snake identifcation

Question
I live in Tennessee and I killed a black snake about 18 inches in length and it was glossy black with vague yellow bands all the way down its back and yellow squares on its belly. It also had a semi blunt tail. If you could give me an idea of what kind it is it would be greatly appreciated!

Answer
Michael, while I'm not an expert on the snakes of TN, it sounds like an Eastern kingsnake, but it could also be a rat snake or a hognose as both those species are highly variable.  A picture would help greatly.  There are no venomous snakes in TN which match your description, so you probably killed a harmless snake.

Also, in the future, please DON'T KILL SNAKES!!! Especially if you don't even know what it is...  Learn what the venomous snakes in your area look like and if you actually happen to spot one give it a wide berth.  The vast majority of snakes are harmless, especially here in the U.S.  Further, the vast majority of venomous snake bites occur when people attempt to mess with venomous snakes.  Just leave the snakes alone, they really want nothing to do with you either.

I'd recommend The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians as a good book to help you make a positive identification.