Gary,I hope you find your snake ID.YesterdayI had promised to bring in some plants to the EXT office for the new MGs to ID.Well our yard was so wet! I brought a flashlight as it was pretty early and had to go to the back of the property wading in ankle deep water I wanted to make sure I didnt run into any water snakes!
I have a coat rack near my back door. I do not put coats on it but things I wnat to grab when I head out the door. Hat, binocs and camera.
I almost never go into the garden withou the camera around my neck! There is just SO much to take photos of!
Good luck and tread lightly.

Gary, did your snake look like this:

If so, it is a banded water snake, and completely harmless. From the fact that you said "gray with maroon" markings, I think it is more likely that than a scarlet king or scarlet snake. Those just shout "red and yellow and black" in your face.

The color on the banded water snake can be variable, so on some the markings are brighter than on others. Here are a couple more pics of it, plus one of a scarlet king and one of a Florida scarlet snake for comparison.

Banded water snake #2:

Banded water snake #3:

Scarlet kingsnake:

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Florida scarlet snake (a milksnake):

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The fact that it was in the pond doesn't mean it HAS to be a water snake, but they definitely like ponds, especially if there are small frogs and fish around.

Hope this helps!
Marcia

Thanks Marcia. The shape of its back design is like the things on the back of a corn snake. Your banded water snake #3 had similar colors to it, gray overall with reddish/rust colored circular markings. I hope its hanging out today so I can get a pic, he was pretty cool. Will make netting out algae more interesting!

Gary

Here are my best corn snake images from my files, Gary. Hope they help, too. Corn snakes (red rat snakes) are such nice snakes...make great pets, but of course, I don't recommend that. They are better off in the wild, usually.

Marcia

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If you changed the dark colorations to a mahogany color, and the lighter to gray, it would look like my snake. I know there are lots of color variations, so it still might be one.

Gary

That would be my best guess at this time. Fingers crossed that you can get a picture! Good luck. It still sounds like a harmless variety to me, but a picture would tell the tale.

Marci

What about an immature black racer? (my knowledge on snakes is limited but this was my first thought) I don't know if they like the water or not.

Laura, you know...if it was small enough, you could be exactly right. I wasn't even thinking about size.

Here are a couple photos of that for ya, Gary:

This is the northern race, but our young black racers are very similar, though sometimes a lighter gray on the body.

Whaddya think, Gary? I'm betting Laura is right!

Marcia

Wow! I didn't know that Marcia and Gary! Too cool to know that, I never thought about it but would have assumed the babies would be black too. Thanks!!

Suzanne

Suzanne, many baby snakes are colored differently from the adults. Then others are exact replicas. Just depends. Black racers are colorful little guys for a few months, before they darken up. Maybe better camoflage for a new born snake, or maybe it helps them look more dangerous than they are, so folks will leave them alone. I don't really know. Baby cottonmouths are very colorful and pretty, where adults can get so dark as to be almost solid black. Baby diamondback rattlers, on the other hand, looks exactly like mom and dad in miniature.

Ain't nature interestin'?

Marcia

I definitely need a picture. It was there again yesterday. Seems like the colors are differently shaped than what I thought. Perhaps it is a banded water snake, will keep trying to get a picture.

Gary

Gary,

I'm almost certain it is a Florida Banded Water Snake. The description of its color, behavior and habitat fit the bill very well. And the way you describe in the first post how it lays in the water really fits banded water snake behavior in water to a tee.

I'd love to see a picture anyway! But I'm confident of the id even without a picture.

I'd love him to stay, but it sounds like if he does, the only thing he'll be eating would be the minnows in my pond. Does he eat land stuff too?

Gary

Gosh, you mean after all our puzzling, my first guess is likely right? Haha! Sometimes you can OVERthink a problem, I reckon! A picture would be great, Gary. I would be really tickled to find a banded water snake in my pond. But I don't think one will find its way to my back yard, even after I actually have the pond in place.

Wayne, would my resident black racers chase off other snakes? Since we've been here, I've seen 2 different adult racers, 1 over 3 feet, and 1 about 2 feet; one baby black racer (so pretty), and one garter snake. I saw the black racers daily during the spring and early summer, but I think they took to hiding during the hotter months, and only coming out at night. They must still be here, as I just saw the baby about ten days ago.

Anyway, just wondering if I would likely have many other snakes with them in residence.

Marcia

Here is a great link to photos of some common Florida snakes. It is a list of species seen at Lake Woodruff, but the photos and info are good for anywhere that the snakes might live. Some good pics of Florida banded waters snakes there, and some good photos of snake babies that are different from the adult form. (Like black racers, and rat snakes). Enjoy!!

Marcia

Here is a link that might be useful: Lake Woodruff Snakes

He wouldn't pose good for me, but here is one I got yesterday:

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Gary

Yep, its a Florida Banded Water Snake. Cute lil' bugger. I like how only its head is sticking out of water. It does eat mostly aquatic things such as crayfish, minnows and small frogs.