ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
Moderator: Scott Waters
- Kyle from Carolina
- Posts: 221
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 8:12 pm
- Location: western MA and NC
- Kyle from Carolina
- Posts: 221
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 8:12 pm
- Location: western MA and NC
- NewYorkHerper16
- Posts: 140
- Joined: August 13th, 2014, 7:50 am
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
Definitely could be a timber! I've seen timber rattler sheds that look exactly life that before. I don't think it's Nerodia because the scales look very large and spread apart. Nerodia tend to have smaller scales that are almost overlapping, while timbers tend to have larger scales. I'm no expert on IDing sheds, but if i were to make an educated guess I'd go with Crotalus horridus.
- Kyle from Carolina
- Posts: 221
- Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 8:12 pm
- Location: western MA and NC
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
Thanks for the input newyorkherper. I wanted to guess timber too based on the locality and habitat but I really couldn't tell based on the photos. Here's to hoping.
- ZantiMissKnit
- Posts: 1037
- Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
- Location: Boston area, MA
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
I'm no good with this. Based upon the description of the habitat, timber rattlesnake or copperhead would be likely, but I can't even see a pattern on that shed.
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
It's hard to tell from the picture as there's no discernible pattern. There's really only four choices with rattlesnake, copperhead, water snake, and hognose. If the tail is intact in the shed and you can see if the anal plate is single or divided, that will cut your choices in half. To narrow it down more you'd have to do a scale count.
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- Posts: 3
- Joined: February 9th, 2014, 9:31 pm
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
Not a hog
Not a CH
Probably not a cottonmouth
Almost certainly a TR.
Mystery solved.
Not a CH
Probably not a cottonmouth
Almost certainly a TR.
Mystery solved.
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- Posts: 11
- Joined: August 16th, 2015, 7:22 pm
Re: ID help needed: unknown snake shed in Massachusetts
I've been up in the blue hills in mass, and I can tell you it looks exactly like a timber rattlesnake skin. Be careful.