Can you identify this snake? I saw it near my front porch, and I am hoping it is just a rat snake. - Ask Extension
I am hoping it is just a rat snake, but the pattern on its back has me concerned.
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Can you identify this snake? I saw it near my front porch, and I am hoping it is just a rat snake. #344454
Asked July 19, 2016, 7:31 AM EDT
I am hoping it is just a rat snake, but the pattern on its back has me concerned.
Greenville County South Carolina
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. The snake in your photograph is a Black Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus). This is a non-venomous species. They can be found from New England to Florida and west to Texas and Nebraska. They are one of the most common species observed in North and South Carolina. As juveniles, they have a very distinct pattern, usually made up of a light background with black rectangles down the back. You can see a photograph of a juvenile rat snake on the Davidson College Herpetology Lab website listed below. As they get older, they gradually get darker and darker until they are almost completely black. However, the color of individuals can vary, and sometimes the pattern is more visible on some adults.
Typical length for this species is 4 - 5 feet, but maximum length can be around 8 feet. As their name implies, they feed primarily on mice and rats. However, they are excellent climbers and often raid bird and squirrel nests for bird eggs, hatchlings and young squirrels. They are also very fond of chicken eggs, so they're often found in chicken coops helping themselves to eggs. This has also earned them the common name of chicken snake in some parts of the U.S.
It's not unusual to find them in and around structures (homes, barns, storage buildings, etc.). In homes they're usually encountered in attics and basements or crawl spaces. They enter homes in the winter to stay warm, and usually leave when it warms up. They may be found crawl spaces and basements in the summer pursuing mice or rats, or because it's cooler.
Rat snakes can usually be handled if you move slowly and pick them up gently. There are exceptions to this, of course. Some individuals just don't like to be handled, and will bite.
The Davidson College Herpetology Lab in Davidson, NC has an excellent website for reptiles and amphibians. Here's a link to the information on the black rat snake:
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects/herpcons/herps_of_NC/snakes/Elaobs/Ela_obs.html
An excellent guide for identification of snakes in your area is:
Jim
Typical length for this species is 4 - 5 feet, but maximum length can be around 8 feet. As their name implies, they feed primarily on mice and rats. However, they are excellent climbers and often raid bird and squirrel nests for bird eggs, hatchlings and young squirrels. They are also very fond of chicken eggs, so they're often found in chicken coops helping themselves to eggs. This has also earned them the common name of chicken snake in some parts of the U.S.
It's not unusual to find them in and around structures (homes, barns, storage buildings, etc.). In homes they're usually encountered in attics and basements or crawl spaces. They enter homes in the winter to stay warm, and usually leave when it warms up. They may be found crawl spaces and basements in the summer pursuing mice or rats, or because it's cooler.
Rat snakes can usually be handled if you move slowly and pick them up gently. There are exceptions to this, of course. Some individuals just don't like to be handled, and will bite.
The Davidson College Herpetology Lab in Davidson, NC has an excellent website for reptiles and amphibians. Here's a link to the information on the black rat snake:
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects/herpcons/herps_of_NC/snakes/Elaobs/Ela_obs.html
An excellent guide for identification of snakes in your area is:
Gibbons, W. & Dorcas, M. (2015). Snakes of the Southeast. Athens: The University of Georgia Press.
Hope this answers your question, and thank you for using Ask an Expert.Jim
