My kid was excited and picked 'em up. I wouldn’t have touched the snake otherwise! I let them know not to do that next time.

Anyone recognize what kind of snake this is? Like, definitively? Thank you!

EDIT: Most likely a Butler’s Garter Snake! Thank you to those who posted answers! Much appreciated! (:

    • SharkEatingBreakfast@beehaw.orgOP
      10·
      10 months ago

      I thought that might be it!

      Think there’s only one venomous snake in Michigan, and it didn’t look like that, so I figured it was safe. But you never know! Gotta be safe, yeah?

      Thank you!

  • confusedwiseman@beehaw.orgEnglish
    7·
    10 months ago

    I’d recommend not picking up any snakes you can’t identify.

    Does eastern Michigan have anything venomous? Copperhead maybe?

    • SharkEatingBreakfast@beehaw.orgOP
      6·
      10 months ago

      I put that in the post body. The kid got a lecture about handling strange wildlife.

      We have one venomous snake in Michigan, I believe.

      • jcarax@beehaw.org
        4·
        10 months ago

        The Massasauga, just like we have here in Wisconsin. It’s just in the far SW of the state, in part of the driftless, so I’d expect it’s only far south for Michigan as well. It’s a small rattler.

        • mihnt@kbin.social
          3·
          10 months ago

          Correct as far as I can tell. Been living here for 13 years 45 minutes north of downtown and have only seen garter snakes.

          Source: Was a groundskeeper for 8 years. Many joints were smoked walking around in the woods.

          • jcarax@beehaw.org
            3·
            10 months ago

            It’s why I moved far north, when I came back to the midwest. There have been way too many encounters with with rattlers and copperheads, in my post-midwest life. I mostly just see garter and gopher snakes here, but I guess there are some pretty huge pine snakes.