Poor little snake!!! I just found what I believe is the same little ringneck snake (had to search for this thread to make sure that's what it's called) swimming valiantly against the current of my pool water intake. I dropped the scooper and ran to the opening just as he was going in. I took out the filter basket and ran out of the screened in cage with him. I have no idea how long his struggle had been but he tried to get out through one of the opening but couldn't get much past his neck ? (a bit past his head but not that far down, without shoulders it's hard to describe) so he just gave up & stuck his head back in through another opening and just kinda gave up :(. I ran in the house & grabbed some gloves & I managed to delicately pull his head part out and thread him back through and then deposit him in amongst the weeds - um I mean my beautiful garden *cough*. I am so sad. My question is will he live? I feel terrible for him. He's so little and I have no idea how long his horrible struggle had gone on. Off to do my own research but I'm hoping someone on here will have good news for me - as in the fact that my pool is in desperate need of a shocking... and I ran out of chlorine atleast a week ago so it's starting to get dirty looking might mean he hasn't been too harmed by pool chemicals :(, Ugh, I'm grasping at straws to alleviate my guilt, Nat

In my opinion best advice is to seek treatment for phobia. I had a severe phobia of dogs that I had to get treated and it is very worth it and I think a lot of people that have more "socially acceptable phobias" (e.g. spiders or snakes rather than beloved dogs, people thought I was evil for being scared of dogs! even though I have been up to cottonmouths before and been fine, didn't bother me,... but as a kid I got CHASED DOWN by dogs and attacked so...). We share this world with a lot of creatures, it's something to get used to. Desensitization&exposure therapy is best to build yourself up first before you ever see one. That being said, eliminating brush piles in areas you frequent/maintain a lot, keeping it open will keep snakes out of those areas and make them favor more wild spots. Keeping things open tends to be best for the more cultivated areas of the garden anyway, to maintain airflow. ALSO snakes are often not very active in the day except after rains. They don't like being out in the open especially in the day because one of their main predators, hawks, can see them. I rarely see snakes around my house and I have a bunch of brush lol I've only seen them out at night (there's the cutest baby kingsnake but i digress). avoid times when snakes are most active and you'll be a lot less likely to see them. anyway best of luck treating your phobia, it's a hard road but very worth it to be free of it

Hi folks. In my years of study, and a very tough Herpetology professor (Reptiles and Amphibians), I have learned that head shape is not a valid means of telling whether a snake is venomous, and should not be used at all. Sorry to the people who said this; I do not mean to diss you, but there it is. Though the pattern looks like Copperhead, it certainly is not, and is a Midland Water Snake. Bandeds live far to the south. Please tell me you did NOT kill it. If you did, I have little use for you. I cannot stand people who come to a forum with people who love reptiles and ask what kind of reptile they have killed, with pictures (the second picture looks like the snake is dead). This is like coming onto a dog lover's forum and asking what kind of dog, Beagle or Basset, you hacked to death. Sorry, but I love nature, all of it, and none of it is out to get us if we respect it (except perhaps for Grizzly Bear). Here is a link that might be useful: My Snake Page

I think you did the right thing, albeit taking some risk... I'm amazed that you're able to tackle them if need be.. I know Native American Indian women used to use a stick and a knife to finish the job, and of course they ate them... My view is that everything has a right to live, besides myself, and I would struggle to kill anything, even aphids have a free hand - house flies? I try hard to get them out... [whilst liberally conservative, I struggle with abortion except in extreme cases].... and fortunately for us here we don't have to garden with anything that might be dangerously threatening like that.. Being somewhat ophidophobic,, with your scenario, I'd have dropped dead on the spot... Murderers, terrorists and other low life... I might take a different view... It goes without saying that I hope you keep safe in your garden Ingrid....