Snake Identification??

[LouisianaFishNut]

Now, I know SOMEBODY on here's gonna know this....

Found a snake in my green house, but can't quite figure out what it is. If anyone here has seen this before, could you let me know what type?

Thanks!
Scott

[RetiredRR]

Non-poisonous. Blunt tail bad, sharp tail safe. Any bite from a snake is nasty and needs close attention.

[LouisianaFishNut]

Thanks RR. We bought a home that has a small green house behind it, and the previous owner had left some stuff that we haven't cleaned out yet. I walked in and smelled something dead. Found a smaller snake dead tangled in some black netting, and this bigger one stuck in it as well, but still alive. I couldn't see his whole body, so I grabbed him behind the head with some clippers. It was just over 5 ft long when I held him up, so I didn't even think about checking tail shape. I'm hoping I didn't kill a king snake, but I thought they were more speckled than this, so I'm just not clear on what it is...according to the wife, as long as it's dead, she's ok with it. Even made comments about not going in the greenhouse again. I just laughed and told her it hadn't been there since we moved in! So now, she's not going in the back yard again....(as if he couldn't move around the sides of the house)...lol gotta love it.

If anyone can help ID this thing, I'd appreciate it.

[jig rig]

rat snake

[Tracker123]

I'd have to see the head, especially the eyes. I believe RR is right though about being safe with the sharp tail.

[LouisianaFishNut]

Thanks guys. He's dead now anyway, because with young kids around all the time I couldn't take a chance it was something else. The head wasn't angular though like a cotton mouth or copperhead.

[Tracker123]

Thanks guys. He's dead now anyway, because with young kids around all the time I couldn't take a chance it was something else.

Don't blame you one bit - good call.

[stormcloud]

It's a chicken snake. Probably looking for young birds, nest with eggs in them, or rodents. Non poisonous.

[jig rig]

Thanks guys. He's dead now anyway, because with young kids around all the time I couldn't take a chance it was something else. The head wasn't angular though like a cotton mouth or copperhead.

Rat snakes go by many names. In our area they are called Texas Rat Snakes, or Chicken Snakes because they are often found near chicken coops. Normally the rat snake will be dining on the rats and mice that thrive on the grain that is so plentiful in the chicken yard but sometimes they will eat the eggs as well.

To bad you killed em. They help keep the poisonous snakes at bay. Make good pet's too.

[LouisianaFishNut]

JR, I don't normally kill snakes just to do it, especially beneficial ones, but I wasn't sure of the type, and he was also tangled pretty bad in some netting the previous owner had left in there. Wasn't interested in getting to know him well enough to get him out alive. Sorry. Thanks everyone for the help!