Where's the picture?

From the description it must be the dreaded Lasagna Snake!! Good thing the temps were cool to keep it under control.

Lavenderrgirl, Did I not put in the link?

I'll put it in again

(very funny John!)

If you look closely, he has markings on him.

I though the Carolina gang would get this guy for sure!

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Looks like a young black rat snake, Mrspaul

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:560532}}

Here's a great site for snake ID.
http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/snakes.html

Your photos does look loke a rat snake.

s.

Here is a link that might be useful: herps of NC

Seashore,
That's a great site, thanks for the link!

Yep, it's a rat snake. Congratulations on scoring a vole-eating machine in your yard!

Woohoo, I'll take him. I haven't seen a single snake since we moved in our house Feb of '04. I used to share my yard with lots of little critters (including a very healthy >7 foot black rat snake)that's favorite place was right under the lip of our sliding glass door.

I had a snake look exactly like this in my yard, a science teacher at my sons school said it was a corn snake

It's a subadult Black Racer.

Racers and Rat Snakes look an awful lot alike and the juveniles of the rat snake, the racer and the corn snake even more so but the one in the picture is a subadult racer.

They are harmless and nonvenomous.

For comparison, check out the racers, rat snakes and corn snake pictures in the NC link that seahorse linked above (there are juvenile pictures of each there) and also take a look at the two juvenile racer pictures in the South Carolina link I have posted below.

Here is a link that might be useful: black racer pictures

Wayne

Nice to meet you I looked at your page, I do not know alot about snakes, I do live in a wooded area( approx 150 acres not owned by me I have 1.5) with a large creek and often wonder about which snakes I am seeing. I look forward to having you help me identify them.

Wayne...up to now the wisdom from my other pals was it's a Juvenile Rat snake...it does look more like a racer....interesting...I saw an adult in the same area last fall....and man...she was BOOKING....I had my camera with me and I couldn;t even get a pic....and just like that she dissappeared....couldn't find her anywhere...looked by every small shrub etc...

hbwright...I started using the lasagna method with newspapers...in this case, I had some cardboard, and I weighted it down, but never got to mulching it, as it was in an area thats a Work In Process......perhaps some discreetely laid cardboard would attract some vole eating machines....I've had adult racers and corn snakes as well...but I'm yet to see the dreaded "lasagna snake"!!!

mrmet,

Glad to meet you as well. I'll be happy to id snakes you see.

msrpaul and others,

Yeah the juvenile rat snake and the juvenile racer look a lot alike so anyone who said it was a rat snake was close. I think its neat how both black rat snake and black racers have similar juvenile patterns and similar adult patterns and how both go from patterned to black.

msrpaul, I am planning a lasagna bed for probably starting this fall so maybe I'll get a lasagna snake next season. I have them in my home as pets, but none so far out in the real wilderness. I'm not about to let my babies out there.

Yeah, I think that is a poisonous snake you need to get RID of it! I don't know about y'all but I'd be running!!!!! Heck, I'd call 911 if I wuz you. That snake look so scary.... I'ma gonna have nightmares....

ha ha... it's your wife!

Here is a link that might be useful: Msrpaul & his Wife, me... Michele

Michelle, thanks for the link to your photos. You have a lovely home and a lovely family.

Oh she's a stinker! Thanks for the compliment hb. Right now, there are a hundred pots with plants looking to be put in holes yet to be dug....so many plants.....so little time....

Get busy, all I've got left is to finish mulching and edging. Oh, and to start the two new beds I want to make this season. LOL.

The dreaded lasagna snake! That ricotta cheese venom may not kill you, but I hear you wish you were dead. Cellulite that not even Dr. 90210 can do anything about.

I'll stick to copperheads. It's better to look good than to feel good.

Just kidding, ANY snake gives me the heebee-jeebees!

Oh come on puppyscurf...he was such a little guy!

The dreaded lasagna snake isn't the killer, it'
s the tiramisu!

Send it this way....along with it's brothers and sisters!