What kind of snake is this?

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Right. Most people haven't had the experience of exposure that you and I apparently have.
I don't know where you live but in MO, it would be extremely rare for any snake here to cause a bite that would be fatal.
Snakes get a bad rap. IMHO, it is paranoia. I've spent nearly 70 years tromping around in the woods, fields and streams here and in Central America and I've never been bitten by any snake.
In the last 10 years there have only been 22 fatal snakebites in the US from native species. 2 of those were in MO. 2 others were from illegally keeping venomous pet snakes.
In my life, I've killed 2 snakes and I'm now sorry I did that. Only one was venomous - a Timber Rattler. It wasn't near dwellings, minding its own business eating rodents in a slab pile.
Snakes are native wildlife and a vital part of our ecosystem, I'm the invasive species.
 
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It is a beauty, whatever it is. Was. My guess is it had been run over by a car, leading to its demise.

We have black snakes here, also known as rat snakes. I about had a heart attack the first year I was here (2010) when my husband called me to help him with two he found eating eggs in our hen house. I panicked and grabbed a shovel and we dispatched both of them. They were easily six feet long and nearly as big around as my thigh, which explains my hysteria. Where I come from, there are rattlesnakes and bull snakes, and neither get anywhere near that big! These monsters felt like alien life forms to me...

Later I wished we had relocated them but I don't know if that would have been possible. We've seen black snakes since then, but nothing like those two. I normally don't mind snakes but those flat turned me inside out. I took pics but didn't save them.
 
Normally I wouldn't, but I totally lost my mind in that instance. The only other reason I would is if it's in close proximity to my kids. I don't want a venomous snake taking up residence in my carport, sorry. There's plenty of forest around here for snakes to hang out in.
 
IMHO, snakes won't take up residence in places where humans frequent unless there are lots of places for rodents to hide. That is their food source and why they are here.
Clear out those vermin hiding places and there won't be any snakes.
 
My cats had this one surrounded. I got him in a bucket and brought him to the back of the pasture. I used to be terrified of snakes, and while I’m still scared, I realize their place in nature, so I try not to harm them. Still don’t want to touch them though...
266680AF-3A33-4CAA-96FF-49FB49BB78D9.jpeg
 

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