Please help me identify this snake.....?

It is living in my garden shed. It is near 6 feet long. Skinny, long, black. my husband says it has hazy blue round eyes. I am in Southeast, IL bordering MO. We have a small wooded area in our back yard. Any ideas?

Please help me identify this snake.....?
It is a black rat snake. Black racers are found in southern Illinois, but they don't get anywhere close to six feet in length. If you have a rat snake in your shed, that means you have rodents in there as well. Don't worry about the snake. It wants nothing to do with you, and as soon as the rodents are gone, it will leave also.
Reply:It was most likely a black rat snake. They are common in that area. Your husband probably saw it when it was getting ready to shed, hence the hazy blue eyes. I wouldn't be worried about it; they are really great mousers. My parents had a vole colony in their front yard, and the little rodents made tunnels just under the grass, making a maze of dead grass everywhere they had a tunnel. Nothing worked to get them to go away until a pair of black rats moved in under the front porch. Needless to say, Mom wasn't very thrilled about having two 6 foot snakes under her porch, but now the grass is lush and green again in the front yard. : D
Reply:Sounds Like a Black Racer is a long, fairly slender snake with back, sides and belly colored plain black. Usually there is some white color on the chin and the throat. The scales are smooth, without keels, and the anal plate is divided.

when threatened, the Black Racer will move into bushes or small trees. When annoyed by a person it becomes very aggressive and strikes out at its tormentor. And its bite can be rather painful.So If It Is a Black Racer Please Be Carefull And Get It Removed If Possible
Reply:If it is a black rat snake, then his underside will be sort of white checked with black. The other possiblity is a black racer, but this snake is jet black and has different facial features. Not to worry though, neither of these snakes are harmful to humans. Also if his eyes appear blue he must be getting ready to shed his skin.

Black Rat Snake- http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/islandcreekes/...

Black Racer- http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images...
Reply:Sounds like a black snake, or maybe a black racer-not sure if they're up that far north though. Go to your state's wildlife website, usually they have photos and descriptions of the snakes and other critters that are found in your state.

If it's a non poisonous one, I'd let it be. Keeping your rodent and bug population down.
Reply:hazy blue eyes, means it's getting ready to shed.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksnake

Probably a rat snake or a racer.
Reply:it is most likely to be a black rat snake i don't know what else it would be but you don't have to worry if it is a rat snake they are not poisonous
Reply:probably a black rat snake....



~kin
Reply:So that's where my EX is. Snake H..
Reply:black rat snake more then likely