Yes, what you have there is a Western Fox Snake - Elaphe vulpina.
The Eastern Fox snake is threatened and protected here in MI and only found around lakes Erie and Huron, but the Western subspecies is more common and it ranges from western Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota. Their ranges do not overlap.
This snake looks, and can act, very much like a Massasauga (or Michigan rattlesnake). They are generally a very docile species but they will hiss and shake their tails when threatened and their tails do make a bit of a rattling sound despite not having a rattle. Because of the similarity in behavior and appearance to a rattlesnake, many people will kill a fox snake if they come across one thinking that it is venomous. You should be glad you took him away from the library before some fool chopped his head off!!!
Reply With Quote