The story as I remember it on this one. Someone sent me a text saying they found this snake and had it in a bucket but wanted me to ID it. They "tossed a lizard in with it". I got there later and looked in the bucket under something they had and it was eating the ground skink. Kind of freaked me out when I saw it for two reasons, they had a protected species in a bucket which is a no no and the fact that it was eating a skink. Any website you go to at this point only listed crowned snakes as their food source. Since this pic you see more than just snakes listed. I caught a lot of hell for this pic I took and encouraged the home owner to release it back where he found it after it finished eating

Cruised while actively crossing road at around 95 F air temperature. I believe a subadult at around 3.5 feet long. Some signs of juvenile patterning. Found by @mcaulayjaunsen who let me come out to photograph it. Extremely grateful to see another one of these snakes after the vehicle-struck adult from May.

Fatally injured by road strike likely only a few minutes before I encountered it. Middle of lane. Taken to proper wildlife rehabber (in contact with state and federal biologists) where it will be euthanized and submitted to Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Sad first encounter of this species in my time as a biologist.