“I found something on the floor and thought it was maybe a thin piece of rubber (like a broken rubber band), but when I went to pick it up it moved”, states this reader in Southern Texas. “It moved like a snake but was maybe 4-5” long and very thin and tan in color.”

“It had a small triangular shaped head”, she adds before asking us if we know what it might be. Unfortunately, she was unable to take any pictures, as she immediately picked up the creature in a napkin and put it outside. “I have never seen anything like it. It definitely didn’t have any legs/feelers and wasn’t segmented.”

It sounds to us like our reader really did find a snake, though what species specifically we cannot say. Without any pictures, we cannot identify the snake with any degree of certainty. Similarly, she must take into account that it may not be a snake: we make this conclusion based solely on the description she gave us.

Regardless, if we are to assume that this is a snake, then we suppose this may be a young snake, perhaps that of a copperhead or rattlesnake, which can be beige in color. If it is either of these species, then it is good our reader got the snake out of her home, as they are venomous and very dangerous. Some species of venomous snakes are just as dangerous when they are young: their size speaks little to the danger they actually pose.

That said, this could also be a Texas blind snake. Otherwise known as the Texas slender blind snake or the Texas threadsnake, the Texas blind snake is naturally tiny. They typically measure between 5-8-inches, which would fit with the description our reader provided. These little guys are harmless, as they are nonvenomous, and are too tiny to do any real damage with a bite.

What has us doubting this conclusion is that these snakes are not typically beige, but more of a pinkish color, or a dark brown/black. Likewise, they do not have triangular heads. In any case, it is good that our reader moved the snake outside and did not take her chances.

To conclude, we think that the rubber band-like creature our reader found on her floor is indeed a snake. It might be a Texas blind snake, though it seems more likely that it is a young copperhead or rattlesnake, or something else entirely. Although we are not 100% certain of our identification, we hope that this article proves insightful for our reader nonetheless. We wish her the best.

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