in Newtonian physics in nano angstroms per giga year. (A friend used the traditional furlongs per fortnight...)

Light years per attosecond?

Frosty The Lucky.

On 6/23/2018 at 3:52 PM, iron woodrow said:

Scared this bloke out of my shed tonight. If he keeps the mice down, he is welcome, 

That's a good sized carpet snake, Woody. We get them visiting our chook run regularly and they enjoy snacking on bantams. But they are great rat controllers. Got a nasty bite from one recently - my fault entirely. I was too slow.

This little darling was resting in my chair today. And yes he is that green. 

Relocated to the wood pile.

This is the smooth version of the green snake. It has a smooth scale. The rough green snake has a ridge or keel on each scale. 

This fellow showed up a couple of days

You must have a tasty snake buffet in your shop, Glen!

Hey, it’s my first time online since that guild meeting.  The shirts were appreciated.  One guy grabbed the XL and announced it was his motivation to stick with his diet.  I have a picture of one of the winners....couldn’t find the other guy after the iron in the hat.

Thanks Lou. Glad it caused a bit of excitement. (grin)

Lucky me little bantam darlins are locked up safe and sound in a toolbox at night.

It is about 3.5m tall.

Back, sides, roof and floor are all  25mm thick babinda pine (silky oak)

Got to get some matching doors for it. 1/3 is chook pen, the other part is garden shed. It is even mouse proof!

This black snake showed up in the shop today. Nice fellow, did not offer to bite, just wanted to move on.

He had some skin damage to a couple of scales so it was a treat and release procedure, and yes, he went to visit the wood pile. It is a great place for snakes, cool moist on the bottom of the pile, with lots of holes to crawl through, and not much can get in to harm him.

It must be the year for snakes as he makes number 4 so far.

 

I've got 2 black snakes that hang around the shop.  One about 5 feet long and another about 3 feet.  The big one can really spook you when you walk around a corner and he's just laying there!  What with the timber rattlers and copperheads up here, I don't go anywhere around the shop without eyes to the ground.  No chickens around here, so the blacks are good mice control (I hope).  I find myself talking to them when I see them....is that a sign of senility or what?????

"I talk to the Trees; That's why they put me away..."  (Goon Show line based on the "Paint Your Wagon" song)

gives new meaning to the phrase I am pineing for you ?

I also talk to all the other critters up here....but we won't go there.........

I'm not sure about everywhere else, but a sure way to tell the difference between a venomous and nonvenomous snake around here is by the head shape. The nonvenomous ones have an ovoid shape to their head. While the venomous ones have a triangular head, almost heart shaped, to hold the venom glands. It makes it a bit easier to tell from a distance if the coiled up snake that's shaking its tail is a gopher snake or a western diamondback that is either too young to have a rattle or has lost it through injury.

16 hours ago, Shabumi said:

useless quote removed, we all just read the previous post after all

• 

  This is a pic of a boomslang (translates as tree snake) so i suppose "that" rule of thumb might not apply  and yes "somewhat" venomous  

Different parts of the world, different rules for some things. SW america the oroid safe, vs. triangular venomous holds true and generally true for the rest of the country. The main example I know of off the top of my dented head would be the Coral snake with it's smoothly ovoid head but the other rule regarding color marking rule of thumb holds true. "Red next to Black is a friend of jack. Red next to Yellow will kill a fellow."

Rattle snake heads are a distinctive truncated wedge. Growing up in Southern Cal you get to recognize the shape out of the corner of your eye and learn the general rules to avoid them. I THINK water moccasins and copper heads also have truncated wedge shaped heads but I'm not from that side of the continent so I've only seen pics.

Frosty The Lucky.

That is correct Frosty. The Coral snake is the only exception to the rule here in the States. Makes it easy for us simple minded Yanks to identify. 

Mr. Ian,

((in South Africa, (Johannesburg))

Stated that the Boomslang snake is "moderately venomous" .

SLAG respectfully disagrees. its hemotoxic venom is highly potent.

This snake is  NOT  found in North or South America.

Coral snakes have a highly toxic neurotoxic venom. It can paralyze breathing muscles, & the heart/vascular system

Coral snake are found in the "new country" and the "old country".

SLAG.