SNAKE IN POWDER RMTHIN BROWN RED YELLOWDONT KNOW WHAT KiND

VERY LONG SNAKE WAS JIGGLING ACROSS THE TILE ON A FIRST FLOOR LEVEL.SCARED THE COMPANY..ALOT..IT DISAPPEARED UNDER THE VANITY NEAR SOME PIPING..WHAT IS THE KIND..IS IT DANGEROUS? WE STUFFED THE HOLE WITH A PAPER TOWEL..NOW WILL DIE UNDER THERE OR FIND A WAY OUT.PRETTY UNEXPECTED SCARE FOR SOMEONE VISITING..WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY IF THAT HELPS. MOSTLY TURTLE SHELL COLOR.BUT THE SURPRISED GUEST SAID IT HAD SOME RED FLECKS ON IT THANKS

Hi there;

You said you live in the Quaker state (Penn.) so that rules out many species. I know that some snakes can appear to be very long but could you post back with an approx. size? Say approx. have many tiles long. Use those as a gauge, ex. one tile = 3 inch square. Size is important because it is necessary to determine if the snake is a juvenile. Often juvenile snakes are vastly different in pattern and coloration than the adults.

If you are worried about contact with the animal it is very easy to humanely remove the unwelcome guest from your home.

Turn off all heat to the bath if possible and provide a source of heat like a hot water bottle on the floor in plain site. Also place near the hot water bottle an open can of chicken soup. The molecules in the fat of the chicken soup will attract the hapless critter and you will be able to snatch it up. Use an old pillow case which you can toss onto the snake. Once the snake is covered by the pillow case, gently turn the pillow case inside out over the snake and tie to close. Relocate your party crasher to a nice field or a wooded area. Though I would urge extreme caution until you know if you have a copperhead or not. Copperheads do love water but usually avoid human habitats. The reds and orange/yellows of a copperhead are distinctive and the pattern is bold. Did your snake have a pattern at all? My gut thoughts are that you have a common water snake ( no pun intended) which does have a red phase coloration. Beware, water snakes are notoriously aggressive when cornered. Though not poisonous they can deliver a nasty bite. I suggest you use winter gloves or work/garden gloves for the capture and handling. If you are still shy about the removal, I am sure that you can contact one of the many fine herp societies in your neck of the woods who can steer you to some one who will gladly do the deed.