Snake Identification Help

[JackS93]

Hello snake lovers. I came across this snake in South Carolina. It was sunning in the grass near a pond. It is about 4.5 feet long or so and pretty thick. Viewing from the top, it appears to have spots, but from the side you can see stripes. Please reply if you know what species this is. I appreciate your help!

Here is a link to the photo:

[Bandit]

It's a nonvenomous rat snake. They can get fairly large. They may put up a big show and act tough, but they usually wind up being pretty relaxed.