View Full Version : What type of snake ended up in my pump?
s-one
09-10-2014, 12:54 PM
Found this in our pool pump.. was curious as to what type of snake it was. (SoCal)
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/639x479q90/912/tjhS9F.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/639x479q90/913/2AaaUR.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/639x479q90/540/0O7Rl3.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/639x479q90/538/Ppnw9S.jpg
CarlD
09-10-2014, 02:13 PM
Poor critter! Clearly he wasn't a Plumber's Snake!
Watermom
09-10-2014, 03:34 PM
EEWWWWW! Will make me look carefully before I open my pump basket!
s-one
09-11-2014, 01:22 PM
I have little kiddies.. imagine if they had saw that swimming amongst them when it decided to drop in. lol.
nefretrameses
09-11-2014, 08:33 PM
Looks like a "racer". Google "snake identification in California" and you will find site that will walk you through the identification process. Depends on where you are. As long as it doesn't have a rattle . . . We killed every snake we encountered until we figured out which ones were dangerous and which were beneficial.
CarlD
09-11-2014, 09:35 PM
King snakes aren't venomous, and eat other snakes ( including venomous ones), as well as rats and other vermin.
King snakes aren't venomous, and eat other snakes ( including venomous ones), as well as rats and other vermin.
I was also thinking a King snake. I'm more familiar with the local species here in VA. I can tell you that one is non-venomous. All venomous species in the US have triangular heads except for the coral snake, which looks very different from that one. Also, I don't think coral snakes are native to CA.
Edit: took a quick look online, not a King snake. Looks like a racer as mentioned in the earlier post or a juvenile rat snake.
FormerBromineUser
09-13-2014, 12:18 AM
Hey, Jim. Hijacking here. No need to be specific, but in what part of VA do you live? I am SO a fan of VA!
CarlD
09-13-2014, 12:43 AM
I didn't mean to imply it was a king snake, only that king snakes are beneficial, not pests.
Hey, Jim. Hijacking here. No need to be specific, but in what part of VA do you live? I am SO a fan of VA!
Tidewater/Hampton Roads :)
I didn't mean to imply it was a king snake, only that king snakes are beneficial, not pests.
As are most snakes. ;)
CarlD
09-13-2014, 02:10 PM
Tidewater/Hampton Roads :)
Nice! We lived up in Alexandria for a number of years.
nefretrameses
09-13-2014, 05:21 PM
The king snake is banded although the pattern is variable. It doesn't look like the one in the pics are banded.
s-one
09-19-2014, 04:33 PM
Thanks for all the suggestions. I looked it up and I'm thinking its a Gopher snake. I may be wrong but the patterns look close.