Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoleta)

Description: Ratsnakes are very common throughout the southeast. They are normally solid black in color with a lighter underbelly. Their bodies range from slender to heavily built. Variation is normally determined by the availability of food.

Range: There are several regional variations in rat snakes that affect coloration. These include:

• Yellow ratsnake ( o. quadrivattatus), which is more yellow with full back stripes in Florida and has black and or brown stripes in coastal areas of the Carolinas and Georgia;
• Everglades ratsnake (P. o. rossalleni) which can appear bright orange to yellowish orange with indistinct striping;
• Gray ratsnake ( o. spiloides) which is normally gray with darker gray blotches and is widespread;
• Texas ratsnake (P.o. lindhimerii) which is similar in appearance to the gray ratsnake but is more brown.

Habitat: They are found almost everywhere in the southeast in a variety of woodland and forested habitats. They can climb. They are found in trees and structures. They are often found in abandoned and outbuildings where they hunt rodents and birds. Occasionally they are found on the swampy forests and other wetlands.

Habits: They are found throughout the warm months but hibernate for 2-4 months during extreme cold periods. They are generally active during daylight hours in the spring. During summer, they may also be active during nocturnal periods.

Food: Ratsnakes eat small mammals, bird eggs, and birds. They are constrictors.

Reproduction:  Ratsnakes mate April through June and lay 4 – 44 eggs! Occasionally, they may mate during the fall months.  When males encounter one another during the breeding season, they will engage in a wrestling match to be able to mate with females. Once a male selects a female, he will bite the female’s neck during courtship. Once a female lays her eggs, they hatch in about 60 days.

Conservation status: Ratsnakes are common throughout their range. One of the major threats to rat snakes is people’s lack of understanding of the species and the benefits they provide to their environment.

Pertinent References:

Gibbons, W., and Dorcas, M. 2015. Snakes of the southeast. University of Georgia Press.

Account author: K. M. Ford

Note: Genetic studies have led some experts to consider the North American species of rat snake to be in the genus Pantherophis and to suggest that some of the subspecies represent distinct species.