How do I tell the difference between a poisonous snake and a non-poisonous snake by a skin that has been shed?

Look on google for snakes in your area and see if you can match it to the one you seen and find out if it in poisonous or not.

To identify venomous snakes quickly, without going too close, it helps to remember that they are fatter than harmless snakes, and usually taper at the neck and tail, while the non-poisonous varieties tend to be thinner and evenly shaped from head to toe, like a garden hose. Venomous snakes have a skinny neck and a diamond-shaped head, like a spade. They also tend to be more colorful, and aggressive. To play it safe, never provoke any snake; leave the area as fast as you can.

Sounds like a king snake, but do not mess with it. Any snake bite can make you sick. A good rule of thumb is the pupil of the eyes. Elliptical pupil (poisonous) Round pupil (non-poisonous). Be careful.

If you live near Pittsburgh, it could be a Steeler. Otherwise it is a young garter snake that just shed its old skin, and the color is now much more contrasting.

When I lived in Georgia I watched my dog jump at a snake every morning for two or three days. I looked it up and "thought" it was a rat snake. But this snake was really vicious! Turns out, it was a poisonous copperhead snake! What I am saying is that snake identification charts are not that easy to read. However, I learned that snake behavior is important!
According to WikiHow: "Copperheads. These beauties have a similar body shape to cottonmouths but are much brighter, ranging from coppery brown to bright orange, silver-pink and peach.[2] The young have yellow tails as well.

Check out their head shape. Non-venomous snakes have a spoon-shaped rounded head and venomous snakes will have a more triangular head.
The fact that you describe the snake you saw as long might be a good sign as most of the poisonous snakes I saw in Georgia had fat bodies.

According to SRELherp.UGA: Brown snakes are small -- 6-13 in. (17-33 cm) -- snakes that are usually brown, but can be yellowish, reddish, or grayish-brown. They usually have two rows of dark spots, sometimes linked, along the back and a dark streak down the side of the head. The belly is light brown to white.

Maybe this will help you: http://www.oplin.org/snake/quick%20id/quickid.html

If the skin is shiny its most likely not poisonous
if the shin has no shine ( like flat paint) it probably is

There are three venomous snakes in Ohio-
Northern Copperhead.
Eastern Timber Rattlesnake.
Eastern Massasuaga Rattlesnake.
These snakes feed on rodents, frogs, lizards, squirrels and
even birds. I suggest that any of the three could be a threat
to your fish.

Regards,
Dennis

I keep and raise many corn snakes and have had numerous successful hatchings...they are a lot of fun. Age and size will determine the enclosure they will need to start with. A 20 gallon long will do fine for a few years...make sure you get the type with the sliding locking lid to prevent escapes.



I use under tank heat pads for my snakes typically abbreviated UTH (under tank heat). I UTh on the side I choose to be warm and nothing in the other side ...so in effect you have a hot side and a cool side. The hot side will be maintained at 82-85F and the cool side is room temp. usually no lower than 71-73F in my house except on the coldest of winter nights. but thats OK because the snake will migrate to the warm side as it desires.



Now we need to address the substrate. After many years I have settled on ASPEN bedding ....inexpensive. clean and free of harmful odors and caustic oils. Cedar and Pine and Redwood have toxic chemicals that over a long term exposure can cause problems like caustic burns and respiratory issues. Please use ASPEN. Snakes love to burrow through the aspen bedding. Or on the cheaper side newspaper is common and easily replaced when soiled. Aspen bedding can be spot cleaned for a month or 2 and then replaced depending on the amount of feces and size.



A water bowl is required and a place to hide out...A small box for free from the USPS the PRIORITY small box is perfect and free if you need to replace it. cut a few openings on the side and the top so the snake can get in and out.



Feeding of rodents / mammals is required. The snake is a carnivore. You must learn to feed frozen thawed rodents available at the pet stores or raise your own. Depending on the size of the snake you will need to feed it something as big as the largest part of the snake. Usually a corn snake at 2 years of age can eat adult mice ...or young adult mice. Another term often used is a HOPPER mouse which is a younger / smaller mouse fed to 1 year old snakes. Newborn snakes require pinkie mice / newborn mice and will quickly graduate to fuzzie mice in 6 months time.

The reason I say frozen thawed rodents is for the safety of the snake. It is possible for the adult mice to bite the snake and do damage to the snake, if you choose to feed live rodents. I realize after many years and seeing the results of my snake being bitten by a rodent ...it happens and I prefer to feed frozen thawed. The damage was minor but if the mouse had bitten the snake any closer to the eye cap it might have been serious and irreparable.



As your snake grows and sheds it can live for many years. Shedding skin is another area that requires a bit of common sense...offer the snake more moisture when the eyes get cloudy and dull. After a week the snake will turn clear again and then shortly after it will shed its skin. During this time misting of the enclosure and a moist damp towel / washcloth will keep the humidity up to facilitate shedding.



Any more questions I will be happy to help with if I can.

You are correct, snakes swallow their food whole. After ingestion, a snake's stomach expands and stretches. In order to digest the food, the gut tissues shed old cells and grow a large number of new ones; similar to the process of when they shed their skin.

some snakes may "bite" and not even break the skin. some snake bites can kill in a few min. also snakes mouths are double joined.