Foo - Can you identify this snake? (Virginia)

About 10" long, bright orange belly. Too small to see the shape of the pupils. Found in my back yard in central Virginia. Thoughts?

Could it be a northern red bellied snake?

Looks like an earthsnake or maybe a mole kingsnake. How long is it?

red belly water snake or some relative looks like

doesn't have the typical big triangular head or blotches/spots so it isn't poisonous

Could it be a northern red bellied snake?

Thanks SB. 'Could be true - that's on my short list... I'd expect the two black stripes and 3 whitish spots on the head to be more pronounced, but I still think it might be true.

Love me some Rt-15 diner food, btw.

Thanks All! I found it in my back yard, a dry, wooded area, under a brush pile, btw.

Funny, the neighbor swears it is a baby copperhead (doesn't look like any of the pics of juveniles I've seen) and I gave the description to a pest control expert (who removes all sorts of animals including reptiles) who stated with assurance that it is a garter snake (I don't think garter snakes in VA ever have orange bellies).

I was thinking earthsnake as well, but they don't usually have such a strikingly distinct underbelly, from what I'm reading. Northern red-bellied snake seems the best bet so far?

That's the rare Virginia Cobra....the deadliest snake in the world. It can kill you just by spitting at you. I'd stay far away from that thing.

Eastern smooth earth?

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/virginiavvaleriae.htm

People always accuse cornsnakes and milksnakes of being copperheads. That one doesn't look like any of the 3 though.

I am going to change my vote to red bellied snake as well.

It is not a copperhead. Even the babies have distinct markings.

It's a baby Incredibly Deadly Viper. Incrediblus Mortalus Viperius.

http://www.mcwetboy.net/snakesonfilm/images/lemonysnicket.jpg

Completely harmless.

Funny, the neighbor swears it is a baby copperhead (doesn't look like any of the pics of juveniles I've seen)
There are 3 kinds of poisonous snakes in VA -- copperhead, timber rattler, and cottonmouth. There is no way in hell this pic is of any of those.

Red bellied snake seems the best bet, but even if that is not correct, it's a beneficial critter.

The ever dreaded and always avoided "Digital Camera shot" snake. Avoid them at all costs. They will take your attention away from mounting your bike and riding away.

Virginia Striatula: Rough Earth Snake
http://www.kingsnake.com/dfw/checklist/snakes/virginia_striatula.htm
http://www.kingsnake.com/dfw/checklist/snakes/V.striatula1.jpg

One other funny thing... after I got it in a box it got like rigor - just totally froze solid for like an hour. I released it away from the the house (as I still was uncertain whether somehow copperheads look like this when babies, before developing a more pronounced arrow-shaped head and yellow tail) and hope it came back to it's senses. Eastern red-bellied snake or whatever it is, next time I'll let 'er hang out and enjoy the worms and slugs. Thanks again!

For future reference, this is a copperhead.
http://scienceblogs.com/clock/upload/2007/02/copperhead.jpg

Just found this page with what someone calls a "brown phase" red-bellied:

http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/25198583

Jackpot!