Timber or Diamondback?

[PapaGarrettP]

I saw this guy last week just off the trail at Highway 64 in NC, where I was caching some food. He/she looked to be about 24" long and was enjoying the sun at about 10 on a chilly morning. You can't see the pits very well in this photo (which I couldn't seem to rotate for better viewing -- sorry), but they are there which confirms, for me, that it is a rattlesnake. I didn't disturb him, so he never rattled.

snake.jpg

[Elder]

Timber. Very pretty dark varient.

[jcreamer]

I'm definitely no expert, but that snake seems to have round pupils and a fairly small head. Sure it's a pit viper? Apologize in advance if you saw the rattles!
JC

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm definitely no expert, but that snake seems to have round pupils and a fairly small head. Sure it's a pit viper? Apologize in advance if you saw the rattles!
JC

I agree, it possibly is a species of Garter snake.

[Rasty]

Looks like a Eastern Garter Snake. See attached picture. Same color, markings, etc.

[HiKen2011]

Garter snake

[1azarus]

But the story is so much better if it is a rattle snake. I convinced myself that a five foot long black snake that shook its tail in the leaves was an immature rattler. Your snake looks way more convincing.

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[SouthMark]

No diamondbacks in that area. If it had been a rattler it would have been a timber. Diamondbacks are a lowland species near the coast.

[JJJ]

Doesn't look like a rattler, based on the head shape. And the pattern doesn't look especially rattler-ish either. But I could be wrong.
Nice looking snake though.

[moytoy]

..definitely not a rattle snake..as already pointed out the head shape and round pupils give it away..

[WingedMonkey]

That's where folks get them imaginary "dry bites" and then blame it on a rattlesnake.

[waasj]

Ok, to make the story better, we could say it is GIANT Garter snake. The photo does not have much to reference size from. Round eyes, small head. NOT a viper.

[Pedaling Fool]

That's true, for all we know it's a 20ft snake, but garter snakes can get over 4 ft in length. But then again it could be four inches

[Rasty]

Papa G. Estimated 24" which fits a Garter snake

[rocketsocks]

That's true, for all we know it's a 20ft snake, but garter snakes can get over 4 ft in length. But then again it could be four inches

Yeah,needs a geologist pick,or fly fishing reel in the picture for good conformation

[mississippi_dan]

Not sure, but I'm thinking it's a kingsnake. They frequently rattle their tails. And some are quite black. It may be getting ready to shed it's skin.

[moytoy]

That's true, for all we know it's a 20ft snake, but garter snakes can get over 4 ft in length. But then again it could be four inches

If it's a 20 ft snake I would like to see the oak tree that the leaf next to the snake came from.

[PapaGarrettP]

OK. I blew up the photo and looked more closely at the eyes -- definitely rounded pupils and not the slits that rattlers have. Looked up garter snake and the skin pattern is a remarkable match. The pits under the nose had me fooled.

BTW, my hiking buddy had offered to poke it with a stick to get a better look, but I told him to chill out and we left it alone. (My general philosophy is not to poke stuff with a stick!).

Thanks, everybody.

[hikerboy57]

big earthworm.

[Pedaling Fool]

big earthworm.

You joke... but you haven't seen the worms in my compost pile