Fresh roadkill laying on west shoulder of road.
This wild fast moving snake was about 4 feet long. It had very shiny scales and fled quickly to the bushes when I approached. Because the white markings were only present close to the jaw and it had glossy scales I think it is a northern black racer, though it also could have been an eastern rat snake.
Coluber constrictor is a species of non-venomous, colubrid snakes commonly referred to as the eastern racers. They are primarily found throughout the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, but they range north into Canada, and south into Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. There are currently 11 recognized subspecies.
