Help with identification

[adamanteus]

All we need is a simple pic of the tail. Or an answer to my earlier question....

"If it is a youngster, it may not have developed a rattle yet. Plus the rattle can get damaged and knocked off.
Is the tail very blunt or gracefully tapered?"

[jeanette]

thats your call, but I hope your right, because if not it can be very bad......

yeah i agree lets try and get it identified before anything happens

[adamanteus]

'Patterned' Eastern Hognose Snake..... similar, but....

[jeanette]

very similar.
im waiting to hear from some people to hear what they think.
im fairly sure its a hognose, but if we cant positivly ID it then they really need to take it and release it away from people, just in case.
i found these images.........
http://www.herpnet.net/Minnesota-Her...ognoseWest.jpg
http://www.garden-city.org/zoo/anima...nose_76pic.jpg
http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/herpa...ernhognose.jpg
http://faculty.uca.edu/~mcdonaldv/ph...hinos)%202.jpg
the last link shows a hognose displaying its flat neck because it feels threatened

[jeanette]

4 out of 4 people that keep hognoses think its hognose. one even said its a heterdon nasicus nasicus the western hognose. he says they hiss like hell and flatten their necks.

[adamanteus]

H. nasicus doesn't occur in Michigan. Have these people ever seen a Massasauga?
Maybe I'm wrong, but if I am no one dies.
Over the years I have kept occassional Hognose Snakes and numerous Rattlers.
By the way, Rattlers flatten their heads.

[jeanette]

one sec i will check and see.
better to be safe than sorry .

[Charlet_2007]

hognoses are venomous but they are back fanged

you mean rear fanged.. i think it's a young pine snake just throwing that out there??? lol

[adamanteus]

Back-fanged, rear-fanged... either is acceptable.

[adamanteus]

Okay guys.. peace. Let's agree to differ until we see better pictures.
But I think we must all agree that the utmost caution is called for until a positive ID is reached.