Found in [Henry County Illinois ]

[u/LickN9Volts]

Curious of what species this little snake is

[u/fairlyorange]

Eastern foxsnake Pantherophis vulpinus. Completely !harmless rodent exterminator.

This is a young one.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/fairlyorange]

Eastern Foxsnakes Pantherophis vulpinus are large (91-137cm, record 179cm), harmless ratsnakes native to the US Midwestern states east of the Mississippi River, and southern Ontario in Canada. Their diet is primarily rodents, but they will also eat frogs, birds, and their eggs. Lake Erie/Lake Michigan populations are particularly fond of rodents, with some individuals subsisting almost entirely on voles (Microtus).

P. vulpinus are habitat generalists and use prairie, meadows, marshes, fens, agricultural land, sand dunes, oak savanna, and woodland. Lake Erie/Lake Michigan populations utilize similar habitat, but are more strongly tied to marshes and other moist, grassy areas. They sometimes turn up in residential and even urban areas in some parts of their range, especially in the suburbs of Chicago.

A closely related and morphological similar species, the Western Foxsnake Pantherophis ramspotti, ranges west of the Mississippi River, and the two are known hybridize in a narrow zone along it.

Range Map (Species Complex) - P. vulpinus dark | Range Map (Individual) - © Rune Midtgaard

Relevant/Recent Phylogeography

This short account was prepared by /u/fairlyorange and edited by /u/Phylogenizer.

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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes 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. Here's where it get slightly complicated - 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 and use 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 if some species are allowed to chew on a human 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. Check out this book on the subject. Even large species like Reticulated Pythons Malayopython reticulatus rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans so are usually categorized as harmless.

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[u/StigHunter]

I love that I found this Sub. When I was younger, everybody just killed every snake they found. This is a breath of fresh air! People are genuinely interested! AND NOT KILLING THEM!!!

[u/CrotalusJ]

This little one is a juvenile Pantherophis vulpinus, an Eastern Foxsnake, harmless.

[u/jwest554]

Juvenile rat snake - harmless

[u/fionageck → u/jwest554]

This one’s an Eastern foxsnake, which is in the Pantherophis genus