Great Plains Rat Snake

Thank you!

Amazon link provided here for the book I mentioned. I've also seen this in local bookstores and at gift shops of Missouri Department of Conservation Nature Centers.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Amphibians-Rep...

Hi Amanda! I'm over in Columbia, MO, and am familiar with most of our snakes in the state. That looks like a Great Plains Rat Snake to me. Those dotted markings on the top of its head that form a triangular point are very similar to the picture of a Great Plains Rat Snake in Tom R. Johnson's book "The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri." (highly recommended book by the way, if you are into Missouri herps)

Great Plains Rat Snake is actually one of the categorizations we received in Facebook comments - rat snake in general was the conclusion I had come to (I mostly cared to know that it wasn't poisonous before trying to pick it up to put it back outside), though some people also indicated bull snake. The band across his eyes was throwing me. (I keep saying 'he' but really have no idea as to the gender of the snake.)

The MO state website that Mandy posted is actually how we got as far in categorizing it as we did. :)

Thanks for all the comments so far!!

The colors appear to be those of the Great Plains Rat Snake. We often get the gray rat snakes AKA Oak Snakes in our house. We just carefully catch them and return them outdoors :)

Yeah, Janson is right, with that eyestripe, it's gotta be a ratsnake.

Here's a nice guide to the snakes of Missouri:
http://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/re...

You might be too far south for the Western Fox Snake's range, though...

Looks similar to this spotting by @marylou.wildlife
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/113...
Hers was a Western Fox Snake (Pantherophis vulpinus), and it was in Iowa.

Cute! I want one in MY house too!