Reptiles/Saw a snake

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Expert: Joseph Glenn - 2/2/2005


Question
Hi & thanks..I live in a very wooded area. I saw a young brownish-black snake coiled up on my deck railing on a sunny day in the fall..it was very long and skinny even tho' it was small..& it slid up under my vinyl house siding when I approached..it poked its head back out to look at me..it had a narrow head..kinda concerns me we may have poisonous snakes living under the siding. What do I do?

Answer
Ruth,

Whether or not you have venomous snakes living under your siding really depends on where you live.  Some species of venomous snakes may live under something like vinyl siding on your home (or at least go there to hunt for food or to hide from the mid-day sun), but it is hard to say without knowing where you live and what types of venomous snakes are in your area.  I could probably tell you what types of snakes you have around your home if I knew where you live.

Best of luck,
Joseph Glenn

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Joseph Glenn

Expertise

I can answer most questions concerning snakes of the Southeastern United States. My largest area of interest and expertise is in the morphology(form and physical structure), behavior, home range, and life cycles of species native to the Carolinas. I can also provide some information about what to do when you encounter a snake on your property. I do not, however, know much about husbandry or veterinary care, but I am always willing to help you find the answers you need.

Experience

I am a biology student, naturalist, and an amateur herpetologist who has made many field observations of the snakes of the Carolinas. I conduct my own "snake hunts" every spring and summer in order to learn as much as possible about native species, as well as to challenge my own abilities to locate and identify the animals I love the most. I have read many books, journals, and articles about snakes and feel that this has given me a fairly broad knowledge of the world of snakes. I have also volunteered in the Herpetology Lab at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro, North Carolina, working as a hands-on reptile educator and gaining even more knowledge every time I worked.

Organizations
North Carolina Herpetological Society
American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists

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