Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in Kentucky in an area of heavy woods. The other day I saw this guy on my patio. He was about 4-5 feet in length. I'm scared of snakes but I know that they are helpful in controlling the rodent poplation and I have moles, voles and chipmunks that need to be brought under control. I'm attaching a photo. Here's the address in case it doesn't work in the message.
http://www.geocities.com/butchauction/snake1.jpg

I've searched the internet, including a site on snakes of Kentucky, but I can't find anything like him. Can anyone help?
Thanks

I am, up front, not absolutely certain, except for the fact that the snake is a non-venomous colubrid. That said, my first thought was rat snake, but upon further study, I believe it may well be a prairie kingsnake. Especially if you are in western Kentucky. The prairie king (Lampropeltis calligaster) has a spotted as well as a dark phase, & they are highly variable. You may find a dozen, & none will look exactly alike.

Thanks. I live in suburban Louisville which is in the north central part of the state. Does the range of the prarie kingsnake extend that far east?

Elaphe obsoleta ssp.

In Louisville you are in an intergradient zone between The Gray Rat Snake and the Black Rat Snake. That's likely what it is.

AHA! I didn't realize the grays & blacks intergraded. My first thought was black, but the blotches threw me. Then I thought gray, but it was way too dark. Like I said on the old forum, Oldherper...you're good!

~~Greg~~

.

Talk about variable...that guy is almost striped.
Its a black ratsnake which is exhibiting very light coloration, much like that of its very close kin, the Texas rat. Thay can be even lighter than that, and as dark as solid black. Kentucky seems to be a melting pot where more morphs than normal occur.
-----
...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

This is something I'm quite familiar with so heres what we have here.
First off, Louisville (Jefferson county) is the extreme eastern range of the prairie king. This is A Jefferson county specimen.
Rat snake do not intergrade in the Louisville area like someone mentioned. It has been determined that the area of gray x black rat intergradation occurs in a small area in western Ky. This would be Union, Christian, Ohio, and Hopkins counties. East and west of there they are considered black rat snakes. Most Ky black rats do show some pattern to them however.
The snake that was posted was clearly a rat snake.

Its a rat snake. Just curious, what county is that in?