snake info

Question
Last week was home alone and saw a black/greyish snake entering my bedroom. Ive done some research on it and i think its a king snake. I live in MS. MY QUESTION IS: what is your opinion of this type snake? All i seen was the color, and it was ab 3-4 ft long. We cant find it anywhere and i have kids so should i b freaking out??? Help

Answer
There are a number of black and gray snakes that could be native or invasive to your area, my top guesses are a cotton mouth, black racer, banded water snake or yes someones pet kingsnake. Off color you wont be able to identify the snake, a picture or a detailed description of its color pattern and head and pupil shape are the only real ways to tell what it is. You can look all day and may never find it, I don't want or mean to scare you but they hide anywhere. I have a 10 foot retic female that will hide under the couch cushions and you would never know she was there.

Since there is a very high possibility of it being a venomous snake due to where you live, I would call and have someone see if they cant find it, odds are they wont find it and it will either leave on its own or turn up one day, but its worth a shot.

For now watch any damp and warm areas, don't stand to close to the bottom of the stove or fridge, look good before you reach into cabinets or drawers, watch the laundry room especially. If ever I have a kingsnake escape its bin I typically find it lodged inside my washing machine.