This odd shape caught my eye as I worked my way down the boardwalk at Francis Beidler Forrest.

Possibly a Rat Snake, he was in a tidy pile and undisturbed by my presence.  It wasn’t until processing these images I noticed the insect exuvia, seen in this next image if you zoom in, just to the right of the snake’s head.

I passed by a little later and the snake had stretched his neck out along the branch, and you can see the exuvia dangling above the snake about 3/4 across the image from the left edge.

His tail had flipped around to the other side, but the rest of his body stayed in the same looped configuration.

Audubon Center at Beidler Forest, Harleyville, SC
April 14, 2023