I don't know enough about snakes but I want to guess corn snake. Marcia is the one to help you though. She's the unofficial expert.

Looks like a Gopher Snake (also called Pine Snake and Bull Snake and probably several other common names)

....Pituophis species

Hmmmm...sorry to disagree, oldned, and I could certainly be wrong, but I'm about 98% sure that this is an eastern hognosed snake (as opposed to the southern variety). They are extremely variable in color, from solid black to this type of pattern, to an even lighter form, but the head shape and general "look" of the snake leads me to think it's a hognose. The little upturned tilt to the snout is a clincher, and I think I can see that in the photos, especially in the one of the snake in the bushes.

Another clue is that it was feeding on a toad. Hognosed snakes feed almost exclusively on toads and frogs. (Wish I had one to come eat the Cuban treefrogs!)

If Wayne were here, he could confirm for absolute sure, but that's my best guess. V, try posting this on the Snake forum, and you should get a positive ID very quickly. Wayne visits there more often than here, and he is VERY good, with MUCH more experience than I have had, even though I really enjoy snakes.

Marcia

Marcia....where are you?
I know it's a habit, but whenever someone posts a photo of a snake and living in the same zone as I, I'm always curious as to where you live. Are you in the St. Pete area vaodiva? I'm not real fond of snakes but am fond of knowing who not to step on and if I should be on the lookout.
Thanks for posting and once Marcia returns from her gardening, we'll all see what she says.
Sue

Suegrew, we were posting at the same time, I think! I'm in Sanford, BTW, not all that far from Vaodiva. The eastern hognose and southern hognose are both endemic to this area. I've only ever seen the southern one, btw, so I should probably take a trip to V's yard to see if I can spot this guy, myself. Hopefully, we will get a TRUE herper to let us know for sure if my best guess was right or not. Sometimes these blotchy looking guys can be hard to ID, especially from a photo. It's always easier in person. (In snake?)

Marcia

Marcia will check in, I'm sure - but my thought is an Eastern Hognose

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Museum Hognose link

He's a beautiful snake! And the photos are excellent, Vaodiva. I like the way you have them posted too. Nice album.

Kate

Wow - three of us posting at the same time!

Scroll back up, folks...I DID check in already! ;o) And I agree with Ladywingr! (Though those photos at the link are not exactly the same...at least they show the wide variety in coloration of the eastern hognose.)

Marcia

I like to think, great minds think alike.....All of us posting at the same time!
Also very happy to read that Marcia and "V" live far enough away from me that quite possibly I'll never run into this guy. I'm sorry, just very scared around creepy reptiles without legs.
Sue

Ha, you guys are funny! I looked at the last few post times and you were tumbling all over yourselves ;)

Suegrew, I live in the Mt Dora/Eustis area. We have oaks and slash pines all over the property with a (receding) lake a couple hundred meters behind us. Dh and I were out walking this morning, I turned around and poof, there he was. Dh was impressed I even saw him.

He was a beautiful snake, Kate, and he wasn't very long either. The pic where he's stretched out is pretty much all but 1.5" of him. It was kinda funky watching the toad's legs still kicking when that's all that was coming out of mr. snakes mouth ;)

Thanks for the comments. I think I will post on the snake forum.
V:)

Ugh!! I guessed wrong again! I thought it was some type of rattle snake.

I am not good at snake ID at all!!! Geez....hope the snakes in my yard are really Black Racers and not something else...

SPF, if they are long & slim (proportionately) and dark charcoal grey-to-black, with a white chin, they are black racers. Not much else fits the bill.

You can be excused for thinking this snake could be a rattler just due to its confusing pattern (though of course, it doesn't have a rattle on its tail, which most rattlesnakes do have). But we only have two rattlers in central Florida...diamondback, which this is most definitely not, and dusky pygmy, which doesn't look like this, either. I swear, I'm going to do the rattlesnake post again, and include the pygmy. It really isn't difficult to ID it, once you've had the marks pointed out to you.

I had to look long and hard at this picture of V's, because the coloration wasn't typical of what I'm used to seeing in hognoses and the nose wasn't EASY to spot. But after much study, I'm pretty confident of the eastern hognose ID.

Just remember, what it IS isn't as important as what it's NOT. If it's not a coral snake, cottonmouth, or one of the rattlers, it's harmless.

Marcia

Vaodiva, the length you describe is typical for a hognose snake, too. If you had said this snake was 3 or 4 feet long, I would have had to rethink my ID for sure!

Lovely pictures, btw.

Marcia

What a pretty snake. I love it's markings. I knew an old Lakota Indian woman out west that did fantastic beading. This reminds me of that.
~Betsy

V, I posted a link to this thread on the snake forum for ya, and hopefully Wayne will stop by and let us know if it IS, indeed, a hognosed snake. I have learned a LOT from him on snake ID, and hope he gets a chance to check it out for us.

Marcia

I mentioned earlier that I would have rethought my guess if your snake had been 3 or 4 feet long, but I have since read that unlike the southern hognose (which will max out at about 2 feet), the eastern hognose CAN reach lengths of three to four feet. I was really surprised to learn that. I tell ya, no matter how much info you try to absorb, there is ALWAYS something new to learn, and much of it can be found on this forum!

Marcia

Thanks Marcia. I actually meant to post to the snake forum but got wrapped up in other things (read gardening). We went to the flea market down the road on Saturday and I picked up a bunch of herbs and miscellaneous other plants and, well, they had to be planted y'know ;) Was out in the greenhouse half the evening smelling my amazing new white Brug. Ahhh the sweet scent!!!

Definitely an Eastern Hognose Snake, and a very pretty one at that! They are notorious for gulping down toads, which is pretty much their main diet. This particular snake does resemble a Pine Snake, but the head gives the identification away. You should be thrilled to have come across such an awesome snake!

I was actually a little hesitant in my joy when I first noticed it as the coloring was not something I was able to place easily. But I had DH go running (yes, I'm the snake lover around here) to get my camera so I could ID this guy properly.

Thank you all for your help, and for the nice pics comments! I truly am happy at the amazing diversity of snakes and other wildlife we have around here. I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Thank you, SportGuy. I was pretty sure, but it is always better to hear from a couple more voices. Ladywingr and I agreed on the hognose ID, and I'm glad to have your confirmation, as well.

Marcia

What a great set of pictures of a gorgeous snake! And yes, indeed, it is an Eastern Hognose Snake!

Hi, Wayne!! *waving from Sanford* Happy to see that you stopped by. It's always good to have you verify something like this. I've never seen this snake, though I've seen southern hognoses here and there. The coloration was very different from what I'm used to. But that's the only thing I could figure with that little upturned nose that I thought I could see.

Next time I'm in Vaodiva's neck of the woods, I hope I can spot him!

Marcia