Snake ID Please

[Zod]

My neighbor killed this snake yesterday that he found on his deck. He thinks it is a copperhead and was concerned that his children might get bit. I think it may be a pine snake but he flattened the head when he killed it making the true shape of the head questionable. We live in the Northwest Piedmont/Southeast Foothills of NC. Can anyone help?

[Tsubaki]

Looks like a juvenile rat snake to me, doesn't look like a copperhead at all.

[FWK]

Definitely a juvie Rat Snake. Perfectly harmless and very common this time of year.

[Jim Smith]

Perhaps you could suggest that your neighbor do a Google search of photos of venomous snakes that live in your area (especially Copperheads) and then he may not feel compelled to kill every snake he finds. Just a thought...

[CosmicOwl]

You know, we live in the internet age. Everybody has google. How hard is it to look up what a copperhead looks like? But no... "Herpderp must kill snake because it might be venomous."

[Zoo Nanny]

Sad as it is to see a harmless snake killed I do understand the concern of his neighbor. There are so many venomous snakes in that part of the state I'm sure that the father was more concerned for his children's safety than that of the snakes value. Maybe what the OP could do is download some pictures of the snakes of the region and give them to him to keep handy. It may save a harmless snake in the future.

[Pareeeee]

Rat Snake.

Why does everyone think that every snake they find is a Copperhead? It seems like 90% of snake ID requests from the southern USA are asking if said snake is a Copperhead.

There are hardly any non-venomous snakes that look like a Copperhead, except for maybe certain Nerodia species from a distance.

I really wish there was better education in the US and Canada about snakes. People should really know how to tell the difference between a dangerous snake and a harmless one. :/

[toddnbecka]

Rat Snake.

Why does everyone think that every snake they find is a Copperhead? It seems like 90% of snake ID requests from the southern USA are asking if said snake is a Copperhead.

There are hardly any non-venomous snakes that look like a Copperhead, except for maybe certain Nerodia species from a distance.

I really wish there was better education in the US and Canada about snakes. People should really know how to tell the difference between a dangerous snake and a harmless one. :/

Ya, really, even statistically speaking what are the chances that a random snake that wanders onto your property is venomous? For that matter, even copperheads don't deserve to be killed for trespassing. They're just passing through, not looking to hand around and attack anyone.

[Zoo Nanny]

Ya, really, even statistically speaking what are the chances that a random snake that wanders onto your property is venomous? For that matter, even copperheads don't deserve to be killed for trespassing. They're just passing through, not looking to hand around and attack anyone.
I think this is dependent on where you live. Here in the NE it's very rare to even see snakes and the rattlesnake is protected here due to being endangered. Now living in the Southern states is a whole different ball game. I agree education is important and should be offered in the schools. Parents of young children understandably are more vigilant in areas prone to snakes and much quicker to dispose of the snake before identifying. In North Carolina where the OP is from has the highest numbers of snake bites in the country.
North Carolina #1 for snake bites - WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC (http://www.wbtv.com/story/12952273/north-carolina-1-for-snake-bites)

[toddnbecka]

Oh wow, I had no idea copperheads were so common there, they're seldom seen around here either.

[Obsidian_Dragon]

I lived in NC for awhile, and routinely went tramping around some abandoned canals. Never saw anything but a black racer, but I may have just been fortunate.

Still, it's good to learn what the dangerous ones look like. I could tell that wasn't a copperhead instantly. :(

[Zoo Nanny]

I friend of mine bought property in the Smokies two years ago. They have now posted a sign leading into the land and have called Copperhead Hill. He's in the process of clearing all the shrubs and old stone walls away from his house because they have had so many close calls with them.