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Today in West Roxbury wildlife: The northern water snake

By adamg on Sat, 09/26/2020 - 10:35pm
Milk Snake

Update: Local snake and turtle expert Andrea Howlett says this is actually a northern water snake, not a milk snake.

Mike Bresinski spotted this snake today at Brook Farm off Baker Street in West Roxbury.

Neighborhoods: 
West Roxbury
Free tagging: 
Snakes
Wildlife
Brook Farm


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Comments

By emmee dee on Sat, 09/26/2020 - 10:49pm.

Admittedly I'm not an expert, but this looks much more like a Northern Water Snake to me.

By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 1:19pm.

See Adam's update to the main post.

By emmee dee on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 9:38am.

Water snakes can have similar patterns; what is more notable for the ID is that it has keeled scales, while milk snakes have smooth ones. Additionally, the darker center inside the lighter blotches on its sides says water snake to me, as does the thicker body shape.

Either way, though, it's a great find, and I'm always happy to see folks admiring our snakey friends rather than being afraid or trying to harm them!

By mplo on Tue, 09/29/2020 - 12:25pm.

Most snakes are not poisonous, but a bite from a non-poisonous snake is not a free lunch either. A non-poisonous snake can inject bacteria into the area of the bite, thereby promoting an infection, or even an allergic reaction from it.

By Don’t eat it on Tue, 09/29/2020 - 4:05pm.

Don’t eat it if it is a poisonous snake.

But it isn’t. It’s not even venomous.

By anon on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 11:46am.

Milk snakes have smooth scales but this snake clearly has keeled scales (google the difference). Northern Water Snake is correct (and much more likely at that location).

By AndreaH on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 9:49am.

It's a Northern Water Snake, 100%. Water snakes are banded while milk snakes have markings more like saddles or blotches.
I'm not a herpetologist, but I have been documenting reptiles and amphibians for several years, and know my local snakes.

By Matt on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 6:45am.

Brings all the boys to the yard.

By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 9:08am.

We found a long molt on our front steps one morning, and I bagged it up for my son to take to school.

Damned if we didn't have a half dozen second graders combing the yard for more that afternoon.

By Bob Leponge on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 1:58pm.

I'm glad it was in WRox, because, as you know, they've had about enough of those MFing snakes in Jamaica Plain.

By anon on Sun, 09/27/2020 - 3:47pm.

The next candidate to declare for a mayoral run?

By mplo on Tue, 09/29/2020 - 12:26pm.

Beware!