Black
Rat Snake
Description
The common rat snake
is medium-sized, averaging 42 to 72 inches (106.7 to 183 cm) in
length. At the widest point of the snake's body, its average
diameter is 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). The rat snake is covered with
keeled scales, and has a powerful slender body with a wedge-shaped
head. The anal plate of the common rat snake is divided. A variety
of subspecies is found across the
United States and Canada.
The
black rat snake, as the name implies, is completely black except
for a white chin. Hatchlings of the black rat snake have a pale
grey background with black blotches along the back. As the snake
matures, the color becomes darker until the snake reaches its
adult phase. Hatchlings are often mistaken for copperheads because
their skin patterns are similar.
Common
rat snakes tend to be shy and, if possible, will avoid being
confronted. If these snakes are seen and confronted by danger,
they tend to freeze and remain motionless. Some adults attempt to
protect themselves. They coil their body and vibrate their tails
in dead leaves to simulate a rattle. If the snakes continue to be
provoked, they will strike.
Rat
snakes produce a foul-smelling musk and release it on the predator
if they are picked up, spreading the musk around with their tail.
The musk acts as a deterrent. A few of the rat snake subspecies
tend to be more aggressive. The
Texas
rat snake and the black rat snake are very snappy, while the
yellow rat snake is more passive. When alarmed, the
Everglades
rat snake swims away through the swampy waters. Rat snakes are
excellent swimmers.
Distribution
and Habitat
Common
rat snakes live in a variety of habitats with each subspecies
preferring a slightly different one. Some of these habitats
overlap with one another. Common rat snakes are excellent climbers
and spend a lot of time in trees. Black rat snakes live at
elevations from sea level to high altitudes in the
Appalachian Mountains
. Black rat snakes live in habitats ranging from a rocky hillside
to flat farmland.
Rat snakes are found from New England south through
Florida
and west through the eastern half of
Texas
and
Nebraska
and north again to southern
Wisconsin
. The black rat snake is the most widely distributed common rat
snake with a range from New England south through
Georgia
and west across the northern parts of
Alabama
,
Mississippi
, and
Louisiana
, and north through
Oklahoma
to southern
Wisconsin
. There is also an isolated population in southern
Canada
and northern
New York
.
The
yellow rat snake is found along the coast of the Carolinas south
through
Georgia
and
Florida
. The Everglades rat snake has an isolated population in southern
Florida
's
Everglades
. The gray rat snake ranges from southern
Georgia
and northern
Florida
west through
Mississippi
and north to southern
Kentucky
. The
Texas
rat snake can be found in southern
Oklahoma
,
Texas
, and
Louisiana
.
Diet in the Wild
Rat
snakes are primarily known as rodent eaters, however other food
preferences do exist. As juveniles, rat snakes eat small lizards,
baby mice, and an occasional small frog. Adult rat snakes have a
diet mainly consisting of mice and rats, but also include
chipmunks, moles, and other small rodents. Adults also eat bird
eggs and young. Rat snakes kill their prey by constriction.
Reproduction
Like most snakes, rat snakes
are egg layers. Between March and May, snakes begin to emerge from
their winter hibernation. After a few weeks, they begin to seek
out a mate, typically in late April, May, and early June. Males
tend to wait for the females to pass through their territory, and,
by using pheromones, communicate and initiate the mating process
with the female. The male snake approaches the female, lines up
with her, and attempts to wrap his tail around hers with their
vents nearly touching. Some males grasp the female with the
mouth,to hold her in place and prevent her from moving away. The
male then erects his hemipenes and inserts it into the female's
cloaca while several small spines anchor the hemipenes firmly.
Mating may last only a few minutes or span a few hours.
Five
weeks later, the female lays 12 to 20 eggs. The eggs are laid in a
hidden area, under hollow logs or leaves, or in abandoned burrows.
The eggs hatch 65 to 70 days later. The hatchlings of common rat
snakes are vigorous eaters and double their size rather quickly.
If conditions are good, females sometimes produce two clutches of
eggs a year.
Note
To The Wise.
If
you are lucky enough to have a Black Rat Snake living around your
home or cottage.
Leave It Alone. Rodents Will Not Cohabitate In
The Same Area As A Black Rat Snake And If They Try, It Is Short
Lived for Obvious Reasons.
If the snake really bothers
you, check out these useful products
Snake
Traps, Repellants and Cages
