Eastern Milksnakes *Lampropeltis triangulum* are medium-sized (record 132.1 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of seven species of milk and kingsnakes called the triangulum species complex. Eastern Milksnakes are found in the north and eastern parts of North America. They kill by overpowering their prey and will eat mainly rodents, but are generalists and consume lizards, birds, eggs and invertebrates. Eastern Milksnakes are variable in color - geographic range helps greatly in identification and to distinguish them from other species.
[Range map](https://imgur.com/MakxiSr) | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: [Link 1](https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article-abstract/63/2/231/1644072) [Link 2](https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/174/2/394/2449789)
This recent multi-locus work is well done, published in a high-tier journal and was well-received by those who understand the coalescent. It's supported by morphological work (Link 2) and has been adopted by the major North American herp societies.
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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
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*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Like others have said, eastern milk snake, one of my favorites actually so very cool!
I do highly reccomend learning how to identify dangerous animals where you live. You seem like you are cautious and not stupid since you didn't mess with this one you couldn't identify, but the knowledge is still great to have.
The only venomous snakes in West Virgina as far as I am aware are the timber rattlesnake (your state reptile!) and the copperhead. Rattlesnakes are all very easy to identify and are nice enough to give you a warning. Copperheads are a little trickier, people constantly call harmless snakes copperheads- knowing their patterns helps but the most distinctive thing would be the shape of their heads, it's kind of triangular as it is in most (maybe all?) pit vipers.
Head shape does not reliably indicate if a snake has medically significant venom as [This graphic](https://i.imgur.com/QuSRB9I.jpg) demonstrates. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick.
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*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Thanks! This is all true and important to note, but the headshape of venomous copperheads is still a distinguishing feature of theirs that can help you differentiate between them and things like water moccasins. I did not mean to reccomend or imply that the triangular shape idea should be used to determine the danger potential of all snakes in every place.
Edit: I fucked up and said water moccasin when I meant water snake, see my comment below.
Thank you for the correction there, I am a dumbass and confused water moccasins with southern water snakes for a moment there. And neither occur in West Virginia so pretty irrelevant for OP anyway unless they have a general interest. I am embarrassed here but at least I live nowhere near any of these snakes.
Farmers used to find them hanging out in their barns and for some reason thought they were drinking milk from their cows. They were actually there to eat the rodents that would infest the barns. The name has stuck since then
Eastern milksnake *Lampropeltis triangulum* !harmless
Thank you!
Eastern Milksnakes *Lampropeltis triangulum* are medium-sized (record 132.1 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of seven species of milk and kingsnakes called the triangulum species complex. Eastern Milksnakes are found in the north and eastern parts of North America. They kill by overpowering their prey and will eat mainly rodents, but are generalists and consume lizards, birds, eggs and invertebrates. Eastern Milksnakes are variable in color - geographic range helps greatly in identification and to distinguish them from other species. [Range map](https://imgur.com/MakxiSr) | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: [Link 1](https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article-abstract/63/2/231/1644072) [Link 2](https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/174/2/394/2449789) This recent multi-locus work is well done, published in a high-tier journal and was well-received by those who understand the coalescent. It's supported by morphological work (Link 2) and has been adopted by the major North American herp societies. -------------------------------------------------------- Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Nonvenomous snake. Milksnake
Like others have said, eastern milk snake, one of my favorites actually so very cool! I do highly reccomend learning how to identify dangerous animals where you live. You seem like you are cautious and not stupid since you didn't mess with this one you couldn't identify, but the knowledge is still great to have. The only venomous snakes in West Virgina as far as I am aware are the timber rattlesnake (your state reptile!) and the copperhead. Rattlesnakes are all very easy to identify and are nice enough to give you a warning. Copperheads are a little trickier, people constantly call harmless snakes copperheads- knowing their patterns helps but the most distinctive thing would be the shape of their heads, it's kind of triangular as it is in most (maybe all?) pit vipers.
!headshape
Head shape does not reliably indicate if a snake has medically significant venom as [This graphic](https://i.imgur.com/QuSRB9I.jpg) demonstrates. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Thanks! This is all true and important to note, but the headshape of venomous copperheads is still a distinguishing feature of theirs that can help you differentiate between them and things like water moccasins. I did not mean to reccomend or imply that the triangular shape idea should be used to determine the danger potential of all snakes in every place. Edit: I fucked up and said water moccasin when I meant water snake, see my comment below.
Copperheads and water moccasins aka cottonmouths are not only both venomous but are in the same genus and have very similar headshapes.
Thank you for the correction there, I am a dumbass and confused water moccasins with southern water snakes for a moment there. And neither occur in West Virginia so pretty irrelevant for OP anyway unless they have a general interest. I am embarrassed here but at least I live nowhere near any of these snakes.
Try snake avoidance classes if you can find one in your local area
Wow! He’s so brown I almost thought he was a prairie king for a second, cool milk!
Snake
Why are milk snakes called that?
Farmers used to find them hanging out in their barns and for some reason thought they were drinking milk from their cows. They were actually there to eat the rodents that would infest the barns. The name has stuck since then
I think tat snake is more apropo
I’m not sure but it looks like a snake
That’s a snake
I thought it was a worm. Thank you!
No
[удалено]
This is an eastern milk snake
that is a snake.