In December of 1978, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed hazardous waste management standards that included reduced requirements for several types of large volume wastes.
Sometimes they have a black or olive-brown base color. Some have a lighter tan base color. As with most snakes, the belly is a lighter color, usually a yellowish cream color. Some specimens have lighter-colored bands running the length of their bodies. Refer to the king cobra pictures above.
This is a very common snake in our area. The black rat snake starts life as a gray and brown snake, seen in the pictures at the bottom of this page. As the snake matures the back turns almost all black, although some remnants of the young snake's pattern can still be seen even in a large adult. These. snakes can grow over 6 feet long.