fox snake WORD ORIGIN noun a brown-blotched nonvenomous snake, Elaphe vulpina, of north-central U.S., that vibrates its tail and emits a pungent odor when disturbed. Liberaldictionary.com
Origin of fox snake First recorded in 1855–60; apparently so called from its reddish color Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019