The dogs had something cornered near this fence this morning.  I thought they were barking at the dog next door throught the fence.  Then I saw something move. Thought it was a rat, or a bunny.  Put on my shoes and got closer...snake!  They had a largish snake at bay against the fence.  Rosie and GG weren't getting too close to it (it was flipping its tail).

I chased them off, and got a good look at it. OK--round pupils, no pits. Not a cottonmouth.  He was still kinda agressive, striking at a stick I moved near him.  I put the dogs in the house, and went back out the find it.  He retreated underneath the sailboat, and I couldn't find him after 10 minutes of poking about.  Did find a wasp nest, and a large anole.

So I brought Rosie out and asked her to Find It! And she did--she went right to where he was (poor GG was still lookin by the fence by where she saw it last). Rosie stood off a bit, and grumbled at me, and pointed at where the snake was.  I didn't believe her because I couldn't see it.  She grumbled louder, pointed harder.  Ahhh, there it is.  She was very good, and didn't get close to it.

I told Rosie to leave it (she did), and then I chased the snake around a bit.  Darn, where'd it go.  Andi says---hey, it's over here in the lawn.  Wow, how'd it get over there that fast? Aha, got it.  Pinned it with a walking stick.  Check again...yep, not a cottonmouth. 

Ok, picked it up by the back of the head. Wow, thanks for showing me your mouth (it's gaping its mouth at me).  No fangs.  Stinky, though.  Held it long enough to have Andi get a pic:

Snake, originally uploaded by TimScott.

It's a Nerodia erythrogaster (plain-bellied water snake). I let it go near the ditch behind our house, so it can go on eating toads.