Found this critter runnin around next to our lake today when i was working.

This is in central illinois next to a small lake with neighboring "embarass river".

I was thinking it was possibly a water moccassin, but since we RARELY see even hear of them around here i wasn't sure. I almost always pick up and check out the snakes and critters around here but i had a feeling this isnt one i wanted to touch. Just very couris of what it is! Thanks.

Copperhead...aka water moccasin. You can tell them by the viper head.

A copperhead and a water moccasin are two different beasts.  That is not a copperhead.

Im guessing thats a broadbanded water snake. 

Copperhead...aka water moccasin.

Maybe you meant to say:

Cottonmouth...aka water moccasin?

My guess is northern watersnake.

http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/animals_plants/herps/species/ne_sipedon.html

It is not a copperhead, the color pattern is the oppisite of a copperhead which has the light colored ares larger than the darker color areas.

Check this list of Ill. snakes-----http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/cbd/collections/amprep/ilspecies.html

The coloration looks like a Great Plains Ratsnake

Ok. His name shall be "Phillip."

The name of this snake is whatever Micro says it is.  No need for me to take a stab at it when we have a resident snakeologist here on BR.

Come on by micro!! My mommas scared now lol. She swims in the river next to this lake so shes wondering now too!!

Here is another picture of a Northern Water Snake. I believe this is the snake. It is not a Copperhead IMHO.

http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/snake.pics/N_sipedon.gif

Harmless water snake

Harmless water snake

No such thing! It might not bite you - but it would still give me a heart attack if it showed up real sudden like.

Without snakes, we'd be overrun with rodents..in some places.

Ok. His name shall be "Phillip."

You took my smartass answer

Yep, Northern Water. caught one just like it last year at our local pond.

I have them in my pond, and they do scare the crap out me sometimes, when they sneek up on me. They'll bite if you step on them. Other than that they are harmless.

This was brought up on another board about the shape of its head.

It had a arrow head shaped head on it. Pretty much a V.

A copperhead and a water moccasin are two different beasts. That is not a copperhead.

Im guessing thats a broadbanded water snake.

X2

I assume they are all water moccasins, I stay away.................better safe than sorry.

http://www.dausettrails.com/cottonvswater.htm

My guess is northern watersnake.

http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/animals_plants/herps/species/ne_sipedon.html

x2

It is definitely not a Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin. They are only native to Southern Illinois:

Nerodia rhombifera. A K A Diamondback Watersnake non-venomous.

You took that picture in Illinois?  That limits what it could be. My best guess is a Midland Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon pleuralis).  It is a subspecies of the Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon).

http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/midlwtr.htm

In Illinois, you only have naturally occurring Cottonmouths at the extreme southern tip of the state

In the early days of the Catholic Church, when there was a question of doctrine, there arose a saying, Peter/Rome has spoken, the matter is settled.

Same thing here at BR with snakes and Micro.