What type of snake ended up in my pump?

[JimK]

King snakes aren't venomous, and eat other snakes ( including venomous ones), as well as rats and other vermin.

I was also thinking a King snake. I'm more familiar with the local species here in VA. I can tell you that one is non-venomous. All venomous species in the US have triangular heads except for the coral snake, which looks very different from that one. Also, I don't think coral snakes are native to CA.

Edit: took a quick look online, not a King snake. Looks like a racer as mentioned in the earlier post or a juvenile rat snake.

[FormerBromineUser]

Hey, Jim. Hijacking here. No need to be specific, but in what part of VA do you live? I am SO a fan of VA!

[CarlD]

I didn't mean to imply it was a king snake, only that king snakes are beneficial, not pests.

[JimK]

I didn't mean to imply it was a king snake, only that king snakes are beneficial, not pests.

As are most snakes.

[JimK]

Hey, Jim. Hijacking here. No need to be specific, but in what part of VA do you live? I am SO a fan of VA!

Tidewater/Hampton Roads

[CarlD]

Tidewater/Hampton Roads

Nice! We lived up in Alexandria for a number of years.

[nefretrameses]

The king snake is banded although the pattern is variable. It doesn't look like the one in the pics are banded.

[s-one]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I looked it up and I'm thinking its a Gopher snake. I may be wrong but the patterns look close.