Snake identification? – Wisconsin Geocaching Association

This topic has 17 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 4 months ago by peach107.

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09/04/2012 at 2:42 pm #1733510
redwingrr
Hi,
I was hoping someone might be able to identify this snake for me. We saw it yesterday in Europe Bay Woods Natural Area in Door Co. Prettiest snake I ever saw. It was only about 9″ long, a beautiful bright rust color, but with a dark brown head.
Any help appreciated. I looked through the DNR’s pics of the 22 species in WI and none of them seemed to match.
Thanks
09/04/2012 at 3:56 pm #1963863
WStemple
Even though it does not look like the picture on the DNR PDF, it does sound like a Brown Snake. Here is a description that I found.

A very small tan snake with two parallel rows of tiny dark spots down the back; found most commonly in southern three-quarters of Wisconsin, in dense ground vegetation and debris.
09/04/2012 at 4:45 pm #1963864
redwingrr
Thanks for the reply. Yes, that sounds like a possibility. Here are a couple close-ups. The rust color was so rich, it looked like velvet. There was a lot of decaying wood in the area (Cedar, I’d guess) and this snake matched it perfectly.
09/04/2012 at 6:15 pm #1963865
Team Black-Cat
Certainly looks like this guy…
http://www.dekaysbrownsnake.com/
09/04/2012 at 7:02 pm #1963866
WStemple
@Team Black-Cat wrote:

Certainly looks like this guy…
http://www.dekaysbrownsnake.com/

Yes it does, except for the difference in the head. Markings are also not as defined. I wonder if this is a young one.
09/04/2012 at 7:06 pm #1963867
WStemple
Just found these pictures of some young ones. The head is a different color on them.
09/04/2012 at 7:58 pm #1963868
huffinpuffin2
Participant
Our guess: Northern Red-bellied Snake.

http://deadlykingdom.blogspot.com/2011/09/northern-red-bellied-snake.html

Description for kids: http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Storeria_occipitomaculata/
09/04/2012 at 9:59 pm #1963869
lone_gunman
I think I’m going to side with the puffins. That’s what I thought when I saw the first picture.
09/04/2012 at 11:43 pm #1963870
Barry Butrymowicz
When I was a kid we called them firebellies, but I would agree with puffins too, its a red belly
09/05/2012 at 1:24 am #1963871
redwingrr
Thank you! Yes, the 2nd pic of the Northern Red-bellied that huffinpuffin sent looks just like what we saw. I believe that’s it. Now I wish we’d gotten a look at the underside, though I wouldn’t have wanted to disturb the little guy.
Thanks all!
09/05/2012 at 2:14 am #1963872
BeccaDay
Snakes are so cool! 🙂

Not all who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien
09/05/2012 at 2:36 am #1963873
Team Black-Cat
Northern Brown and Red-bellied snakes are closely related. Same genus.
Storeria dekayi – Brown Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata – Red-bellied Snake

Looking around, there seems to be a lot of mis-identified picures of both on the Internet.
09/05/2012 at 2:57 pm #1963874
redwingrr
Interesting. No way to know for sure.
For those who like snakes, here’s a neat little video. This looks like the snake I saw, especially if you watch to the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJq6WYAbBAw
09/05/2012 at 4:38 pm #1963875
Team Black-Cat
At 2:10 in, it’s obvious which one it is not.
09/20/2012 at 2:06 am #1963876
TeamNutTree
Here is my snake from August 1, at Franzoi Park in the Town of Neenah:

Richard Staffen from the DNR originally thought it was a Redbelly Snake or a Brown Snake. After more research he concluded it was a Northern Redbelly Snake. I have seen one once before but that one was almost black.

Here is my favorite snake I saw this year, a Western Fox Snake at Buboltz Nature Preserve on September 12.
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