Characteristics:
This is a large snake, obtaining a length of over 5ft. The adults are usually completely black or with a very light pattern. Juveniles have a blotched pattern that fades with age. The belly of the black rat snake has a very distinct "checker board" pattern. The scales are keeled, but very weakly. Sometimes there is a light orange coloration between scales on adults.
*Note: There is a subspecies called the gray rat snake (E. o. spiloides) that retains the juvenile pattern as an adult.
Habitat:
Found in a variety of habitats ranging from woodland to prairie. Abandoned houses and farms are examples of this snake's favorite places.
Behavior:
This large, arboreal, constrictor is one of the most commonly encountered snakes in this area. They feed on rodents and also love raiding birds nests for eggs or birds. It is this snake's diet that causes so many encounters with humans. They often end up in people's yards or in barns while searching for food. The black rat snake mates in late spring and lays eggs between May and July. The full grown black rat snake has very few predators aside from humans.
Personal Remarks:
The black rat snake is one of our most commonly encountered snakes. We see them in the woods, on farms, in neighborhoods, pretty much everywhere. Seeing them as often as we do, it can be easy to take them for granted. Sometimes it takes one of the very large adults to get me to stop and realize how cool of a snake they really are. The black rat snakes usually have a great temperment and are easy to handle, but every once and a while you find an aggressive one. It is a bit intimidating when a 5+ foot snake is upset and striking. They tend to raise up and open their mouths as a threat display, and it is quite a spectacular sight. This is the largest snake we commonly see and holding one in your hands allows you to really feel the power these constrictors have.
This is a large snake, obtaining a length of over 5ft. The adults are usually completely black or with a very light pattern. Juveniles have a blotched pattern that fades with age. The belly of the black rat snake has a very distinct "checker board" pattern. The scales are keeled, but very weakly. Sometimes there is a light orange coloration between scales on adults.
*Note: There is a subspecies called the gray rat snake (E. o. spiloides) that retains the juvenile pattern as an adult.
Habitat:
Found in a variety of habitats ranging from woodland to prairie. Abandoned houses and farms are examples of this snake's favorite places.
Behavior:
This large, arboreal, constrictor is one of the most commonly encountered snakes in this area. They feed on rodents and also love raiding birds nests for eggs or birds. It is this snake's diet that causes so many encounters with humans. They often end up in people's yards or in barns while searching for food. The black rat snake mates in late spring and lays eggs between May and July. The full grown black rat snake has very few predators aside from humans.
Personal Remarks:
The black rat snake is one of our most commonly encountered snakes. We see them in the woods, on farms, in neighborhoods, pretty much everywhere. Seeing them as often as we do, it can be easy to take them for granted. Sometimes it takes one of the very large adults to get me to stop and realize how cool of a snake they really are. The black rat snakes usually have a great temperment and are easy to handle, but every once and a while you find an aggressive one. It is a bit intimidating when a 5+ foot snake is upset and striking. They tend to raise up and open their mouths as a threat display, and it is quite a spectacular sight. This is the largest snake we commonly see and holding one in your hands allows you to really feel the power these constrictors have.
