Looks like a black racer to me, Johnny. Harmless and a great addition to your garden. I have three in mine. He may have been up in the tree to rub off the skin he was trying to shed.

They are long, slender, solid charcoal-black on top, with a white chin that shows up clearly. They have a habit of slipping through the grass with their heads raised up high like a periscope, checking things out as they go.

Enjoy him! He's a bonus, and won't hurt you or your Jack Russell, though the dog can surely do him in, if it catches him. When my snakes are out and about, I bring the dachshunds in so they won't catch them. They would definitly kill them, quickly.

Marcia