Nice Pictures! I can answer your question. That black snake is a black rat snake. Was that midland water snake (subspecies of the northern water snake) found at LaRue Road. I have never found a midland water there before. In fact I don't think I know anyone who has seen one there either. I'm sure they have a good population there, but it surprises me that you saw one. They generally inhabit lakes, creeks and rivers. One doesn't usually see a midland or northern water snake in cypress swamp. I have seen them up north in oxbow lakes. I did see a midland water snake at Mingo swamp in a ditch, but that is far as my northern water snake experience goes. Nice find. Ryan

Kaylyn, So much of what you posted here is completely false. If this snake were to bite you it would probably not even break the skin. Even if it did this snake is completely harmless (i.e. produces no venom) so you wouldn't get sick even if you let it chew on you. I have kept and bred cornsnakes and have been bitten by dozens of them. Catching a kingsnake and letting it loose under your house or in your yard won't do anything to protect you from other snakes. If there were food and appropriate conditions for a kingsnake in your yard, one would already live there. If you released on there, it would just leave. Saying the only snakes you shouldn't kill are kingsnakes and greensnakes further reinforces the fact that you really know very little about snakes. There are dozens of completely harmless species of snakes in most areas of the country. Kingsnakes are not normally black with white rings. They are only black with white rings in one small part of their range (i.e. the west coast of the US). People don't get mad when you kill snakes because they are scared of them. In fact, just the opposite is true. People kill snakes because they are scared of them. Some people get mad when you kill snakes because killing snakes out of fear and ignorance like this serves no purpose. It doesn't make anyone safer. In fact, trying to kill snakes significantly increases your chances of a bite. People are bitten and hospitalized every year in this country by snakes they were trying to kill. If they had just left them alone, the people would have been unharmed. Lastly, many people come here to learn about snakes so that they won't be afraid and won't need to kill them out of ignorance. When someone posts a question here, they come for information, not old wive's tales. If you are so pathologically afraid of snakes that you need to kill them, I understand. With a bit of education about the realities of snakes, you can dissipate that fear. But spreading fear and misinformation here doesn't contribute to the larger cause.

I google for "__animal name__" of "__location__" and it works quite well http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/snakes_of_virginia.htm  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_water_snake http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/northern_water_snake  Northern Water Snake baby ... they are strongly marked compared to the adults.

Anyone living or playing outside the concrete jungle in Tx should learn to id the 4 venomous snakes indigenous to Tx because there are so many different kinds that are harmless. Two are easy. Coral will never be confused with others if you remember "red touch black,friend of Jack,red touch yellow kill a fellow". Rattler,,,,,,,,,you will know him when you see him,nuff said. That leave's Copperhead and Cottonmouth which have hundreds of look alikes. Unlike imposters,both have elliptical eye pupils like a cat. If you have someone show you pits in both their heads and lack of in imposters,that will help also. BTW,most Texans call all large harmless species "chicken snakes"but that's because so few know the proper names.