Snake i.d. Challenge for you

[eyecatcher]

Last night I had a visitor.

I didnt see it but this morning i found its calling card 2m from my door having climbed up to the first floor.

At 1.1m long almost as long as my table.

a bit concerened that it may now be up in the roof with the chipmunks that have already moved in.

[Chairman Of The Board]

Golden tree snake.

It is one of the easiest snakes to recognize from its shed skin.

[cmsally]

Golden tree snake.

It is one of the easiest snakes to recognize from its shed skin.

Seconded!

[umbanda]

You can send the pictures to www.thaisnakes.com to get ID in minutes...Looks like it is a not dangerous tree snake. I hope you didn't kill it...I have one on my garden fighting with my cat very often to see who will get the next rat for dinner...

[Sophon]

I assume that the 1.1 meter is the length of the shed skin? The actual snake will be much shorter, maybe not much more than half the length of the skin it left behind.

Sophon

[eyecatcher]

Thankyou all; I wish i had seen it now as they are beautiful snakes.

I will keep looking and especially in my trees.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yup.. Green Tree Snake.. Feisty little bitches. Love them.

[steve C]

I may be wrong but it looks like it could be an empty condom for a trouser snake

[dingdongrb]

I may be wrong but it looks like it could be an empty condom for a trouser snake

'Empty'? I feel sorry for the little guy for not being able to get it fill it up.......

[boike]

Just saw a gold/green snake trying to get into window at my neighbors. About 1m long and not more than 1cm in diameter. I was too slow to take a picture. Thaisnakes.com is down. Looked like

www.madmikesamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/goldentreesnake.jpg

Sent from my S4 LTE

[daoyai]

Just saw a gold/green snake trying to get into window at my neighbors. About 1m long and not more than 1cm in diameter. I was too slow to take a picture. Thaisnakes.com is down. Looked like

madmikesamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/goldentreesnake.jpg

Sent from my S4 LTE

If only 1cm thick, and 1m long probably a vine snake.

[boike]

Daoyai do u know if they are dangerous?

Sent from my S4 LTE

[daoyai]

Not dangerous to my knowledge, and not aggressive in my experience.

[Chairman Of The Board]

Just saw a gold/green snake trying to get into window at my neighbors. About 1m long and not more than 1cm in diameter. I was too slow to take a picture. Thaisnakes.com is down. Looked like

madmikesamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/goldentreesnake.jpg

Sent from my S4 LTE

If only 1cm thick, and 1m long probably a vine snake.

No, as stated above, this is the shed skin of a Golden Tree Snake.

The Vine Snake has an elongated and pointed head and is nothing like the shape of the skin in the picture.

Also the makings on the head of this skin clearly shows that this is a Golden Tree Snake.

[daoyai]

Just saw a gold/green snake trying to get into window at my neighbors. About 1m long and not more than 1cm in diameter. I was too slow to take a picture. Thaisnakes.com is down. Looked like

madmikesamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/goldentreesnake.jpg

Sent from my S4 LTE

If only 1cm thick, and 1m long probably a vine snake.

No, as stated above, this is the shed skin of a Golden Tree Snake.

The Vine Snake has an elongated and pointed head and is nothing like the shape of the skin in the picture.

Also the makings on the head of this skin clearly shows that this is a Golden Tree Snake.

Sorry ol' blue eyes, we were not posting about the skin but a sighting of a long very thin snake seen by bolke.

[Chairman Of The Board]

Just saw a gold/green snake trying to get into window at my neighbors. About 1m long and not more than 1cm in diameter. I was too slow to take a picture. Thaisnakes.com is down. Looked like

madmikesamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/goldentreesnake.jpg

Sent from my S4 LTE

If only 1cm thick, and 1m long probably a vine snake.

No, as stated above, this is the shed skin of a Golden Tree Snake.

The Vine Snake has an elongated and pointed head and is nothing like the shape of the skin in the picture.

Also the makings on the head of this skin clearly shows that this is a Golden Tree Snake.

Sorry ol' blue eyes, we were not posting about the skin but a sighting of a long very thin snake seen by bolke.

Sorry my bad, what a <removed> I am.

[boike]

The head was more pointy than that of the Golden tree snake. So I guess you might be correct Daoyai. It's disappeared for now. So no need to kill it?

Sent from my S4 LTE

[daoyai]

Never a "need" to kill most snakes.

[eyecatcher]

You may be interested to know but from some advice suggested above i decided to track down Vern Lovic the snake expert.

There was not contact email on the website but found him via f/b.

I forwarded thr same 4 photos.

His reply;

"sorry, skins are impossible to guess usually. This one I cannot see so well. Send a high rez version to ......cheers!"

I have to say there are many snake experts and experts in every topic going on TV and as usual, experts never agree.

I just wonder why the professional herpetologist failed to reach any conclusion or even a suggestion yet several of you think its a golden tree snake.

I think when it comes to snakes we are simply NOT proficient enough to identify a threat and i would take whatever action necessary to protect my family.

So how is it this was apparently so easy to identify?

[Chairman Of The Board]

Never heard of Vern Lovic so I looked him up on Google and the only results that come up with Vern Lovic and snakes is for a photographer who has taken a few pictures of snakes but is no expert (not by a long shot).

If there is another Vern Lovic out there, he is not an expert in snakes, or he would have been all over Google on that search.

Granted, it could be difficult to identify a snake from an incomplete or damaged skin but the skin in the original post is in pristine condition and the head even retains the snake's markings.

Any real herpetologist would be able to look at the picture in the OP and identify that skin as being of a Golden Tree Snake.

The shape of the head, all of the head scales (internasal, parietal, temporal, frontal & prefrontal) match the exact shape and positioning for the Golden Tree Snake.

In fact, by just looking at the parietal & frontal scales it is obvious that this can only be a golden tree snake.

Anyone professing to be a snake expert who couldn't instantly identify the snake from that picture is not an expert.

If you are still unconvinced, Google the phrase 'shed snake skin identification' and find out how many other snake experts disagree with Vern Lovic's answer of "sorry, skins are impossible to guess usually".

[daoyai]

You may be interested to know but from some advice suggested above i decided to track down Vern Lovic the snake expert.

There was not contact email on the website but found him via f/b.

I forwarded thr same 4 photos.

His reply;

"sorry, skins are impossible to guess usually. This one I cannot see so well. Send a high rez version to ......cheers!"

I have to say there are many snake experts and experts in every topic going on TV and as usual, experts never agree.

I just wonder why the professional herpetologist failed to reach any conclusion or even a suggestion yet several of you think its a golden tree snake.

I think when it comes to snakes we are simply NOT proficient enough to identify a threat and i would take whatever action necessary to protect my family.

So how is it this was apparently so easy to identify?

This one is easy ID due to the pattern of spots on the head, very clear in the pic. Only snakes i this genus have a similar pattern.