Thanks Marcia! Now I feel prepared for that WWTBA Millionaire? question that will buy my dream home(s?!) and yard(s)!! An amsphorbinian?..(sp?). well, I can tell them which reptile that is not a snake or lizard and has no legs was once on the Central Plains and now only in Central Fla! Cool that you found a maximum length one, Karalynn - or that he found you.

Marcia, Please help me find out what kind of snake I came across today. While I was at the local dog park (near Orlando) I came across a yellow with black stripes snake. It looked to be between 3.5-4 feet long and did not appear at first glance (that was all I gave it out of fear) to be shiny. I was about 3 feet from it and didn't know it until my dog almost stepped on it. She obviously didn't see it either. The snake seemed a pit peeved about the whole thing but it decided not to attack and to slowly slither towards ME to get away from my dog. Needless to say, I took off in a different direction real quick and hollered for my dog to follow. I am not like you or others on this site. I am not a fan of snakes and am extremely afraid of them. Although, I don't mind the black racers that seem to have taken up permanent residence in MY back yard and they love to procreate often (or so it seems). I have seen a lot less field rats since the racers moved in and that makes me very happy. Anyway, can you help me figure out what this snake was? I have spent hours and hours online tonight trying to find it and just can't seem to find anything that looks like it. I am guessing that it is not dangerous to me or my dogs??? I am scared to take my dogs back through those woods that they so dearly love. As soon as I told them, "No more woods until the snakes are gone again," they "told" me to find it if it was dangerous or not and if it isn't that they want to go back again. So that is mostly why I am asking you for your help. We all love the walks but I am afraid of the snakes. Please help me feel safer about going back. Thanks in advance for your help.

TRUE Yellow Ratsnakes are limited to Florida and the southeast Georgia coast. There is a naturally-occuring intergrade(cross-breed)between the Yellow Rat(Elaphe quadrivitatae)and the Black Rat(Elaphe obsoletta)which is found in much of the coastal plains area of Georgia and the Carolinas, often dubbed the "Greenish Rat", because in many cases it IS an olive green in coloration. Some have a visable blotched pattern as adults, like juvie Black Rats, while others have the vertical stripes, like the Yellow, or a combination of both. Some are quite yellowish, though nowhere near a bright a yellow as a true Yellow Rat. Many people do erronously call those "Yellow Ratsnakes", though. As for their temperament when caught, this varies a great deal from snake to snake, so it's not fair to generalize by calling them "nasty". I've caught several "Greenish Rats", BIG suckers, which would not so much as think about striking. I've picked up seven-footers that I could just drape around my neck and carry to the car, and they were as calm and gentle as can be, while I've picked up smaller ones that were little terrors(or thought that they were, anyway)! Usually, the smaller the snake, the more defensive it is, since it's on the menu of more carnivores at that size. I've sorted through boxes of freshly wild-caught true Yellows from Lake Okeechobee in Florida(the Yellow Rats there are really bright yellow)and been able to stroke the heads of some individuals in the box, like petting a puppy, while the snake next to it was vibrating its tail and striking like a Racer at me, which goes to show how each snake is different, much like people. Sharon McKenzie

I could tell you got one by the message on my machine the night of return, even though only the last couple of words came through. Can't wait to see more pictures, although don't you know that you can find pales in northern Jackson county, MO, where they intergrade with syspila? In northwestern Jackson, you can find syspila/gentilis/multistriata that blow the common multistriata out of the water -- long live Marshall. May this week's adventure be so successful... oh me oh my am I excited.