Try this... look at the eastern garter snake. Then read about the red,,, garter snake. From the couple of sites I lookedat. It seems that the garter comes in a varity of markings. I don't really know but thought this looked like yours. The first one I had to click on like I was going to select to paste, to read, too bright
Bonnie

http://www.humboldtherps.com/thamnophis_2.html

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/snake1.htm#nv29

In my book it looks like a garter snake. I was wondering why it is so fat. The book says they are live bearers with 7 -85 young born late June to August. Maybe it is bloated from decay, but it looks too fat to me.

Thanks. I always thought garter snakes were little things; after looking again at Mo's website, I find they can get pretty darned big.

It wasn't smelling yet so I don't think it was bloat. I will not be cutting it open to see if it is babies!

lol. I don't think I would want to "know" about the babies either. I don't mind snakes as long as I see them before they get to me. Not sneak up on me , like under the mower, or reach in and oh that's moving. When that happens I yell so loud I scare him so they take off.
Bonnie

I like the ribbon snakes and garter snakes. I enjoy finding them sunning among my flowers. I also like the little lizards, but I chop copperheads into many pieces. They come back to same place in my yard every year in the evening. When you disturb them they stay still. I like my snakes to run away.

I am almost afraid to say this...I have never seen a copperhead in the wild (or my yard).

My aunt lives at Nixa and she kills a few each year.

I've never seen one either. In my yard I've only seen King snakes, Black snakes and Garters. All this rain makes me more wary around weeds this year though.
This was a snake on our road that had been hit last week with stripes going the other way. I think it must've been a red milk snake - very colorful.
I posted a picture recently in the wildlife forum of a baby snake that was in a drain pipe at the back of our house coming from our sump pump. I had an image of a whole nest of venomous snakes inside there just waiting to slither back into my house but it was identified as a black snake. I was very relieved as those don't scare me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ferocious sump pump snake

Christis, poisonous or not, I would be figuring a way to screen that rascal out!

You will not see a copperhead in the wild. Copperheads are the same color as where they live. When they see you they are still. They are not aggressive at all; they will let you step on them. On creek gravel or leaves they blend in exactly. I have spotted them before, went to get my hoe and come back to look for the snake. It can be in the same place yet you can't see it at first. You can look right at it and not see it. I have them because my yard is in the middle of 30 wild acres. They come in July to eat bugs. I cut one open once and it had 14 cicadas end to end; that was all it had been eating. The 14th was green mush so 14 was all that was recognizable.

It looks a lot like the garter snakes in my yard which are intergrades between eastern garter snakes and red-sided garter snakes. There are some nice red-sided characteristics toward the belly of your snake there. Red-Sideds are a generally fatter and thicker bodied species than Easterns and females are larger than males, fwiw.

I like copperheads. Helen is right that they blend in very well and they like to eat cicadas. I was delighted one day to find one not far behind my house. I understand that I am in the minority opinion on that :-).

Why mercy yes wayne_mo. At least where I am concerned. I stated before I don't mind most snakes but not poisons or if I don't see it before it sees me. lol I get a little jumpy when I reach down and something slithers away. I'll stick w/my black snakes or grass.
Bonnie

I am greatly relieved that the consensus is Garter Snake!

Thank you everyone for the response.

wayne mo I am going to be one of the very few who agree with you! I find all snakes fascinating, thanks to a great Dad who taught me to respect things in nature, and that every creature is here for a reason. Not that everyone should go out and start hugging snakes...I do understand that fear, but I worked for 5 years as a park ranger trying to change opinions. Too bad the garter snake at the beginning of this post was found mushed. :(

Interesting fact about copperheads - there has never been a documented case of a death caused by copperhead venom. But I can say from personal experience that it HURTS! (while hiking, always know what's on the ledge you're about to stick your hand on). When I find a copperhead around our property, I carefully relocate it with a pitchfork. Husband kills them, but I just can't do it.

I am one against copperheads too. We are in a bad spot here for copperheads. My dog was bitten by one and was very ill for a couple of days. My little chihuahua probably would'nt survive a bite. My sister-in-law was also bitten and pretty ill. You're right tho no one has died from copperhead venum. They also like my little toads and so do i. They're the only snake i kill except for a different kind this spring.