Found snake skin 18 1/2" in yard;2 days l8r found brood of babies froze1 need2identify potency;4smallkids;how?

Question

tight knit scale pattern brownish almost metallic in color; darker shade @ top than @ bottom and i don't mean belly even though the belly is white

Answer 1

could be a copperhead (poison).

Answer 2

Your best bet for a positive I.D. without people jumping on the first thing that pops into their mind despite your description being possible for several different types of snake and not having any idea where you live would be the following: (probably in order of simplicity and thus your likelyhood of doing them)

1. Do a search on "<your state> snake identification and either look for an identification key or sift through images of possibly dozens of different kinds of snakes native to your area.

2. Go to the library or a book store and find a field guide to snakes native to your area (either purchase for future reference or simply browse through it looking for the right snake)

3. Take the specimen to a local college biology department, museum of natural history, zoo, animal control office, etc., and ask a professional what it is.

Without knowing where you live we can't even BEGIN to narrow down what species of snake it is. The likelyhood of your children being able to get their hands on a snake is slim to none, and chances are they're nonvenomous. Learn to identify your local venomous snakes and teach your children what they look like and to avoid them (or better yet, avoid all snakes until a positive I.D. can be acquired.