Need Advice Snake in my front yard and now in a box.

My son and I were throwing the football in the front yard when my son saw a snake at his feet right when I threw the football. Of course, my son took his eyes off the ball and the ball landed on the snake. I think the ball stunned the snake, because he didn't know what hit him. Anyway, I got a shovel and a box and put him in the box. I don't know if it is poisonous or not. What should I do with it? Kill it? Take it to the nature center? Drop it in the woods? I don’t want to be handling a snake without knowing what type it is. Advice?

 

It's an Eastern Garter Snake and is not poisonous. You can just let it go.

This is a really helpful website about the snakes here in Virginia. We do have Copperheads which are poisonous and this site has lots of pictures so you can become familiar with it. They do live in the neighborhoods in this area - many of my neighbors have seen them in Village of Waxpool so it's good to know what they look like.

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalso...s/eastern-gartersnake/eastern_gartersnake.htm

 

Released in the woods. Thanks.