Found a cool snake today, Pics included

[Msh]

Well I was working on building my wasp enclosure around noon or so today when my neighbor rang the door bell. She came over to ask if my dad was around because she saw a snake in her driveway. I had to laugh to myself that she was looking for my dad because getting snakes out of peoples driveways isn't what he's all about so to speak but I personally love catching snakes wherever they may be. So of course I told her I would go take a look around for the snake and as we were walking over there talking about what it looked like I was figuring it would be a smallish brown snake or garter snake as those are what's most common around me. When we get in her driveway to my surprise I see a good size I'd say between 2 1/2 to 3 ish feet prairie king snake or fox snake I'm not exactly sure what species it is sunning itself in the rocks lining their driveway. I picked it up a bit near the back end and it was fairly docile so I picked it up the rest of the way with my other hand near its middle and took it home to show my girlfriend and family. Then I took some pictures of it in my backyard and let it go. This is by no means the first time I've caught them around me but my first one for this year which is cool.




And as a bonus I thought I'd upload the picture of the scarlet kingsnake i caught earlier this year over spring break in Apalachicola, Fl. It was just a little guy I found under a log.

 

[Shrike]

Fox snake. Beautiful! Where are you located? I haven't come across one of these since I lived in Illinois.

 

[Msh]

Fox snake. Beautiful! Where are you located? I haven't come across one of these since I lived in Illinois.

Haha well I live in Illinois, in the 'burbs of Chicago. I'm pretty close to Waterfall Glen if you know that area.

 

[Shrike]

Haha well I live in Illinois, in the 'burbs of Chicago. I'm pretty close to Waterfall Glen if you know that area.

Indeed I do know that area. I grew up in Downers Grove. I was just home a couple of weeks ago and actually went to Waterfall Glen

My fox snake sightings were down in central IL at Allerton Park and around U of I. I've heard they're doing fairly well around Chicago. You certainly found a good looking snake.

 

[Msh]

That's pretty awesome I live in Lemont. I have yet to get to waterfall glen this year but I really want to soon, living by a forest helps though. What have been some of your "best" finds in waterfall glen I've read there's all kinds of stuff in there. As for the fox snake it was a pretty nice one. That's about average size for adults I've come across every once and awhile I'll find a huge one. When I was younger I flipped a board that had around 5 to 7 adults under it. I had no idea what to do because I wanted to catch them all but with only two hands that was a pretty impossible task

Indeed I do know that area. I grew up in Downers Grove. I was just home a couple of weeks ago and actually went to Waterfall Glen

My fox snake sightings were down in central IL at Allerton Park and around U of I. I've heard they're doing fairly well around Chicago. You certainly found a good looking snake.

 

[Shrike]

That's pretty awesome I live in Lemont. I have yet to get to waterfall glen this year but I really want to soon, living by a forest helps though. What have been some of your "best" finds in waterfall glen I've read there's all kinds of stuff in there. As for the fox snake it was a pretty nice one. That's about average size for adults I've come across every once and awhile I'll find a huge one. When I was younger I flipped a board that had around 5 to 7 adults under it. I had no idea what to do because I wanted to catch them all but with only two hands that was a pretty impossible task

As far as snakes go, I've found garter snakes, ribbon snakes, Northern brown snakes, and Northern water snakes at Waterfall Glen.

 

[Msh]

That first fox snake put me in the mood to catch more snakes so I went out to check out a nearby forest. I found a smaller fox snake and garter snake under the same piece of debris. I let the garter get away and caught the fox snake. I would have taken pictures of that one but my phone was charging and the snake had the milky eyes indicating an upcoming shed so I just released it. I also checked out a pond where I had found what I think were queen snakes in the past but nothing this time except the biggest scutigera cleopatra I'd ever seen.

 

[Msh]

Found this massive garter last week that's my size 10 1/2 for some scale. It was missing its tail almost all the way to the vent. Also saw a ton of northern water snakes out when I was fishing the other day but no good pictures of those.

 

[Msh]

it wasn't too happy with me

 

[Shrike]

Another nice find! That's a hefty one.

 

[The Snark]

One serious chunker. I'd be constantly thinking it was some other type in a stealth package.

 

[Msh]

I uploaded those last garter pictures from my phone and it was driving me crazy that they were sideways so here they are corrected so nobody has to tilt their heads or screens anymore.


As far as the snake I would suspect that ones been around for quite awhile and living well. Actually the sheer size of it did make me question what kind of snake it really was when I had just caught it, imagine how big it would look if it had all of its tail still. The area I found it in used to be a church or something along those lines but is now unused and has an old shed sitting wide open with some other boards and random stuff around the area. Around the parking lot are fields both natural and farmers fields, healthy older seeming forest, and a pond nearby. Plenty of sign of mice activity in the area as well I only found that one snake but the other couple boards and a pretty good sized door i flipped all seemed to have mice nests (I didnt check to see if they were occupied) under them. It's been awhile since I caught a snake...I'm gonna have to get out looking soon.