Thank you. I also posted in the natural history/field observation because I am apparently an idiot and couldn't find the original topic that I posted this morning. Anyhoo, there are more, hopefully better pictures in that particular posting. I live in Fredericksburg, Va. Thanks for all of your help so far. Last night it looked grey, but his morning in normal lighting he is definitely brown with dark spots and the black bands on either side of the neck. I have to agree that it looks like the northern brown snake.