I had to swerve violently to avoid running over this snake on the road today. Confident I had missed it, I circled back for a photo (taken with my telephoto lens). I have no idea what kind it is but thought it wise to keep my distance despite its relatively small size (about 2.5 feet long). If anyone knows what species this is, please drop me a note and I will update the post. My current best guess is a Northern Water Snake.