I think it's a Northern water snake. They eat rodents. Not people.

Please put it elsewhere so he doesn't kill it. Or get someone to help you? Sad to think a harmless creature will die because of someone's ignorance.

EXACTLY!!! - I agree with you whole hartedly!
That is why when he came around with the shovel - I SAID NO WAY -
If it was a rattlesnake, or copperhead --- OK.. but I told him most snakes found in gardens are non venomous.

I made him wait until I was able to post the images.
I see snakes all the time while I am working in the yard, however he happened to be helping me with the mulch and freaked out.

If he only knew - how many little garden snakes we have.
He is really only home weekends - he travels with work - so I think they are pretty safe.
He took this week off (first one in years) to help around the house a bit, but ... he is high maintenance :)

I said I would post - just to appease his need for verification.

Anyway - thanks for the info. I think I have found the snake on the link below.
I think it is a blotched water snake.

I have been snake bitten - not much worse than a bee sting.
And, they only strike if provoked.. so - It is free to stay in my garden as long as it likes.
I just wanted to give him the info - so that he quit freaking out already.

RT

Here is a link that might be useful: snake link

I agree with you eg, because the northern doesn't range to your area. A tip, when possible, is to get the snake wet... the patterning is much easier to see then. I have no doubt that it isn't dangerous beyond a small nip if you press it. I kept a northern for years as a pet, and kept it well fed on goldfish and frogs, and I'm sure this one would like the same fare. Another tip, with tis or any other nonvenomous snake... if you get bitten, the worst thing you can do, for you and the snake both, is to react and pull your hand away quickly. That will cause tearing of your skin, and possible removal of some of the snakes teeth. Thanks for caring, and good luck with your scaled friends.

Well - I am a bit concerned because it also looks a awful lot like a cottonmouth - any ideas?

I do not like to kill anything I do not have to - snakes are very important to gardeners, however if it is a cottonmouth - it is deadly :(

I think I will pass the pic on to our local outdoor learning center, and see what they think.

Thanks for the help.
RT

I agree NWS. Be a shame to kill it.

The pit vipers of North America have a triangular shaped head, with a discernible distinction between their head and "neck." I am no snake expert (Wayne??? Where are you??) but I think if your husband is scared of snakes, he should learn which ones to be scared of. Maybe you can get him a little chart to keep handy?

I thought Northern because I live in NJ : ). I did not realize you are southwest. But I was right about the watersnake part.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Snake Education Web Site

Your snake is a Blotched (Plainbelly) Water Snake, which is the Western subspecies of the Yellowbelly (Plainbelly) Water Snake and the most Western subspecies of all Plainbelly water snakes. It is one of many types of harmless Nerodian water snakes. The Northern Water snake (which some id'ed it as) has a strong resemblance to your snake because it is also in the Nerodia family.

It's a harmless Blotched (Plainbelly) Water Snake.

Hello,
Thanks everyone :)
Wanye - I too finally came to the conclusion that it was a blotched water snake.
I did not get help from my local wildlife center.
I sent in the image and was told that it was a dimaond back.
I knew this was not correct.
I was then told it was the blotched water snake by - Clint at Texassnakes.net.
He was very nice and quite helpful (SUPER NICE GUY).
The animal control officer that I sent the image to, said it was a yellow belly water snake, whatever - I dont care as long as it is not a cottonmouth.

I have let the snake alone - and will purchase some tongs if I need to relocate it because my husband just cannot come to grips with a water snake in our yard.
Otherwise - it is free to live in my garden.
Besides with the water source, if he were to kill this one, there would just be more anyway, especially since I have seen the babies for two summers now.

Me and my fourteen year old daughter are perfectly ok with being bitten by a non-venomous snake. It only hurts for a little while, not much more than a bee sting in my humble opinion.

