Any snake experts on line tonight?

[Altarboy]

My son keeps catching these little dark colored boogers with a kinda yellow ring around the neck. I have always heard that baby snakes can be as venomous as the grown ups, but our Audobon book only shows adults.

[Flinter]

They are most likely a kind of corn snake. Those are the most popular. I think there are about 30 different kinds of corn snakes, all with different markings.

I don't know of anything poisonous that matches your description.

If it has a triangular head and slit pupils, throw it out.

If it's has an oval head and round pupils.......play with it all you want.

Best I can do from here. :)

[M14]

If it has an orange belly then it is the type of ringneck snake that we have down here. Not dangerous unless you are a bug.

Ringnecks usually run around 8 inches. You might have your own variety up there.

Round pupils means it should be OK.

[Altarboy]

Thanks Flinter, I feel a little relieved. Hey, you may be interested to know that I just bought a Northwest Trade Musket from Track of the Wolf. It's pretty cool, but I've got my work cut out for me. And Wow, pretty expensive for a kit.

[C_Kassidy]

I am sure its a ringneck and its probably full grown. Not dangerous at all.

[Shikkapow]

Not an expert, but do they look like these?

http://images.google.com/images?q=ringneck+snake&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

[nfa1934]

The slit pupil/round pupil rule only applies to North American snakes (with the exception of coral snakes - they are venomous and have round pupils). All North American venomous snakes (except the coral snake) are vipers and have the slit pupil. The coral snake is only found in coastal areas of the southeast and looks similar to some varieties of kingsnake. The coral snake is related to the cobra and has a round eye. Their venom is considerably stronger than any other North American snake (it's a neurotoxin compared to the hemotoxin of our native vipers), but they aren't usually very aggressive. They usually won't bite unless picked up or stepped on. The easiest way to differentiate between coral snakes and the scarlet kingsnake is the order of the colored bands. Both snakes have red, yellow and black bands. On the coral snake, the red and yellow bands touch. On the kingsnake, the red and black bands touch. Also, for quick identification, the coral snake's nose is black and the kingsnake's nose is red.

There are plenty of round-eyed snakes that will kill you, but only one is native to North America.

[M14]

There are plenty of round-eyed snakes that will kill you, but only one is native to North America.
Well.....yeah. The last that I looked, Tennessee was part of North America.

Also the coral snake does not have the long hypodermic fangs of the pit vipers. Their venom is more toxic, but their delivery equipment is not as efficient.

[nfa1934]

Just pointing out that the slit eye/round eye thing isn't necessarily true, not suggesting that you're going to run into anything exotic in TN. As a general rule, though, I don't pick up anything I can't positively ID (and when I was in college in TN, I did know some guys who kept venomous exotics as pets - legally, at the time it was a $200/yr license).

[M14]

Just pointing out that the slit eye/round eye thing isn't necessarily true, not suggesting that you're going to run into anything exotic in TN. As a general rule, though, I don't pick up anything I can't positively ID (and when I was in college in TN, I did know some guys who kept venomous exotics as pets - legally, at the time it was a $200/yr license).
I think that there may also be a rear fanged snake in the Southwest which has the round pupils.

Down here in Florida I would not rule out running into anything.

I have heard reports of breeding populations of exotic snakes in south Florida.

[nfa1934]

I think that there may also be a rear fanged snake in the Southwest which has the round pupils.

You're right, I looked up some info on coral snakes and there is a variant native to Arizona and New Mexico.

[Flinter]

Thanks Flinter, I feel a little relieved. Hey, you may be interested to know that I just bought a Northwest Trade Musket from Track of the Wolf. It's pretty cool, but I've got my work cut out for me. And Wow, pretty expensive for a kit.

I check TOW out all the time. I've seen some really good deals there......I've also seen some outrages prices. You just gotta keep checking. The kit prices never go down though. Rumor among the reenactor circuit is that they are going to take another big jump soon. Something about the price of steel.

If you've been to the site you may have seen some of Dave Motto's work. He built me a fowler 3 years ago. Excellent work. He's a pretty good guy. A man who truely lives a backwoods existance. Here's a pic;

http://www.gunsnet.net/album/data//500/7169Dsc00280-med.jpg

I don't know if Klauss still posts here or not. I sent him link to a site that showed you step by step how to build a rifle. It was pretty detailed. At the time I think he was trying to put together a wheel lock. If you think you need it I can try to find it.

Are you building the rifle to hunt or do you reenact?

If I can be any help just PM me. The world needs more flintlocks......even more importantly it need more rifle builders. http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frontierthumb.gif

[LeftofCentralFL]

http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/snake.pics/ringneck.jpg

http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/SoNA.html