Common Rat Snake

Common Rat Snake ~ Elaphe obsoleta

Genus: Elaphe

Species: obsoleta

Adult body length: 42 - 72 inches

Body length at birth: 11 - 16 inches

Breeding period: April - June

Young per year: 5 - 30 young per year

Typical foods: small rodents such as rats and mice, birds and eggs 

Habitat: Common Rat Snakes live in a variety of habitats, they are great climbing trees and are normally found in them

Can be found: from Virginia south through Florida and west through the eastern half of Texas and then north to southern Wisconsin

Short description: Medium headed, rounded head, slender, weekly keeled scales, rounded pupils

General description:
  

The Common Rat Snake, or also called the Black Rat Snake, is

a non-venomous snake that can grow up to 8 feet long. They kill

plenty of small mice and rodents each years. They are completely

black with grey, white, or yellow broken bands on their back. Their

belly is white with grey blotches on it. The  juvenile are normally grey

with blotches on its back, and are commonly mistaken as the copperhead,

for they are similar in pattern. When they are threatened they have been

known to shake their tail rapidly, much like the venomous Rattlesnake.

For this reason many people kill them. This snake is a friendly snake but

will defend itself if aggravated.

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May 09 2007 08:36 pm

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