Rick,
Would you say that your boy pretty much looked like this one?
http://www.austinreptileservice.net/image/texasrat6.jpg
It's a rat snake. Well, it was yesterday. By next week, it was a 12 foot python.
I don't mess with any of them. It's a learning disability problem. I can never remember any of those sayings...... "Red on yellow kills a fellow" or is it "yellow on red, yuo're still dead?" See what I mean? I say "spring or fall, kill 'em all."