friend or foe. Any snake experts?

Anyone know what this is? I live in Northwest Florida if that helps. If he is nonpoisoness, he can stay. Otherwise, I am evicting him from my garden.

Here is his head.

One more view.

My pick would be a Gray Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta spiloides) but don't take my word for it.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/Elapheospiloides.htm

Milan

Milan,
I had a black Rat snake before, and I'm not sure but my snakes head was not as flat as the one rylaff posted.

I will go and find my boos and look at them
Carmen

Could only find 2 books so far *LOL* DH is taking a nap and I can't disturb him right now to check my other books.

In these 2 books I found 2 pictures that resemble the snake you have, one is like Milan said a rat snake and the other could be a Eastern Hognose Snake, but I'm not sure, does the snake has a different nose shape?

Carmen

http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/reptiles/snakes/e.hognose_snake.html

the 7nt picture has the blotches simular to yours???

Rylaff, it looks like it could be a Praire Kingsnake. Here's a picture.

http://www.trailquest.net/SNnonpoi.html

click on the Praire Kingsnake link.

Great photos rylaff!

I'm not an expert; but, I don't think the head or markings look like those of a venomous snake. It does seem closest to gray rat snake to me.

You might try emailing the photos to the guy responsible for this website.

http://www.floridabackyardsnakes.com/

There is an online guide to Florida Snakes from the University of Florida at the website below; but, it seems like you need to be handling the snake to answer some of the questions.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/FL-GUIDE/onlineguide.htm

Those are all some excellent links. I narrowed him down to one of three. His nose was slightly upturned so I thought he may be a hognose. When I got too close, he flattened out his head so he resembled a poisoness snake and then he hissed at me. I finally decided he was not poisoness and I cut him out of the deer netting he was trapped in. He eventially slithered off to one of the neighbors yards.

Hope it was a nonvenomous one,
I did not find any more pictures that reasembelt the snake you had.
sometimes it's so hard to match a snake with a picture, the colours always look different on each snake.

I only have 2 snakes left here at home, used to have 9 plus the babies that hatched from my gopher snake,
now only a boa constrictor and a rosy boa left.

take care
Carmen

I believe that was a HogNose. They usually wont even try to strike you. They will flatten their heads,hiss then play dead. They also emitt an odour like rotting flesh. It's neat to watch- they roll over, stick their tounge out and if you try and flip them back over- they roll right back onto their backs!

That is exactly what he did!

Hi, I also live in Northern Florida (Lake City) This looks like to me a Hog Nose also. I'm not a snake expert. There are also some Pine snakes (I've been told) that look similar to that but their heads don't flatten. Last year I accidently ran into a Cotton Mouth and totally freaked me out! It was huge and UGLY! (we have a lot of swamp area around us) Being a Miami native and moving here... hmmm...how should I put it....sometimes isn't my cup of tea! :) Feel sorry for your neighbors! YUK!