Rat Snake?

[Ironwood]

Last summer my wife and I spent a few days at Lake Texana in South Texas. One day as I was taking a walk around the park I heard some titmouses really making a fuss. They were in a small tree and I thought maybe they were fussing at me. I stepped up under the tree to see if I could get a good shot of one of the birds. Was kind of a jolt when I saw what they were fussing at.......... right over my head.

 

[skeeterbait]

it's not the variety of rat snake we have in Alabama, gray rat snake, sometimes called chicken snake. ours are more gray than that with a pattern that memics a timber rattler. Yours I believe to be a Texas Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri.

 

[Ironwood]

Yep I think that's right. It is a Texas Rat Snake and it even lives in Texas. That's a neat photo you posted of the Chicken Snake.