In Michigan, we tend not to concern ourselves with snakes when we spend time outdoors. Other than our only poisonous snake, the Massasauga rattlesnake, we really don’t have reason to be fearful. But, when my wife showed me a photo of one of the slithering creatures she had taken minutes before in our yard, I became unglued. It appeared to be a rattler.
Eastern Milk Snake
She explained that one of our cats had noticed something from inside the house and the next thing she knew, the cat was outdoors in attack mode. Although it wasn’t clear initially what the cat had spotted, a commotion erupted between the cat and the unwitting visitor. When I saw the photo on the camera’s screen, and was told that it rattled, off we went to investigate.
My first reaction was to be careful no matter what it was. The size and shape of the head didn’t seem to match that of a Massasauga. In addition, its length eemed on the large size for a Massasauga. So, we managed to place it into a paper lawn bag for further observation.
Indoors, we compared the live version (still inside the bag) to an online photo of the Michigan rattler and agreed it was a match. The snake was then whisked off to a remote, wooded location on our property and turned loose. But, what if the cat had been bitten in its face-to-face exchange?
Calls were placed immediately to Michigan State and our personal veterinarian, Dr. James Kiomento and we monitored the cat for swelling from a possible bite. When no evidence of a bite materialized, I posted a photo of the snake on www.predatortalk.com and the comments began.
Several people indicated it was not a rattlesnake but we still were not sure. Finally, one of the site’s members exclaimed it was not a rattlesnake at all, but an immature black rat snake and provided a good photo. We went back and forth with comments and questions and the verdict was a young black rat snake.
However, on my YouTube channel, MrGlenway, another person commented that the snake was an Eastern milk snake and at this point in time, it sure appears to be a correct assessment. Here’s a link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tG3BoMXhAI&feature=plcp
In any case, we now have some great photos of the reptile, along with our enlightenment and relief.
