Looks just like the FL Brown Snake in my Peterson Field Guide. Yes, it is a good guy/gal.

Sure looks like a ribbon snake to me, too. It will get longer, but will stay very slim. It is a close relative to the garter snake and completely harmless, as everyone has said. Lovely creature, and SUPER pictures, Evelyn! Thanks for sharing! Marcia

Not trying to stir the pot, but both non posionous and even posionous snakes eat lots of pests we don't want in out gardens, sheds or homes. Killing them really isn't nessecary and they can be moved with a snake hook or even a shovel. Killing animals just because they are there and I don't like them seems like a poor excuse. No flame inteneded, but it would be better to throw them back in the woods. I've been bitten by a copperhead and it was my fault and I didn't kill him because he happened to be posionous and I was handling him incorrectly. I'm far from being a tree hugger, I hunt and fish, but don't think the idea of killing because you don't like an animal is very sporting. Garter snakes are great around the garden as they eat slugs and so will baby copperheads.

Nice pattern on that hoggie; most of the ones I find around here are all-black melanistics. I love their cobra impersonations! Sharon McKenzie