How can you identify rat snake?

They are constrictors, which means they suffocate their prey. In addition to eating rodents, rat snakes feed on birds, birds' eggs and small mammals.

They mate in late May, early June. Female rat snakes lay between 6 and 28 eggs mid-summer. Eggs hatch about 65 to 70 days later. Juvenile rat snakes look nothing like adults, with bold, blotched pattern on a gray or light brown background. The pattern fades as they age.

Learn more by reading the Rat Snake species profile.

The rat snake is classified as a nongame species and has no open season. It is unlawful for any person to take, or have in possession, any nongame mammal or bird unless that person has a collection license or is collecting fewer than 5 reptiles or fewer than 25 amphibians that are not endangered, threatened, or special concerned species.

The rat snake is non-venomous. Because of their climbing abilities and shelter-seeking habits, rat snakes enter buildings more frequently than any other North Carolina snake. Large shed skins found inside buildings are usually from rat snakes. Most specimens will bite if handled roughly or otherwise restrained, but a bite from even a large specimen is no more severe than a briar scratch. The economic value of these snakes as agents of rodent control is well known to many farmers, and some intentionally place them in barns, corn cribs or even human dwellings for that purpose, regarding them as “good” snakes. They have also gained a “bad” reputation because of their habit of eating the eggs and young of chickens and other domestic fowl, and of entering bird boxes to feed on eggs and nestlings.

Many people fear snakes and worry for the safety of people and pets when snakes are present. In reality, snakes are shy creatures that pose little to no threat to us when left alone. Snakes are an important part of our environment, keeping populations of pests such as rodents, slugs, and insects in check. Plus, snakes are a food resource to other animals such as foxes, raccoons, bears, eagles, hawks, and owls. 

When someone encounters a snake, usually the person and the snake are both caught off guard. The best plan is to leave the snake alone and give it plenty of space. In most cases, given time, the snake will move out of the area on its own. Like all reptiles, snakes are cold-blooded, meaning that their internal temperatures follow that of the ambient temperatures where they are found. On a cool day, a  snake encountered basking may not yet have the energy to move away from you, so it may require more time and warmer temperatures before it can retreat. 

The Wildlife Commission does NOT send people out to trap and remove snakes. The best plan for citizens of North Carolina is to learn about snakes and alter habits to minimize negative interactions, and in the process, learn to coexist with snakes.

Snakes can be difficult to monitor and survey, as most of them possess great camouflaged patterns and remain hidden within certain habitats.  One way biologists monitor corn snakes is through the use of artificial cover materials such as plywood boards, roofing tin, concrete blocks, and other materials. Plywood tends to be better at attracting smaller snake species, while larger snakes are more often found under tin.  Snakes will seek out these artificial shelters for thermoregulation and as a result, this method is particularly successful during spring and fall.

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One of the most common snakes seen in and around houses are the ratsnakes (Pantherophis species). Unfortunately, the juvenile ratsnakes are often mistaken for copperheads and/or rattlesnakes. When approached they may put on a defensive display of gaping, coiling up, and shaking their tail. This behavior can startle people unfamiliar with them. Of course, this is a common defensive behavior, and the snake is basically saying “I’m scary, leave me alone!”

 These ratsnakes are non-venomous and beneficial. Young ratsnakes will seek out and consume entire nests of baby rodents. They also eat frogs and lizards. In turn, baby snakes are an important prey item for other animals.

Posted below are some photos of juvenile ratsnakes. If you see a small patterned snake around your property it could very well be a juvenile ratsnake. Look for the “bug eyed” appearance, brown to black blotches on a gray background (sometimes yellowish), a somewhat squared-off snout, and bar between the eyes on the top of the head.

Most adult Eastern Ratsnakes are about 42-72 inches (106-183 cm) in total length. This species is variable in coloration, but juveniles are gray with dark blotches. In the Panhandle, juveniles and adults look alike. However, adults in the Florida peninsula can be yellow, orange, tan, or gray with four dark longitudinal stripes, while sometimes retaining the dark dorsal blotches found in juveniles.

Eastern Ratsnake. Photo courtesy of Noah Mueller.

Adult Eastern Ratsnake, close up of head. Photo courtesy of Rob Robins.

Adult Eastern Ratsnake showing kinked body behavior. Photo courtesy of Rob Robins.

Eastern Ratsnake, juvenile color pattern. Photo courtesy of Todd Pierson.

