Measurements also help. Turtle measurements include only the shell and not the body. Remove the turtle and measure the distance between the lines. A third measurement is the shell height, which can be important in identifying box turtles. In general, the markings on the belly and back of New York's snakes are fairly distinctive.
Venomous snakes have vertical pupils and a pit on either side of the face.
This summer we worked with the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit at Cornell to produce a poster showing the status of the Herp Atlas. We are also working on a website with SUNY Cortland that will focus on involving school kids with amphibians and reptiles and the Herp Atlas.