Fox Snake or Copper Head


I am trying to figure out what kind of snake this is.  We saw it on the Skyline Drive in Virginia.

It is definitely a baby.

I have been informed by Hal Heatwole, Professor of Herpetology at NCSU :
 It looks like a black rat snake (Pantherophis obsoleta) in the juvenile color pattern.


Comments

Tracey Broome said…
Looks like a water snake. We have lots of copperheads on our property and the hour glass pattern is more defined on them and they are more coppery colored. Also our copperheads are shorter and fatter and I have never seen them stretch way out like this one. I see you didn't get close enough to photograph it's eyes, that's one way to tell, haha!
Baby copperheads have yellow tails.

Our general rule is if you have to wonder, it's not!
Copperheads just look evil!
John Britt said…
Thanks Sarah, Think it is a baby black rat.