Range in Florida

In Florida, Eastern Ratsnakes occur in the Panhandle east of the Apalachicola River and throughout the peninsula south to Key Largo. However, they do readily interbreed with Gray Ratsnakes (Pantherophis spiloides) in the Panhandle.

Assessment of risk to people and pets

Non-venomous. Eastern Ratsnakes are not dangerous to people or pets, but they will readily bite to defend themselves. These snakes are not aggressive and avoid direct contact with people and pets. Virtually all bites occur when the snakes are intentionally molested.

Comparison with other species

Gray Ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides) Non-venomous Gray Ratsnakes look like juvenile Eastern Ratsnakes and are found west of the Apalachicola River.

Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis guttatus) Non-venomous Juvenile Red Cornsnakes are brownish-red with a black and white checkerboard patterned belly.

Detailed Description

Most adult Eastern Ratsnakes are about 42-72 inches (106-183 cm) in total length, with a record length recorded of 101 inches (256.5 cm). This species is variable in coloration, but juveniles are gray with dark blotches and a sandy-gray belly with dark square blotches. In the Panhandle, juveniles and adults look alike. However, adults in the Florida peninsula can be yellow, orange, tan, or gray with four dark longitudinal stripes, while sometimes retaining the dark dorsal blotches found in juveniles. The tongue is mostly black. The scales are weakly keeled, and there are 25-27 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round.

Habitat

Eastern Ratsnakes are commonly found in pinelands, hardwood hammocks, cypress strands, swamps, marshes, prairies, and agricultural fields. Adults and juveniles of this species are often found in suburban neighborhoods where development encroaches into favorable habitats.

Defensive behavior

When approached, Eastern Ratsnakes may either flee for shelter or remain motionless to avoid detection. However, if they are cornered, both juveniles and adults will take an S-shaped posture and strike at the attacker while rapidly vibrating the tip of the tail, which produces a buzzing sound in leaf litter. If grabbed or pinned, they may bite the attacker. But these snakes typically calm down quickly if held. Nonetheless, these snakes are not aggressive, and striking is only used in defense as a last resort.

Diet and feeding behavior

Eastern Ratsnakes commonly feed on lizards, frogs, rodents, and birds and their eggs. These snakes constrict larger prey with coils of their body, but they often swallow smaller prey alive.

Reproduction

In Florida, females lay around 4-44 white elongate eggs, which typically hatch between July and September. The eggs are often laid in moist areas such as rotting vegetation and rotting logs.

Comments

No subspecies are currently recognized in Florida.

Eastern Ratsnakes are primarily nocturnal (active at night). They are both terrestrial and extremely good climbers. They are commonly found under rocks and logs, but they can also be found in trees coiled under bark, within knot holes, and within palm fronds.

Eastern Ratsnakes are extremely beneficial to people because they prey heavily on many species that are considered pests.

As its common name implies, these snakes feed voraciously on rodents. However, they will also eat chicken eggs and chicks, which is the source of one of their common names, “chicken snake”.

The names for species and past subspecies of ratsnakes within the “Pantherophis obsoletus” complex have changed many times over the last several years. However, the currently proposed names and relationships are not universally accepted, and they may continue to be tweaked as additional information is collected and analyzed.

Florida counties with confirmed records

County data coming soon.

If you have a new or interesting observation for this species, please email the herpetology staff at the Florida Museum.

References and further reading

Burbrink, F.T. 2001. Systematics of the eastern ratsnake complex (Elaphe obsoleta). Herpetological Monographs 15: 1-53.

Burbrink, F.T., R. Lawson, and J.B. Slowinski. 2000. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of the North American ratsnake (Elaphe obsoleta): a critique of the subspecies concept. Evolution 54: 2107-2114.

Ernst, C.H. and E.M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 668 pp.

Krysko, K.L., K.M. Enge, and P.E. Moler. 2019. Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida. 706 pp.

Powell, R., R. Conant, and J.T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Fourth edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Boston and New York. xiv + 494 pp.

Share your observations

You can help scientists better understand the biology and distribution of this species by sharing your observations. Send photos or videos of interesting observations, along with associated information, by emailing the herpetology staff at the Florida Museum for documentation in the Museum’s Herpetology Master Database. You can also post your observations on iNaturalist.

Additional helpful information

Do you have snakes around your house? Learn how to safely co-exist with snakes.

Still have questions about snakes or identifications? Feel free to email the herpetology staff at the Florida Museum with your questions or feedback about this profile.

Banner photo courtesy of Noah Mueller. Please credit any photographers on the page and see our copyright policy.

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