Found camping in St. Cloud area. We are arguing either bull snake, Or Rattle Snake. It’s too small to see any rattles, but was shaking the tail kinda. I gotta admit it does have a viper looking head. Never heard of a rattlesnake around here. What say you?
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That would be a bull snake.
Fairly classic colors. Some get really dark.
Bull snake. And shaking their tail is a known behavior of Bull snakes, make you think it’s a Rattler.
Hope you saved it for Brian 
Definitely a bullsnake as others have said. In bluff country along the river they’re plentiful. Hopefully you left it alone as they’re great at killing mice and other rodents.
Bull Snake x4. Very cool! Thank you for sharing!
There is only one kind of snake – the kind I want dead. I really hate those things. I think I dislike them even worse than Brian. I know I know. They are good creatures. I don’t care, I hate them. Snakes are the only thing I don’t feel bad for when I see them dead on the road.
There is only one kind of snake – the kind I want dead. I really hate those things. I think I dislike them even worse than Brian. I know I know. They are good creatures. I don’t care, I hate them. Snakes are the only thing I don’t feel bad for when I see them dead on the road.
I’m the same way 
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
There is only one kind of snake – the kind I want dead. I really hate those things. I think I dislike them even worse than Brian. I know I know. They are good creatures. I don’t care, I hate them. Snakes are the only thing I don’t feel bad for when I see them dead on the road.I’m the same way
And I will still steal around them! Even dead I believe they will still jump up onto my trucks frame and crawl into the cab by the way that they only know how to!!
Being I have no clue what sort of any snake is…. twice now when on pool 9 I’ve had encounters that I don’t want to have again. One where a snake swam and came into the boat back by the motor. The other I was fishing overhanging trees and noticed one on a branch about a foot from my head. I want nottin to to do with any of them.
I use to anchor up in a back slew and sleep in the boat for two nights to fish during the day…. less comfortable doing it now.
Are there any snakes that swim that aren’t bad for ya?
This is a massausagua rattlesnake, can be found along the Mississippi and tributaries and range from Southern Ontario southward thru the midwestern states. I’ve had an encounter or two with them on sandbars near Wabasha. They will swim and have no aversion to doing so. They tend to be nervous little snakes and seldom get more than a couple feet in length.
Notice the color similarities between the rattlesnake and the pictured snake above. If you look closely at the one in the original post you may note the triangular head, typical of rattlesnakes while a bull snake will have a rounder head I think. The thing with the Massausagua is that it has less well developed rattles, if any other than a hard nub or two.
The top picture could easily be one of these rattlesnakes. Do a BING search on the rattlesnake and you’ll be gifted with a bazillion different color variations of the rattler. This picture was taken from the BING site.
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Hope you saved it for Brian
Here’s a nice Brian sized snake from the Hastings area….fairly close to his water and land homes.
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This is a massausagua rattlesnake, can be found along the Mississippi and tributaries and range from Southern Ontario southward thru the midwestern states. I’ve had an encounter or two with them on sandbars near Wabasha. They will swim and have no aversion to doing so. They tend to be nervous little snakes and seldom get more than a couple feet in length.
Notice the color similarities between the rattlesnake and the pictured snake above. If you look closely at the one in the original post you may note the triangular head, typical of rattlesnakes while a bull snake will have a rounder head I think. The thing with the Massausagua is that it has less well developed rattles, if any other than a hard nub or two.
The top picture could easily be one of these rattlesnakes. Do a BING search on the rattlesnake and you’ll be gifted with a bazillion different color variations of the rattler. This picture was taken from the BING site.
I have to agree. I was going to let it slide, but looking at the head of the original picture and it’s shape, made me think it was a rattler.
There is only one kind of snake – the kind I want dead. I really hate those things. I think I dislike them even worse than Brian. I know I know. They are good creatures. I don’t care, I hate them. Snakes are the only thing I don’t feel bad for when I see them dead on the road.
A friend bought an old hobby farm by Cannon Falls in the 70’s. The kitchen was an addition that was on posts instead of a foundation under it. A bull snake lived under the kitchen and would hang on their lilac bushes to sun itself. Mel let the snake alone because he knew it was eating mice but Mel’s wife had her father catch and kill the snake.