Speeking of bee stings - I hate to kill things - so much -that a couple of years ago - I moved a honey bee hive (see I truly do hate to kill)
I called a couple of beekeepers, and no one would come out - so I moved them myself :)-(Thank God my husband was working in Japan - he would have totally freaked out on this one too)
Only ended up with two stings - and that is because when I went back for the second load of bees, guess I did not get the queen the first time. I was too lazy to tape my sleeves to my gloves. I moved them a couple of blocks away to a open field.
I looked so funny carrying a box of bees, dressed all in white - and having a hat and my husbands old jersey stretched over it, I had to peek through the holes in the shirt. (my home made version of a bee keepers suit:) I can only imagine what the people driving down the main road where thinking!!!

Back to the snakes.
I would like to know however - are they agressive by nature, or only if provoked?
Meaning, do they try to reatreat if given the chance, or do they stand their ground - there are only a few of these types snakes that I am aware of, but not sure about the water snakes.

Thanks for all the help -
RT

"Another tip, with tis or any other nonvenomous snake... if you get bitten, the worst thing you can do, for you and the snake both, is to react and pull your hand away quickly. That will cause tearing of your skin, and possible removal of some of the snakes teeth."

Fat chance!
If I am on my hands and knes, doing some gardening, and any reptile, not the least a snake sucked on to my hand, or any other body part for that matter, I would jerk my hand faster than you could say; "Ohh, so cute."

I would not give the condition of the snakes teeth a second thought, not then, not later.

'I would like to know however - are they agressive by nature, or only if provoked?"

Snakes (even venomous snakes) will look to escape before anything else. Some species, like the Cottonmouth, are notorious for standing their ground; still, they will not pursue you.

"I would not give the condition of the snakes teeth a second thought, not then, not later."

Enjoy the bloody gashes across your hand, with bacteria-infested snake teeth embedded in them. Or...you could take the above advice and end up with a few tiny punctures.

-Todd

I think.....this is just a wild one; that most people would jerk their hand, if nothing more, so for a second or two, until the sharp eye of the hobby gardener could establish that, ohh boy, in deed, it's only a common black snake.

I guess I will, should it happen, that I, and so many more, because of our lack of snake cotyme, will endure our very own bloody rashes across our hands, because we did not have the "nerve of steel" to say "ohh botter," and kindly remove the little wiggler from our hands.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against snakes, and I find on occasion a yellow ringneck or a garter snake in my yard. What I am getting at, is the fact that I think most people would apply the "jerk reaction" to any snake bite.

sisunor_2007: "Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against snakes..."

sisunor_2007: "I would not give the condition of the snakes teeth a second thought, not then, not later."

Spoken like a true snake-lover...

-Todd

For all that it's worth: That's BS, and you should know it.

This is probably the last forum I would expect to get into a discussion with a "Jack Hannah," but again, why I am suprised??

Again, "Todd" seems to be quite the man here when it comes to handling snakes, that for whatever reason should attach itself to a any body part, that is, to a body part,belonging no doubt, to one of the extremely few, that would not have those long developed garden nerves of steel, like our friend "Todd" has developed over a long life pruning roses and spreading mulch.

Well, for my snap reaction to any snake bite, and I have endured one back in the 80s from a Palestinian Viper, I am truly sorry, that I also back then jerked my hand, as the snake bit, guess my nerves got the better of me, even back then....

Well to all the rest, that would not be so foolish, i beg your pardon.

Have a good summer, and remember, no sudden hand movements, should a snake launch at you, not to mention bite, because: "-Todd" said so.

Stunning picture

Sorry...I've been out of the country for a few weeks and far from Internet connection.

I never denied the instinct to pull away your hand; it's something I've done many times. My problem was that when someone suggested that it perhaps could have negative effects for the snake, you commented that you would never give the snake's condition a second thought. It's one thing to acknowledge that you may cause harm to the snake, but to say that you won't even attempt to refrain from it is what stirred my juices.

Either way, my name really is Todd...not quite sure why you put it in quotes.

-Todd

My neighbor had to be admitted to the hospital because of a black snake bite. I guess it ate something germy like a rat before it bit her. I think your husband should not have to live in a yard with large snakes if he is afraid of them. We used to have a water snake that lived in our spring; it was a nasty tempered thing. It may have been a cottonmouth. That is not a little garter or ringed neck snake; if you are not afraid of it move it to a river.