Identifying a Baby Snake That Is Gray With Reddish Brown Spots

A baby snake's markings can change as it matures, making identification more difficult.

A mistake identifying a baby snake can have sickening, even fatal, consequences. If you have a picture of the snake, identification is just a matter of contacting your local department of natural resources. If there is no picture, jot down a few other bits of information into a notebook before contacting a naturalist or checking a field manual. Be as exact as you can in your descriptions. Noting the gray color and reddish brown spots is a good beginning. Sometimes different types of venomous and nonvenomous snakes can look very similar to each other. Mark your observations in a notebook.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook

Instructions

1. Note the location of the spots. It makes a difference whether they are located on the top of the baby snake, on the bottom, or evenly distributed. Some rattlesnakes are gray with a distribution of brown or red spots on the back and side. A juvenile rattlesnake may not yet have fully developed the distinctive rattle at the end of the tail that makes it easily identifiable as an adult. Green snakes start out with a gray color when they are juveniles.

2. Look at the scales and make an assessment of whether they are smooth and shiny or keeled. Keeled scales have a ridge down the center and have a rough look. The glossy snake, a nonvenomous variety found in the Southwest, has smooth skin that is often gray with a pattern of brown or red spots.

3. Carefully consider the head and eyes. A venomous snake has pupils that are vertically elliptical, like a cat's eyes, and pits to the outside of its nostrils. A nonvenomous snake has round pupils and no pits near the nostrils. A venomous snake's head is shaped like an arrowhead, while nonvenomous snakes have more rounded heads. These features may be less defined in a juvenile snake. The short-tailed king snake, found in wooded areas of the Southeast, is a very slender gray snake with brown blotches that can become darker as it matures.

4. Contact your state's department of natural resources. Give your full description of the snake to a naturalist. If possible, go to a local office where a naturalist can show you pictures of various snakes similar to your description to make identification certain. If this is not possible, go to the website of your state's department of natural resources. Many states have put up pictures of all the sorts of wildlife that are native to the state.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are going to try to identify the snake on your own, work with a database that is particular to your state. There are over 200 types of snakes native to the United States. It will be much easier if you limit yourself only to those native to where you live.

• If there is any doubt as to whether the snake is venomous or not, seek the help of a professional at your department of natural resources or at a local college.

References

• Michigan State University; Wildlife and Natural History; Critter Field Guide: Snakes of Michigan
• University of Florida; Florida Museum of Natural History; Florida Snakes Identification
• Utah State University; Wildlife Damage Management Series; Non-Venomous Snakes; Terry A. Messmer, et al.
• Wildlife North America: Glossy Snake