Melissa:

We are blessed to have a wildlife rehab center within walking distance from our house.

I have taken several wounded animals there over the last 12 years: western pond turtles, king snakes, gopher snakes, a huge alligator lizard and even a baby rattler with an infected eye.

These are animals that I find in our general neighborhood (with the exception of the turtle). My rationale is that being animals in close contact with an urban environment, they deserve a little extra helping hand. I would not go out of my way to help an injured animal I'd see in Point Reyes or other areas - but rescuing a kingsnake who's been mauled by a domestic cat registers a bit different on my scale of ethics.

A lot of the herps are kept at the wildlife center in exhibits to educate the general public. A few other have been released back into the wild.

In your instance, I would first try to see if there was a local wildlife center that would take him as they would be the most qualified to treat him and assess his ability to acclimate back into the wild. If not, I would probably let nature take it's course.