What kind is it? It looks unusual with those ripples down it's body. As long as they don't surprise me, then it's time to give a big ol' waahaa! and a jump in the air.
Black Racer. I hate snakes too. But I liked the year I had a big black snake living in my stacks. No mice nests that year.
It is a black rat snake. They get the curves when distressed and sort of caught to far from cover. Not poisonous of course and as they eat mice and also copper heads which we occasionally see, I like having them around. But they do give you a little start when you first see them
Wow, he looks large. I count on the local stray cats to keep the mice away, and I never even see the cats except on my Ring camera.
Thanks for the info. The cat does his part but he can't get in the stacks or under them so snakes are more than welcome here. I've never seen a black rat snake, seems all we have is pine (eastern fox) snakes, garter, common water snake and redbellied which are tiny but eat lots of bugs/slugs. Snakes swimming do bad things to me, start the boat and get the hades out of there.
Reminds me of a time I was swimming in a farm pond and encountered a giant water snake. I got the flock out and grabbed the biggest limb I could find.
I don't mind snakes at all but wife, not so much. For years I was doing catch/release but lately she's been using the shovel. We don't see many black snakes. That's a nice one.
