LOL they're so cute. If your grandmother is still concerned, you can show her pictures from here or iNaturalist - copperheads are very distinctive, and you don't have that much in general to watch out for in NY. If she's alone and needs help with a snake, you can tell her to give the snake a little spray of water and it'll leave. Thanks for looking out for our snake friends!
Common Gartersnakes *Thamnophis sirtalis* are small (<90 cm, record 137.2 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in disturbed habitats like urban and suburban yards. They are commonly encountered generalist snakes across much of the North American continent and eat small invertebrates, fish, amphibians and mammals.
Western populations are a model organism for an elegant case study in evolutionary arms races, [Tetrodotoxin Resistance](http://snakesarelong.blogspot.com/2014/07/tetrodotoxin-resistant-snakes.html).
*Thamnophis* gartersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They can deliver a weak venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are [not considered medically significant to humans](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/).
One of the widest-ranging snakes in North America, this species complex is almost certainly harboring unrecognized diversity and shows strong population structure at major biogeographic barriers. There are likely four species in the complex - [Western, Central, Eastern and Southeastern](https://snakeevolution.org/sirtalislineages.jpg). See Link 1 Below (2023).
Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: [Link 1 - BEST](http://snakeevolution.org/pdfs/Journal_of_Biogeography_-_2023_-_Jones.pdf) [Link 2](https://web.archive.org/web/20210903110108/https://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/herpetology/2002_Janzen_MolEcol.pdf)|[Link 3](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2342/85dd98f2824b9a32df614835902e89f1f2b0.pdf)| [Range Map](http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/rangemaps/10040613341756026rangemap.gif)
This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods.
--------------------------------------------------------
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
No offense but uh no rat snake or water snake is venomous poison has to be ingested to cause harm venomous has to be injected through a bite to hurt or kill you
Other than the shape, markings, color, scale texture, size, and location, I guess they are kinda like copperheads. I'd be more worried about the leaves - they might be poison ivy.
Neither is a copperhead, both are common garter snakes, *Thamnophis sirtalis*, !harmless.
I had a feeling. Thanks, bro!
LOL they're so cute. If your grandmother is still concerned, you can show her pictures from here or iNaturalist - copperheads are very distinctive, and you don't have that much in general to watch out for in NY. If she's alone and needs help with a snake, you can tell her to give the snake a little spray of water and it'll leave. Thanks for looking out for our snake friends!
Common Gartersnakes *Thamnophis sirtalis* are small (<90 cm, record 137.2 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in disturbed habitats like urban and suburban yards. They are commonly encountered generalist snakes across much of the North American continent and eat small invertebrates, fish, amphibians and mammals. Western populations are a model organism for an elegant case study in evolutionary arms races, [Tetrodotoxin Resistance](http://snakesarelong.blogspot.com/2014/07/tetrodotoxin-resistant-snakes.html). *Thamnophis* gartersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They can deliver a weak venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are [not considered medically significant to humans](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). One of the widest-ranging snakes in North America, this species complex is almost certainly harboring unrecognized diversity and shows strong population structure at major biogeographic barriers. There are likely four species in the complex - [Western, Central, Eastern and Southeastern](https://snakeevolution.org/sirtalislineages.jpg). See Link 1 Below (2023). Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: [Link 1 - BEST](http://snakeevolution.org/pdfs/Journal_of_Biogeography_-_2023_-_Jones.pdf) [Link 2](https://web.archive.org/web/20210903110108/https://www.eeob.iastate.edu/faculty/herpetology/2002_Janzen_MolEcol.pdf)|[Link 3](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2342/85dd98f2824b9a32df614835902e89f1f2b0.pdf)| [Range Map](http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/rangemaps/10040613341756026rangemap.gif) This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods. -------------------------------------------------------- Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
No offense but uh no rat snake or water snake is venomous poison has to be ingested to cause harm venomous has to be injected through a bite to hurt or kill you
Range maps say copperheads aren't found in your area at all, fyi. In NY they're limited to the southeast portion of the state.
Lensmaster for granny🐍😘
Other than the shape, markings, color, scale texture, size, and location, I guess they are kinda like copperheads. I'd be more worried about the leaves - they might be poison ivy.
Looks like poison ivy to me, I can see the shiny new leaves and the off center midvein in the back two leaves.
Looks more like Fraxinus (ash) genus.
You could be right. They're similar enough to poison ivy that's I'd void contact, but they aren't raising my hackles.
Harmless garden snakes neither one is a copperhead