Black Rat Snake

Description:

Pantherophis obsoletus prefers heavily wooded areas and is known for having excellent climbing ability, including the ability to climb the trunk of large mature trees without the aid of branches.

Habitat:

Spotted in SW Missouri near Crane Creek. Typically, the black rat snake is found throughout the eastern and central United States. In Canada, it is found in southern Ontario. It is found in the northeast United States, in particular New Jersey (northern), New York (eastern), and Vermont (southern).

Notes:

Image is from an older photo I just found and scanned.