This is Kirtland's Snkake (Clonophis kirtlandi). It is a really neat snake that is only found in small areas of the US in IN, IL, OH, and a few spots in nearby states. It is an endangered species over most of its range. You are lucky to have such a unique and rare critter in your yard. I hope you will protect them. Although....if you didn't know what it was, why were you handling it? This post was edited by FHFchrish on Fri, Sep 5, 14 at 9:25

I have caught and owned probably thousands of Eastern Garters, as well as other species of Thamnophis, over the decades, and been bitten more times than I can even count, but I have NEVER, ever had a snake bite become infected, especially not one from one of the Natricine snakes, like Garters or Water Snakes. Snakes in this family actually are mildly venomous, and do possess a Duvernoy's gland, which is the evolutionary predecessor to a fully-developed venom gland, but their venom is very mild and has a poor delivery system, via grooved, enlarged "fangs" near the rear of the upper jaw. However, that venom does contain components which act as both a mild anticoagulant and an antibacterial. Bites bleed quite freely for a few minutes, in relation to the bite itself, which is barely felt, and these two seem to combine to inhibit infection. I get bitten out in the field most often, miles away from any soap and water or peroxide, and have never had a bite get infected. In fact, I don't know of any fellow snake keepers/field herpetologists who have, even with getting bitten while our arms are covered in mud and muck from a swamp!

Even more disturbing is that there are "professional" snake removal "experts" who recommend and use these awful traps as a "humane" alternative to killing snakes! What's humane about what you see above, please tell me? Even if the snake is found and released, a tedious process involving pouring oil all over the animal and waiting for it to break the connection of the glue, very often the snake has already been injured internally if not visibly, and now it's nostrils are clogged with thick oil. Its release usually just means it will go off and die elsewhere. Due to their metabolism, reptiles die much more slowly and feel pain for a longer period of time than a mammal or bird exposed to the same sort of abuse. No animal, not even a pest rodent species, deserves this kind of torture.

Pretty sure that's not a real snake. It has a very "Dollar Tree" look to it.