Vanity Help identify this snake found in my bedroom! Please!!

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

light brown/grey snake, no obviously pointed head, skinny about 10-12 inches long, looks like a baby

how can i identify this quickly before I figure out what to do with it.

[JennysCool]

so what you're saying is:

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[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Any suggestions on dealing with snakes?....... LOL

Excellent question, my friend! LOL!

[Tribune7]

On a positive note, snakes do eat mice and rats.

[Teacher317]

LOL. looks like you're no the only one...

what's this snake?...

"I want to know what kind of snake was visiting my backyard yesterday. I live in Dallas, Texas near a creek. It was about 2 feet long, dark gray (no markings) with a yellow belly and yellow on the side of its head. "

[piasa]

If the head smoothly blends into the body you are probably OK where you are- the only poisonous snake whose head isn't distinct from the body is the coral snake and those are very brightly colored in red, yellow and black, and more likely to be found out my way in Floriduh than yours.

Poisonous snakes have 'big cheeks' - the poison glands- which make them look like an arrow with a flared arrowhead on the end for a head. The head does not smoothly transition from the neck and is VERY obvious. Put your index finger tips together and your thumb tips together and you will create the shape of a rattlesnake or water moccasin head. If the little guy's head looks like that, then it looks like you've got a poisonous snake. That's still no big deal. If dealt with gently they tend to be laid back; they don't want to bite anything they can't swallow if they can avoid it.

If he moves sideways in a distinct 's' shape he is probably a sidewinder. While they are rattlers, they're not that toxic and are mild mannered. You really have to provoke them to get a reaction. Sidwinders and other poisonous snakes tend to be short and 'fat,' with coarse, rough looking keeled scales, not ribbonlike and sleek like a gartersnake. Older rasttlers don't rattle unless they are upset.

He still won't bother you, unless you step on it. Try to set something nearby on the floor which he can crawl under. Then lift your feet so he is exposed. The snake will probably head towards the nearest 'cover' - your object you put on the floor. At that point you can get up and go get a bucket or paper bag.

Chances are your cats brought him in and if they can do it, he's not poisonous. So let the cats handle him.

[Chad Fairbanks]

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Morse Code for S.O.S!! (aka "Snake! Oh S**t!")

[Johnny Shear]

light brown/grey snake, no obviously pointed head, skinny about 10-12 inches long, looks like a baby

Long Dong Silver? Well...Part of him anyway.

[Jaidyn]

Are you against killing it? Yikes, I hate snakes and will probably dream about them since I read this entire thread. What kind of shoes do you have on? Can you stomp it? Or call your cat back in to finish it's job? This is so freaky! Please let us know the outcome.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Actually, they DO have coral snakes in New Mexico - one of the 8 poisonous species there... :0)

[Swordmaker]

That there snake is a female Clinton Sidewinder... very venomous but it takes three terms to kill you... Thank God.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

stripes dont go along the length of snake, on the belly they look horizontial, across the snake body. solid line until near the bottom and then it looks like two smaller lines instead

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lines like this on belly

[yarddog]

Sounds like a deadly "swamp adder" to me.

[BADJOE]

If it had a reasonably flat nose it is a bull snake.

[Tribune7]

No, it's clearly the Shelby Cobra. Very dangerous. Keep away from teenaged boys.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Good heavens, you poor thing. I'd have passed out by now...lol. Is the phone within reach or are there neighbors within screaming distance? Yikes!

[Recon by Fire]

Actually a buddy brought a few snake steaks to work and it tasted like frog legs.

[Teacher317]

on the underside..yellow, bright yellow and underside is dark brown almost black

He's got two undersides? ;^) Could you clarify this one?

It's almost definitely non-poisonous (simply because there are so few poisonous ones in America), and the fact that the bands are broken towards the end of the tail (and the non-slitted eyes, and the non-triangular head, etc). If yours doesn't look like any of the pics I posted, then it probably is a juvenile (since they can look very different from the adults).

What is the shape of the nose? Is it wide, thin, or up-turned? (Hog-nosed and burrowing snakes have almost shovel-nosed shapes.)

BTW I mistyped earlier.. copperheads have yellow tails (not heads as I typed) especially when young.

[Cagey]

11-800-555-JACK

[Chad Fairbanks]

Which taste like chicken... :0)

[Sungirl]

Just use a broom and swish it outside...it wants to go out as much as you want it too. Pry open your door...it'll go out.