snake!

What we saw in our driveway a few days ago...

I tried looking up snakes online, and this is what I think it is--Northern Water Snake (Nerodia Sipedon).  It has a very cool diamond-like pattern and is about four feet long.  It stared at us for a while and then slithered into the  garden.  NEW NOTE:  My friend Linda's son is a herpetologist and says this is a black rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus).  Check out his website Diamondback Trading Cards.  See a very good youtube video of this snake--Brandon's Herp Adventures.   Thanks, Linda!

LINKS:                                                            

information and photos by Jim Braswell 

some good photos and chat from Texas folks 

Animal Diversity Web website

snake identification chart by state--click on links from here  

Ohio's reptiles ODNR Division of Wildlife

If you know what this snake is, please let me know.

photos by me © 2010