So I keep seeing this snake in the same spot. It's always somewhere around my sunflower garden, and has lived there for a couple years now. The first time I saw it, it was killing a large toad. The second time, it was my dog who saw it. It was in a fight with my dog! The third time was earlier this spring as I was messing around in the garden. I accidentally picked the snake up as I was pulling weeds! He was really calm and just slithered out of my hand. I can't seem to get an exact match on what native snake this is. I thought it was a ribbon snake, but the colors are dull, and the head is flatter. It honestly looks close to a timber rattlesnake to me, which is much scarier. I'm fine with snakes as long as they aren't near my dogs. Anyone have a clue what kind of snake this is? https://instagram.com/p/Bln548...

I wonder if it could be a Bull, or Gopher snake?
Whatever, it gives me the shivers!

I really can't see the head and eyes that well and they are the thing that determines whether it's a venomous snake. If the head is triangular and if the eyes are elliptical it's venomous. Be careful out there.

I looked at all the snakes online for Indiana and didn't see anything comparable.

terrafirma said:I wonder if it could be a Bull, or Gopher snake?
Whatever, it gives me the shivers!

I had the same reaction when I saw it killing the toad, and then again when it was fighting with my dog. The snake in question doesn't really have the intense patterns of either of those snakes. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be some exotic snake that got loose...

slowcala said:I really can't see the head and eyes that well and they are the thing that determines whether it's a venomous snake. If the head is triangular and if the eyes are elliptical it's venomous. Be careful out there.

I looked at all the snakes online for Indiana and didn't see anything comparable.

The head was honestly triangular. It was the first thing I noticed when I saw it striking at my dog. Luckily, all strikes were missed. You'd think it would've gotten the clue that it's not safe for it to be around after my dog found it and tried to kill it, and then I found it and held it in accident.

I have to agree that head looks like a venomous snake, but I can't imagine one slithering away when you picked it up unless it was cold. They do tend to react slowly to cold

I need to elaborate a bit here. At one point in my life I was acquainted, (not friends) with people who got their thrills when camping in the desert by picking up rattle snakes. That only works in the chilly hours when the snakes are dormant, and the people are stoned.

ctcarol said:I have to agree that head looks like a venomous snake, but I can't imagine one slithering away when you picked it up unless it was cold. They do tend to react slowly to cold

Well, I believe I was clearing weeds to plant tomatoes at that time, so I'm guessing it was early May. We hadn't had any frosts since mid-April, but our nights were probably still in the high 40s. The snake really didn't seem like it wanted to hurt my dog, though. The meeting of my dog and the snake happened last year in the peak of summer. Unless snakes are really crappy at striking, it seemed like it was avoiding biting him. If I hadn't been able to recall my dog, I probably would've jumped on the snake myself and hope I could get behind its head before it could bite. I really hope that scenario never plays anywhere other than my head.

edited to the pattern on that snake is like either a young bull snake or a pine snake = NOT
but is non-venomous
here is good info and image
https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/vi...

Just ran across this thread

Your snake is just a common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) , harmless , and a friend to gardeners . I encourage them in my garden.
They vary in color brown black tan olive but you can tell by the stripes , the one on top most obvious.

gardengus said:Just ran across this thread

Your snake is just a common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) , harmless , and a friend to gardeners . I encourage them in my garden.
They vary in color brown black tan olive but you can tell by the stripes , the one on top most obvious.

I started to realize this after I looked more closely. I think he had just flattened himself because he was scared from my dog, and that's what made him look more like a venomous snake. Thanks for the confirmation!