Friend just sent me this pic from Kansas. Thought it was a water moccasin. What is it actually?

Harmless rat snake, still full from its last meal.

I'm assuming that is water, maybe some kind of blotched water snake.


Killed a good sized copperhead, chased a pretty big Texas rat snake out of the yard (he "rattled" his tail when I escorted him out of the flower bed with a hoe), saw some kind of green/yellowish kind of coachwhip snake, and killed two more sizable (18"+) copperheads. It's the year of the snake.

[This message has been edited by SWCBonfire (edited 6/1/2014 8:22p).]

That was my guess. I couldn't find a good picture to send him for proof that matched exactly though. Thanks.

Edit: Talking about the ratsnake.

[This message has been edited by Ptery83 (edited 6/1/2014 8:17p).]

There are no water moccasins in Kansas, so he needn't worry about them.

(Officially one redneck claims to have seem one in far SE Kansas so it's listed as "possible" in that 1 county, but no confirmed sightings. )

diamondback watersnake?

Nevermind, looks like this black rat snake from Kansas:



[This message has been edited by SWCBonfire (edited 6/2/2014 10:03a).]

DEAD EOT

So, now there will be more rats and mice around.

Yeah SWC I found this picture to send him finally. Sean he is just southwest of Wichita so yeah probably has never seen a real water moccasin.

Here is the map of the possible range of water moccasins in Kansas.



If he is southwest of Wichita the only possible venomous snake for him would be a massauga or prairie rattler.

Your friend is an idiot

Tag- I assumed I would get that with the first response. Surprised it took so long.

Sean- Yeah I see what you mean. I have seen a prairie rattlesnake with him at some land he has in Medicine Lodge. It was sitting on top of a prairie dog hole as we walked up. It was the first one he had seen ever. It survived.

Sorry to disappoint. I've been a little busy at work today.