[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Any herpetologists care to chime in?

[norton]

Personally: I’d vote for “dead” or whatever he latin term might be.

[Texas Songwriter]

Diamondback watersnake

[Sacajaweau]

I think it’s a black racer...I think scarey but not dangerous

[LibFreeOrDie]

Northern Water Snake

http://www.masnakes.org/snakes/northern_water/index.html

Just leave it be.

[Cvengr]

What part of the country?

[Bon mots]

Copperhead.

[BerryDingle]

A watersnake variety judging by the color and pattern of the markings. And a male.

[bigredkitty1]

I live in Texas. My guess would be a cottonmouth aka water moccasin, if I saw something that looked like that. Also, I would pick up the nearest hoe and separate the snake’s head from it’s body. Country folk take no chances where poisonous or possibly poisonous snakes are concerned.

[Winstons Julia]

I’d name him Herbert.

[pnh102]

Awww how cute!!!

[Palter]

Yeah, a deadly python-anaconda hybrid. Or a Yankee watersnake.

[cyberaxe]

...that would be...

...Mr No-Shoulders...

...let him be...

...he won't bother anybody...

[Lakeshark]

Could it be?

[cripplecreek]

Looks like a water snake to me. Not real dangerous but very aggressive.

[Tax-chick]

Northern Watersnake. One lives in the ornamental pond at our church and occasionally surprises visitors. Ours is a lighter color, red and brown patterned, which is typical of varieties in a warmer vs. a colder climate.

[FreeMaine]

You wife is scared of it, it is on your property, you love your wife. Kill It!

[Yet_Again]

That is a very rare snake. it is a Kenyan Death Adder. The snake can be found in Kenya, from where it has been illegally imported to Indonesia, Hawaii, Illinois, and Washington DC. the snake is a master of disguise, when coiled it’s markings all it to mimic nonvenemous snakes. Only when the death adder strikes does it’s true nature become apparent to it’s prey...by then it is too late as the snake’s bite is invariable fatal. The male of the species is generally long and thin, the female is shorter and fatter.

[bgill]

There’s only two kinds. Dead and soon to be dead.

[skr]

Not a herpetologist but if the head is triangular, shoot it. Bullet-shaped heads (except for corals) are usually non-venomous and good for keeping the vermin population down.

If you’re in Iowa and it is a diamondback water snake, it’s illegal to kill. Happily, it’s not venomous; unhappily, it is aggressive. The images on the web show more contrast in the markings, but that one might just be dusty or about to shed.

[jdub]

re leaving him alone, since we have already solved the species question. While I am one that used to love to catch snakes, they really should be left alone. However if you come across what we used to call a "hog nose" in Southeast Texas, they are just too fun to mess with to pass up

They are called a hog-nose because they have this extension in the nose area. I think it is to make them resemble a poisonous snake. If you can get one where it cannot get away from you, it will flatten his head like a cobra and mimic it's strike (makes me think we must have had cobras in North America at some point).

If that doesn't scare you off, he moves to his next trick: play dead. He will writhe around on the ground in death throes, then roll over on his back and lie still with his tongue hanging out. If I recall, he makes himself stink like death too. And best yet, if you roll him back upright, he rolls right back over and resumes his death pose. Truly great fun as a kid!