I'm sure this has to be a black snake, but the color is strange. This one is about 4 foot long, and behaves exactly like one, including imitating a rattlesnake by shaking it's tail. It's in our yard, and welcomed. Has anyone seen a black snake this color?
I would say its a black snake. At least I think so. I have seen them like that in the past and assumed it was one.
I get confused on the different names, but a Black snake may also be called a Black Rat snake, there's more rat snakes than I realized. Apparently they can change colors as they mature also.