Land Clearing & Snakes

[GaryBDavis]

We are clearing land for our new house/shop and I almost grabbed this guy while picking up branches.What kind of snake is this? The last picture is where he apparently lives. My vote was for a non-poisonous rat/chicken snake.

[GaryBDavis]

Pic #2

[GaryBDavis]

Pic #3

[GaryBDavis]

Pic #4

[GaryBDavis]

Pic #5

[GaryBDavis]

Pic #6

[Hib]

My vote is for a rat snake.
Check this site:
Texas Rat Snake

[BamaRob]

Yep. Gray Rat Snake to be more specific. Since you took pictures and (apparantly) didn't kill it, I assume you knew that it was a harmless species. He/she'll be good to have around to keep the mice numbers down.

When I was a kid, I reached into a many hen nests feeling for eggs and grabbed a rat snake. Many of the old timers call them "chicken snakes" due to their habit of eating eggs and chicks. I kept a Corn Snake as a pet for a while. They're closely related with similar patterns, but different color. The Corn Snake has rusty orange/brown markings as opposed to the gray/black of the Gray Rat Snake.

Nice pictures, by the way.

BR

[GaryBDavis]

No, I didn't kill it. If it's not harming me, I don't harm it and I think they do more good than bad anyway. My Dad has only seen one rattlesnake out there in the past 50 years.

[wushaw]

Yes to the previous answers, in addition most Texas/eastern rats snakes do have a slight temper if ya mess with them and they will $&(t on ya first chance.
They are great mousers....and ya don't have to feed em.