The black rat snake is more common in north Alabama, while the gray rat snake is more common in the south. The gray rat snake has a gray background color with brown to dark gray blotches. Belly is white with boxlike dark gray to brownish blotches and dark spots that become stripes under the tail.
Can a rat snake hurt you?
Rat snakes are medium-to-large, nonvenomous snakes that kill by constriction. They pose no threat to humans, and as their name implies, rats are one of their favorite foods.
How can you tell a rat snake?
Racers have elliptical, uniform blotches down length of the body. Rat snakes have irregularly shaped (but uniform to each other) blotches down the length of the body. Both of their patterns run down through the tip of their pointed tails as opposed to the rattlesnake’s “velvet tail.” There is no stripe down the back!
What do you do if you find a rat snake?
There really is no reason to kill a ratsnake—they are beneficial animals and not out to harm anyone. If you see one outside and you really feel you must do something, a quick spray with a garden hose should make the animal move along.
Does a rat snake look like a copperhead?
Eastern Ratsnake (A.K.A. Blackrat Snake) The most common snake misidentified as a copperhead is the harmless juvenile Eastern Ratsnake (formerly called the blackrat snake). The Eastern Ratsnake starts life with a strong pattern of gray or brown blotches on a pale gray background.
Do rat snakes live in trees?
The black rat snake is a proficient climber. Often it goes rather high up into trees, where it uses cavities or hollows formerly occupied by other animals such as birds or mammals. >> Black rat snakes are extremely beneficial since they eat large amounts of rats, mice, and other pest animals.
What happens if you get bit by a rat snake?
Most snake bites can cause pain and swelling around the bite. Those that are venomous may also cause fever, a headache, convulsions, and numbness. However, these symptoms can also occur due to intense fear following the bite. Bites can cause an allergic reaction in some people, which may include anaphylaxis.
Are rat snakes aggressive?
In general, rat snakes are mostly docile, though some species will be more aggressive if they feel cornered. However, many species have developed a sneaky, less energy-intensive defense. Instead of rearing up and trying to fight off a much larger predator, rat snakes will produce a foul-smelling musk.
Are rat snakes poisonous to dogs?
The taste of this musk is similar to that of poison, but it isn’t poisonous at all. If you are worried about having your pets bitten by snakes, dogs and snakes will usually avoid each other and rarely come into actual contact, hence a snake bite would be rare.
Where are rat snakes located?
Range and Habitat: Rat snakes are found throughout every southeastern state and most of the eastern and midwestern states as far north as southern New England and southern Michigan. In our region, black rat snakes are found in the mountains and Piedmont regions of central Georgia and South Carolina.
Do rat snakes eat copperheads?
But I realized recently that I had succumbed to a myth that is common here in Virginia — that the eastern ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) is a natural enemy of copperheads and will kill any copperheads they meet. It turns out that this is not true.
What does an eastern rat snake look like?
The eastern ratsnake is a shiny black snake with weakly keeled scales and an irregular black and white checkerboard pattern on the belly. The chin and throat are cream or white in color. Juveniles look very different. They have strongly patterned backs of gray and brown blotches on pale gray.
Can rat snakes get in your house?
Although it is uncommon, snakes will enter a house if they believe there is food available for them. Snakes can find their way into a home through small holes which are usually located in the same location where rats and mice enter.
Does one snake mean more?
Snakes are not social creatures. Contrary to common belief, they do not always travel in groups; instead, they prefer to hunt and live alone. So, chances are if you find one snake, there’s no greater likelihood that there are more around the place.
Why is there a rat snake in my house?
Snakes enter a building because they’re lured in by dark, damp, cool areas or in search of small animals, like rats and mice, for food. Snakes can be discouraged from entering a home in several ways. Keeping the vegetation around the house cut short can make the home less attractive to small animals and snakes.
What snake looks like a cottonmouth?
Water Snakes
These snakes, like the northern water snake, broad-banded water snake, yellow-bellied water snake and the Mississippi green water snake can superficially resemble a cottonmouth due to their dark, dull coloration, rough scales and the uniform bands around their bodies.
Which is worse rattlesnake or copperhead?
Snake species
Though most fatal bites are attributed to rattlesnakes, the copperhead accounts for more snakebite incidents than any other venomous North American species. Rattlesnake bites, by comparison, are approximately four times as likely to result in a death or major effects as a copperhead bite.
How do you tell if a snake is a copperhead?
Copperheads have muscular, thick bodies and keeled (ridged) scales. Their heads are “somewhat triangular/arrow-shaped and distinct from the neck,” with a “somewhat distinct ridge separating [the] top of head from side snout between eye and nostril,” said Beane.
