A large non-venomous snake averaging 2ft-6ft in length. They have shiny black scales on their back and a light colored belly, and their throat and chin are white. The head of an eastern rat snake is wider than the neck and the rest of the body. In the Florida Peninsula, adult rat snakes can be yellow, orange, tan, or gray, with four dark, longitudinal stripes.
Forest, Grassland, Wetland, Urban
Found in the United States east of the Apalachicola River in Florida, east of the Piedmont in Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and south to the Florida Keys.
Common
Nocturnal
Carnivorous feeding on bird eggs, young birds, frogs, rodents and amphibians.
The eastern rat snake is primarily active at night during the summer, and diurnal in the spring and fall. It is a terrestrial burrower and an excellent climber, and it may enter water. Eastern rat snakes brumate in colder months. Brumation is similar to hibernation — it allows the snake to be mostly asleep, but still wake up for occasional activities, such as drinking water. Rat snakes emit a foul-smelling odor when they feel threatened by a predator. This musk imitates what a poison would taste like. Eastern rat snakes are constrictor snakes and will use their body to suffocate their prey.
Rat snakes help to control populations of rodents
Least Concern
