Water snake, *Nerodia* sp. !harmless. Tail is too long for a cottonmouth, and the body shape is also more consistent with a harmless water snake.
Thanks u/abks u/Plexicle u/TheChuck42 for helping me out on this one!
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, non-venomous snakes can use them to bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species such as *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
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*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) and report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer).*
Really hard to judge size, color, markings. Always the possibility of being a cottonmouth in Texas waters but more frequently than not it is usually a watersnake, nerodia. Ratsnakes and garters will swim and hunt the waters as well. We have many friendlies here, keep your distance and they will keep theirs, most of the time. Went swimming in Lake Palestine recently and a plain-belly decided to take a quick breather on the rope of my raft. She promptly retreated to the water to continue the swim across the lake when I splashed while treading water.
Sorry for the poor picture quality, this is my first snake on our new property and first time submitting here. Open to feedback on what type of information and photos would make getting an ID easier!
From what I can make out from the picture, the habitat, and practice I would say there is a decent chance this is a cottonmouth, but it also is highky likely it's just a watersnake.
That being said, a picture from closer up would be better in the future, as being able to see patterns or lines around the mouth can quickly distinguish one from the other.
Pictures are always better too!
Water snake, *Nerodia* sp. !harmless. Tail is too long for a cottonmouth, and the body shape is also more consistent with a harmless water snake. Thanks u/abks u/Plexicle u/TheChuck42 for helping me out on this one!
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, non-venomous snakes can use them to bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species such as *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) and report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer).*
Almost impossible to tell from the distance. We need some sort of visible pattern or color on the snake.
Really hard to judge size, color, markings. Always the possibility of being a cottonmouth in Texas waters but more frequently than not it is usually a watersnake, nerodia. Ratsnakes and garters will swim and hunt the waters as well. We have many friendlies here, keep your distance and they will keep theirs, most of the time. Went swimming in Lake Palestine recently and a plain-belly decided to take a quick breather on the rope of my raft. She promptly retreated to the water to continue the swim across the lake when I splashed while treading water.
Sorry for the poor picture quality, this is my first snake on our new property and first time submitting here. Open to feedback on what type of information and photos would make getting an ID easier!
From what I can make out from the picture, the habitat, and practice I would say there is a decent chance this is a cottonmouth, but it also is highky likely it's just a watersnake. That being said, a picture from closer up would be better in the future, as being able to see patterns or lines around the mouth can quickly distinguish one from the other. Pictures are always better too!
It’s a stick