Snakes will eat things that want to eat your corn. I'd let him be. He won't hurt you.

I think your neighbors IDed it correctly, based on pictures in the link below. Scroll down about 1/4 the way for a good photo of one.

BTW, that page has good pics of some other lovelies as well.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Rat Snake

Do you prefer rats to Rat Snakes?
I would love to find these guys in my vegetable garden. I sympathize that you find them repulsive, but please don't harm them. They have no intention of harming you or your garden.

You're very lucky! Some gardeners pay a lot of money to import beneficials to their gardens. That snake will eat all kinds of things out to eat your crops! He or she is also completely organic and 100% vegetable safe.

The snake wouldn't have come if rats, mice, voles, moles, rabbits, etc. weren't already visiting your garden.

Snakes do not eat gardeners!

You have a type of black ratsnake there, ( Elaphe obsoletta ssp.).It looks very much like the subspecies we have here in KY. Everyone is right, as these are very beneficial creatures. They eat a lot of rodents. Yours is going to be shedding it's skin very soon. I can tell by the milky coloration of it's eyes. We call this condition "opaque". They are best left alone at this time because they can't see very well while in this condition , and are very nervous when they sense anything close by.You are very lucky to have neighbors like this.
garbird

I understand the benefits but OMG I'd be running the other direction. It's only been about a year that I wouldn't go screaming inside when I saw a grass snake. Anything bigger than a grass snake would probably make me hurt myself trying to get away.

Snakes are important in the grand scheme of things. I realize they might scare you, but if they are non venomous, try to make peace with them.

Ditto on what everyone else has said. A snake is a great friend to have in your garden. I have a beautiful 2 foot long garter snake that's been around in my yard for years. It's always so much fun when I see him again each spring for the first time. Just don't make any fast moves around your snake, talk nicely to him/her, and maybe it'll decide to stick around and give you years of varmit free gardening joy!

I haven't seen a snake since I moved here. I wouldn't mind a rat snake or two to discourage the squirrels. Actually, I like snakes much better than I do spiders, although I really am trying to come to terms with the spiders in my garden. (Spiders in my house still send me screaming.)

I have a couple little water gardens. I love the frogs and toads it attracts. But it attracts snakes too..........big northern water snakes. Its taken some self-control to not relocate them, but I think I'm accepting them. I just don't want to see them eating my frogs. I've rescued several frogs out of their mouths. I have real conflicted feelings about having the snakes here. But when I accept that nature knows what she's doing, then I'm not quite as conflicted. I told the snakes they could stay, provided they never eat in front of me. haha
Many times we humans think outside the circle (of life). It does take a bit of practice, but I think its the best way to go. Good luck with accepting the snakes.

its just your average variety corn,rat chicken snake.

On top of everything, if this may console you, when the raccoons come to get your corn, they will get the snake too. That's how I keep losing my snakes. Sometimes they leave it dead on the ground for a day before resolving to eat it.

Just think of it as a hair-less leg-less kitty cat, protecting your corn from varmints.

Mike

You're funny. You remind me of my deceased Granny (bless her soul) whenever she saw a snake, be it live or on t.v. she would get all jumpy and demand in not so Christian language to get rid of it or turn the t.v. I am glad we don't have any venemous snakes on this side of the Cascades. All snakes over on this side are helpful.

I know the day is coming when I find the booger in my garden...I am very careful when it comes to where I step and where I put my hands...I know they will be there at some time or another...I'll probably have a racing heart problem or maybe pee on myself ..Ok you're probably right...both.

LOL mike1970......."a hairless, legless kitty cat". hahahaha
Works for me!

I have a rat snake, a good four or five foot long one who lives in my cellar. When we replaced the old wooden door, to a new metal one, I was fearful that we would trap it inside, but that dude flattened itself out and although it took it a good five minutes squeezed through a crack in the door sill. We sometimes see it curled up in a ball in a hole in the stone foundation. We leave it alone, as we'd rather have it than rats and figure it lives down there because there is a food source. We just look twice before picking up hoe handles or hoses, because that's how hubby found it the first time, thought it was a black hose. LOL.

Samuel L. Jackson will take care of the snake problem for you.

{{gwi:49416}}

Hey,

Ship that puppy up here! I'll bet that bad boy would end my rabbit troubles. My wife thinks they're cute. I think they're wasteful freeloaders.

Of course, that in my garden would end my wife problem in the garden as well. Her reaction last time I showed her a little bitty snake was something along the lines of "AAAAAHHHHHH!!!! GET AWAY! GET AWAY! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!"