Huge green snake with black stripes

[herd]

I had to go under my house yesterday (crawl space) and came within about two feet of a huge snake, solid green background and black stripes longitudinal. The snake was curled between the cavities of 3 eight inch cement blocks. I last saw this kind of snake when I was growing up. I do believe it's non-poisonious and probably why I haven't seen any mice inside this spring.

I have been crawling under houses all my life as my dad had a pest control business. I have never seen a snake under a house before, I have to get back under there soon to add a HVAC vent/duct to my room addition. Any thoughts on what this snake is and how to get rid of him.

My first thought is to let the HVAC man worry about it, but I am trying to save some money and run the vent myself.

I seem to recall when I was young that someone said it's a king snake but haven't found this one species on google yet.

 

[ncredleg]

[.

I seem to recall when I was young that someone said it's a king snake but haven't found this one species on google yet.[/QUOTE]

King Snakes are solid black.

 

[thatguy]

I vote for a copperheaded-rattle-mocossin, but I may be wrong..

 

[dex3361]

Could it have been a big garter snake? I know they dont typically get huge (a large garter snake would be 4 foot long) but the description fits EASTERN GARTER SNAKE?

 

[herd]

Could it have been a big garter snake? I know they dont typically get huge (a large garter snake would be 4 foot long) but the description fits EASTERN GARTER SNAKE?

No garter snake, too big. I doubt also that it was a moccassin-copperhead-rattler type, since none of those have a green background, or any green at all. The black stripe pattern was similar to a rattler's black pattern tho.

 

[CurlyDave]

I do believe it's non-poisonious and probably why I haven't seen any mice inside this spring.

Tell me again why you want to get rid of it?

Leave it alone -- it is helping you out.

 

[Johndeere3720]

I do believe it's non-poisonious and probably why I haven't seen any mice inside this spring.

Tell me again why you want to get rid of it?

Leave it alone -- it is helping you out.

exactly. If it is working for you, let it get the job done.

 

[BruceWard]

Was it a prarie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ?

 

[herd]

I do not want to get rid of it as in "kill." I just don't want it under my house, I'd rather buy traps and kill my own mice. I have no problem with snakes as I live on fifty acres and rarealy do I kill one but with a jittery wife and three very small grandboys, plus my wife's chichiqua (sp), I'd prefer not to have the snake around.

 

[6thgpSF]

Herd, might be a yellow rat snake ,google E. obsoleta quadrivittata. I have the black rat snake around my parts and the big ones get over 6' long.although non poisonous I been bite a few times from them. russ