I'm not sure if this is where I can post a related question... I live in SW Missouri and was hoeing some weeds beside my house and accidentally chopped a small snake in two. I've identified it as a Midland Brown Snake. I noticed the mortally injured snake, though only 7 or 8 inches long, had babies wriggling out of its belly. So I pulled all of them out and carefully placed them into a jar. There are about a dozen that are still alive. I've had them about 3 hours now. Any suggestions on what to feed them? They're about the size of a toothpick and I can't imagine they could feed themselves on their own. I'm wondering if earthworms cut into tiny pieces would work for them...

Larry, all snakes have teeth. The rows of teeth in a Gray (or Black) Rat Snake will look like fangs. A Water Moccasin, or Cottonmouth, is a snake of swamps, and does not approach this size. Also, a Cottonmouth has a completely different pattern. Almost all snakes have a white inner lining of the mouth, making them look like a Cottonmouth when alarmed; the Black Rat Snake I caught Tuesday showed a white lining to the mouth while biting me three times (she was very frightened), plus, when looking in the Peterson's Guide, it doesn't look like Cottonmouths make it to Northern Alabama. Of course, people will call me a liar, and say they have seen "Water Moccasins", but these are simply Water Snakes, and are harmless.

Probably an Eastern Garter Snake ... their color varies wildly, but the black head and stripes along the body with sort of "checkerboard" patterns between the stripes is one variant. They are not venomous, but they will bite and also release a VERY SMELLY fluid if you handle them. http://www.paherps.com/herps/snakes/garter_snake/

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