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Masticophis flagellum
I have yet to see any coachwhips at this age and with these markings, so I am only IDing these photos due to the snake's behavior. The janitor at my workplace swept this guy into the production area, and was going to kill it until I intervened. I knew it wasn't poisonous, but the way it flicked the end of its take and struck out made everyone else feel afraid of it. When I walked towards it, he coiled up all but the tip of his tail, shaking it like a rattler and raising his head as if to bite. He struck at my boot several times. I picked him up with a t-shirt so as not to cause him injury. Afterwards I took him into the break room, uncovered him, and took the photos that you see here. He was calm and coiled around my fingers. I took him back outside, and released him in the underbrush in the woods. :-) Happy snake. Alive and well now. Education before ignorance is a key factor in conservation.
3 Comments
Pretty guy! Please be sure to add this to the Snakes of the United States – CSC mission to help with their citizen science project! http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/1202...
I agree with Michael. It looks like a Speckled Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula holbrooki.
Looks like a kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula...but I'm not sure of subspecies or common name.