I had a visitor yesterday while working in the garden tending my  figs.

I have a pretty good idea of who she is but would like confirmation from someone more familiar with reptiles.

When I first saw her she had a mouthful of frog but swallowed quickly to better make her getaway. What a beautiful specimen!

By the way, we are near water.

I'm pretty sure it was NOT a water moccasin based on a couple of things.

She was by no means aggressive. The first thing she did to was to slither under some black plastic and curl up. When prodded, she quickly made her getaway. I didn't get too close, but could not see any large pits on her snout nor cotton in her mouth. I think it was a black/brown water snake. These snakes also have an arrow shaped head, but are non poisonous. Earlier in the day I saw an even bigger one but didn't have my camera. Spring time in Tallahassee!

Here's one I found in google images:

The head in the first pic sure is triangular looking. Better to be extra careful than sorry with a wrong ID.

We have rattlers here (and gopher and king snakes) and they do take away some of the carefree aspects of gardening.

Im glad I live in Canada for once lol.

That snake looks short and stocky to me and so are water moccasins.  The head looks very triangular, as well.  About what was the length of this snake?

As for the eyes, I wouldn't get close enough to look at the eyes of any snake with a triangular head.  If it's got a triangular head, I'm going to beat feet away from it.

If you have a long enough stick, next time you see it, make it strike at the stick and you'll know if it has a white mouth inside.  (Not.)

I'm not for indiscriminately killing snakes, but poisonous ones would have to go.

Gina, you're so lucky to have gopher and king snakes.  I never see larger snakes around here, only little ones.  Once I was moving a brush pile out front and when I lifted of a section of it, a little snake came out striking and acting all big and bad--all 6", of it, if even that.  I pinned it down with the grass rake and took a good look.  It was a little hog-nosed snake and was huffing and puffing, loaded for bear.  They are so funny.  They rear up and flare like cobras almost.  It was so cute.  I picked it up and the first thing it did was poop all over my hand and that really stank.  I took it to the back yard and let it go out there.

Seriously, though.....

Here's my first brown water snake/cottonmouth from more than 10 years ago when I was clearing the area of brush. 

I don't know, even though I live in Florida under the  (in my opinion...barbaric), 'Stand Your Ground'  law, I have misgivings about killing any snake, including a cottonmouth. Any creature that gives humans the willies gains my  respect in more ways than one.

I think the guy is kinda cute.  He's sure cuter than that picture of Carrot Top, if that's who the small photo is.  Why do people want to go around with their pants falling off like that?  Now THAT'S real scary to me.

I still think your snake is a moccasin, FMD, so be careful.  I hope it turns out to be a water snake, but its neck is skinnier and the jaws look wider, but it's not a real clear photo of its head.

The pictures I saw of moccasins all looked so different, but the articals said they can be all patterns and colors.  The moccasins I've seen here are very dark.  Mike almost stepped on one lakeside when we were fishing with the kids.  The good thing is it was quite cool that morning and Mike froze then stepped slowly away from it and we went to fish elsewhere after we all got a good look at it, from a distance.

noss

Are you sure that's not a Brown Turkey?  Water Cotton Brown Turkey, maybe?

Hey man, I ate goat, chicken hearts, cow tongue and crickets for lunch today, I'd still rather eat that or a snake than I'd eat a Brown Turkey.