What Snake is (was) this? (Towson, Fort Washington: house, university, live)

[jaydmv]

I just moved to Fort Washington MD, I was mowing the lawn and I saw a snake pop out of the grass and crawled under the lawn mower. The mower pretty much decapitated it but I want to know what type of snake is it?

There are a lot of Black rat snakes, garter snakes and a few copperheads around but this one is neither if them.

It looks like a black swamp snake but there are a few differences in color

What Snake is (was) this?

PICS:

[Merlander]

Ringneck Snake

Not poisonous or dangerous, as far as I know.

[SeanG28]

The snake you are inquiring about is an Eastern Yellowbelly Racer, they are Non-venomous and pose no danger to you, your family, or your pets.

[TarHeelColt]

It was still a wise move to run over it with your mower in my opinion. lol

[filmsniffer]

Whatever it was, it was dumped on your lawn. That snake is not native to this area at all.

[cool rob]

Do you live near water, with so much rain lately it could have come down stream

[acescarab]

It's obviously a blue racer. Look for an increase in your mouse, rat, and toad population. Blue racers used to be plentiful, until extensive use of herbicides and pesticides obliterated the Michigan population. Non-venomous, harmless, and can get to five or six feet. Still enough to make your blood run cold. Don't kill them.

[BigDragon]

Those snakes are great at controlling pests. They'll eat everything from crickets and roaches (when young) to mice and squirrels (when adults). They don't want anything to do with people either. A relative of mine did something similar to a black snake that was found in the back yard. Mere months later there were mice inside the house scratching from inside the walls and attic. There had never been a mouse problem in that house, probably because of the snake. Most people tend to think snakes are evil, disgusting, or poisonous, but in reality they can save you money by keeping the local ecosystem running smoothly.

[rubytue]

Originally Posted by filmsniffer

Whatever it was, it was dumped on your lawn. That snake is not native to this area at all.

Towson University and the MD DNR disagree with you: Eastern ringneck snake
Maryland's Wildlife Species - All About Snakes in Maryland - Natural Heritage Program - Wildlife and Heritage Service (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/snakeinfo.asp - broken link)

[jonjj]

Originally Posted by TarHeelColt

It was still a wise move to run over it with your mower in my opinion. lol

ignorant comment. okay-dump the snake that doesn't want to do anything with you but instead deal with all the funk he is eating to help you have a more peaceful life.