I was walking back from stapling up a target and a big guy was moving away from me quick. You snake lovers would be proud of me - I didn't immediately start figuring out how to kill it.

It was really just a dusky, sand-colored tan, with maybe a very faint darker pattern of scales. Didn’t have a rattler's head and of course no rattle. Big, 4-5'. I looked on line and in my book, but can't be positive.

Can a King snake be just a sand color? It seemed too thick, especially toward the tail, to be a Coachwhip.

Wish you had a picture! I love snake ID's.

It sounds like it could be either a Coachwhip, a species of Rat Snake, or a Prairie Kingsnake. No I've never seen an all sand colored King, but Prairie Kings are brown/sandy color with a black pattern. As with all snakes, their colors/patterns will look a little different depending on area and if they're shedding. We also have Dekay's Brownsnakes in Texas and they are pretty common, so could have been a brown too but I've never personally seen one that big.

Good on ya for not killing it.

Thanks, it's probably a Prairie King, but my book showed the range stopping east of there.

I'm not of a certain generation that whips out their phone and takes a picture of every minor life event. I prefer to be "present in the moment" and...I don't take my eyes off a snake once he's been kind enough to let me know he's there.

Anaconda looking for water?

I've seen bull snakes in that color phase, and they will definitely get that big or larger.

20' evasive python?

possibly a hooded cobra. More likely an Eastern Yellow Belly Racer if it moved quickly.



Compare pic to what you saw here

That's my guess. Had several at my last deer lease.

Imperial Dragon Viper, very deadly.

Moving quick and the color sounds like coach whip. My GF said there's only two types though, a water cobra and a land cobra

Sounds like a bull/gopher snake or possibly racer, rat snake, or coachwhip. From the description I’d put my money on a bull snake

Drab colored Bullsnake would get my vote too.....going strictly on sparse information and no pic.

Western coachwhip:



Prairie King:

Bullsnake (aka Gopher snake)…Deep in shed would be very dull colored with a pattern that shows darker towards the head and sandy/tan towards the tail

Western coachwhips around here are more dark towards the head and very light/tan towards the tail. Not heavy pattern though.

Most patterned snakes are similar color head to tail with the exception of gopher snakes and coachwhips…

Close to the house, especially if you have chickens, I’d guess rat snake.
Or, if it was dull colored a coachwhip getting ready to shed.