Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta
Copyright, Jennifer Hooks, ecojen@gmail.com
Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta
Copyright, Jennifer Hooks, ecojen@gmail.com
The Black Rat Snake is the largest snake in Virginia, growing up to eight feet long. It is mostly black, with some white showing between its scales. The belly is also white. Black Rat Snakes are found in forests, fields, marshes, and farmland. In the Spring and Fall, these snakes are very active during the day; in the Summer they are more active at night. Rat Snakes are skillfull climbers. They will climb high in trees to find prey. They will also hide in old woodpecker holes. Black Rat Snakes are known to climb rafters in barns and similar buildings. IDNR, Division of Fish
and Wildlife Copyright, Steve
Barten
Young Black Rat Snake:
Female snakes will lay a
clutch
(batch) of 5 to 30 eggs, each approximately two inches long,
in a rotten log, under a rock, or in a pile of dead leaves.
The baby snakes are about 12 inches long when they hatch and
have a gray and black pattern. Black Rat Snakes are most
vulnerable to predators
when they are young. Raccoons, foxes, bobcats, owls, or
hawks are common killers of young snakes. A full-grown Black
Rat Snake has few predators other than humans. These snakes
are often killed on roads. Copyright, Mike
Redmer Copyright, Zachary Bittner Black Rat Snakes are powerful constrictors, which means once they catch their prey, they wrap their body around it and squeeze until the animal suffocates. Rat snakes eat birds, eggs, lizards, frogs, other snakes, chipmunks, squirrels, small rabbits, mice, rats, bats (see photo to the left), voles, shrews, and other small mammals. In the winter, Black Rat Snakes hibernate in a den, often with other species of snakes, such as the Copperhead.
Mark Moran
Like all snake, Black Rat Snakes use their tongues to "taste" the air. This sense organ helps snakes to detect predators or prey.
Download
Quicktime if you are unable
to play video
Relationships in Nature:
Relationship to Humans:
Black Rat Snakes are extremely beneficial as they eat large amounts of rats, mice, and other pest animals. Farmers always appreciate having snakes around for this reason.
Black Rat Snakes are not poisonous, and are not interested in humans, but they will bite if threatened. People often kill Black Rat Snakes because they fear their large size.