Within a week the house was over run with mice, after a few days of mice Mel trapped a bull snake and released it under the kitchen. The mice disappeared and the family and snake lived together happily ever after.
3x on rattlesnake, based off head.
3x on rattlesnake, based off head.
If one really studies that head he can see those infamous pits between eyes and the nose. Gotta look carefully because they blend well but I’m just about positive that they are there.
That does look really similar Tom. I guess we will never know. Stretched out he was about 10” long. I’m glad my dog didn’t get bit. We had him tied to one of those screw in anchors and all of the sudden he was going nuts, I kept scolding him, until I realized he was focused on something, so I investigated and found this. All I know was when I was working down south (Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana etc.) I was told most anything with a triangular head was venomous, rounded was not. I really have a hard time believing it was a rattlesnake, but it sure looked like one. We were about a mile from the Mississippi River as the crow flies, but like 1/4 mile from a smaller river that dumps into Mississippi.
Who the hell uses Bing?
Are we just going to ignore this?
Who the hell uses Bing?
Are we just going to ignore this?
Yes lol. Best to let this one go
Timber rattlers are seeing their stomping grounds being decimated here in the SE but they’re still here in reduced numbers. The Massasagua I have no idea how well dispersed they are but I know first hand they’re along the Mississippi in this area and they do range from Ontario south thru the Midwest so one cannot discount them. I’ve seen a pile of bull snakes up close and personal and none has ever had a head the shape of the one in the picture at the top.
And “Who the hell uses Bing?”….obviously you, the uninformed, do not.
So this bull snake looks a lot like the OP’s.
Pulled back it might his head look triangular.
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Lol. This pretty much sums up my yesterday. 6 adults debating, googling, looking at pictures. Then the kids from the family that were sleeping in a tent started asking questions, and right then every adult agreed it was a bull snake. As nobody wanted to scare the kids. Then my dumb ass scared them. I was fiddling with my phone at the fire, and I Looked concerned and said huh. Then one guy said what’s up? Then I said they’re talking about a prison break on Facebook (we were fairly close to the St. Cloud prison) I thought a little camp fire scare would be fun. It was not seen that way by some of the more sheltering parents. 😑
Gentlemen, this could be a Hognose snake they have a triangle shape head too. I have collected many Herps and this sure looks like one. They will vibrate there tail like a bull snake and puff up their body and head to imitate a rattler.
I’d say it’s 99% a bull snake
I’ve walked up on them by my place (Chisago county-sand/gopher country) more than a few times.
They’ll flatten their head, hiss, and shake their tail when you scare them….and it will scare the crap out of a human lol
I had a big f-er stand up one time and it looked like a cobra with how far it flared it’s head 
Snakes here don’t scare me, but that one did!
I actually had a garter snake pull a Cobra position on me. I was young and it kind of worked to his advantage. I left him alone after that.
I’m not an expert but I’m convinced you found a juvenile massasauga rattlesnake. Apparently they are very rare in MN, and perhaps only ever have been seen in Wabasha County. Consider reporting the snake to the DNR and Amphibian & Reptile Survey of Minnesota (links below). They could help with the ID and would probably be very interested in it if it’s a rattler.
https://www.mnherps.com/species/sistrurus_catenatus
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/contact/index.html
https://www.mnherps.com/submit
I’d say it’s 99% a bull snake
I’ve walked up on them by my place (Chisago county-sand/gopher country) more than a few times.
They’ll flatten their head, hiss, and shake their tail when you scare them….and it will scare the crap out of a human lol
I had a big f-er stand up one time and it looked like a cobra with how far it flared it’s head
Snakes here don’t scare me, but that one did!
Growing up where you live now i have caught more bull snakes then i could count. And some will spook a guy lol.
What the HELL?!
Please DON’T be talking about or saving snakes for me!
I held one several years ago and I’m done with them. (if I can help it!)
I’m into spiders now. You know they say we all eat 100 spiders in our sleep over our life time….
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