[JB in SC]

A Northern Water Snake from your description. They are commonly mistaken for Cottonmouths and Copperheads. If you get a real good look at either of them (live), youll never mistake one for a non poisonous variety. According to my references, there are no poisonous snakes in Maine, Alaska, or Hawaii.

 

[990]

Yesterday my friend and I were walking around a swamp near his house, He had my 10/22 and I had my shotgun. Well we were walking twoards a train trestle when all of a sudden my friend jumped back about 10ft. and there was a snake latched onto his shoe! the thing let go and started to come back so he shot once and it hit the water a few inches away, it was stunned but it started to slither back. he stepped back and aimed put the scope on 3x and fired a shot directly into its upper chest, It did a summersault about 5ft. in the air and landed in some grass. well i walked over with my shotgun with a 1ounce load of 7 1/2 shot and picked it up with my barrel. We thought it to be a "Water Moccasin" It Looked like a rattler almost and it had brown and tan in a pattern. I have a limited knowledge of snakes but I looked it up on the internet and the picture looked exactly like a water moccasin. I also read that the snake is venomous. But the thing is that some of the people that I have talked to say that there is no poisonous snakes in my state (Maine)??? The snake was about 1 1/2ft. long. Any help would be appreciated.

Todd McLaughlin

 

[Viper]

Yes, Id say a Water snake also....

Those reptiles are CRAZY! I was in a canoe once, catching painted turtles by hand with my brothers....

One started coming after us......Kept coming.......Creeping closer....Closer.......

Hissing all the way....

Then I took the oar and "WHACK"

As hard as I could.....It went under and came back up, back after us again.....We hi-tailed it out of there!

NASTY SNAKES!

 

[Rocky]

Todd: Used to know about snakes and such. But Im gettn old now and not so sure of myself. Being from PA I figured that all of us E. Coast states have at least a rattlesnake or two, and that includes Maine. Doubt whether it was a Moccasin as theyre mostly in the South. Maybe was a Copperhead (venumous) or a Banded Water Snake? A mighty pissed-off watersnake by the sounds of it. Just guessn. But one thing is for sure, that Maine snake sure needed an attitude adjustment.

By the way, just were is the "chest" on a snake? Ha! Good Shootn -

 

[john]

hey todd from what i understand water mocasins dont go much north of southern v.a.
but i have a blue snake by the lake under the pines. and we are not supose to have them in v.a.
(encartia)spelling?
john