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 will swim away through the swampy waters. Harding , Mattison Rat snakes are primarily known as rodent eaters, however, other food preferences do exist.
As juveniles, rat snakes will eat small lizards, baby mice, and an occasional small frog. Adult rat snakes have a diet mainly consisting of mice and rats, but will also include chipmunks, moles, and other small rodents. Adults will also eat bird eggs and young birds that do not put up a strong fight.
Rat snakes kill their prey by constriction. Rossi Rat snakes are very useful around barns and in the farming community. These snakes should be welcome on farms because they help control the pest population rodents. Harding The subspecies Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta is listed as special concern in the state of Michigan.
Their habitat is slowly being reduced due to land development and the cutting of trees. However, they continue to maintain a healthy population in many areas. Due to people's lack of knowledge and fear of snakes, rat snakes continue to be the victim of human persecution. Rat snakes are very popular and easy to obtain in the pet trade.
Since they tend to have a passive demeanor, rat snakes are well liked by beginning and expert herp collectors. Almost all species are now bred in captivity.
Mattison Conant, R. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Harding, J. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. Mattison, C. A-Z of Snake Keeping. New York: Sterling Publishing Co. Rossi, J. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. Staszko, R. Diet Eastern rat snakes are excellent swimmers and climbers.
Behavior Rat snakes emit a foul-smelling odor when they feel threatened by a predator. Life History The typical breeding season for this snake is from May to late June. Fun Fact Eastern rat snakes brumate in colder months. Donate Today. Sign a Petition.
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National Wildlife Federation is a c 3 non-profit organization. You are now leaving The National Wildlife Federation. They are found as far west as Northern Louisiana and as far north as Southern Wisconsin.
They can live in a variety of forests and grasslands but according to Penn State University , a deciduous forest surrounded by grass is probably ideal.
As its name implies, Texas rat snakes are found throughout Texas, though they are also encountered in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. According to the University of Texas at Arlington, they can live in a wide variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, suburbia and urban areas. They live in pine flatlands and shrubs, forests and cypress swamps, as well as citrus groves, abandoned buildings and pastures. These snakes are found throughout the southeastern United States, particularly in Florida.
They live in pine flatlands, mangrove swamps, forests and urban areas, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gray rat snakes are found in the central United States, from Indiana to Florida and west to the Mississippi. They are also found in southern Ontario. According to Ontario Nature, gray rat snakes spend their time in forests, venturing out into grassy areas when it is warm enough. Rat snake behavior varies among species. They produce a bad-smelling musk when touched by a predator or picked up by a person, and spread it around with their tail.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are corn snakes, some of the most docile serpents around. All species of rat snakes may vibrate their tails in attempt to trick a predator into confusing them for a rattlesnake. While it may be helpful in keeping predators away, Batesian mimicry can cause problems for rat snakes. Humans often kill them thinking they are venomous rattlers. Rat snakes are semi-arboreal, said Savitzky. While they are nocturnal in warm areas, they are still seen during the day fairly frequently.
You may see them lying out in the sun or foraging in the forest or on the plains. They also take shelter in tree cavities to wait for prey. Rat snakes are often found in barns, where farmers like them to eat rodents. Rat snakes are excellent swimmers, and the Everglades rat snake is known for swimming away from predators, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Rat snakes are constrictors, said Savitzky. They squeeze their prey to death and swallow it whole. There are some common misconceptions about how constricting works, said Heyborne.
One is that constrictors crush or break the bones of their prey. Another is that they suffocate it, squeezing the prey's lungs too tightly to work. Rat snakes often feed on small rodents, such as mice, rats, chipmunks and voles, but they are also known to eat frogs, lizards, birds and bird eggs.
Juveniles are more likely to eat cold-blooded prey, while adults stick almost exclusively to warm-blooded animals, according to Marshall University. Some species of rat snake are called chicken snakes because they like to eat chicken eggs.
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