They can live in a variety of forests and grasslands but a deciduous forest surrounded by grass is their preferred habitat, according to Pennsylvania State University. They are found as far west as Northern Louisiana and as far north as Southern Wisconsin. The largest species of rat snakes, this snake lives throughout New England and south to Georgia. The following is a list of some common rat snake species' ranges and habitats. Rat snakes are found throughout North America, from Central America to Southern Canada. Juveniles are vividly patterned, but that fades somewhat with adulthood. They have grayish coloring with black or dark gray blotches on their backs and bellies. Gray rat snake ( Pantherophis spiloides or Elaphe spiloides)Īccording to Ontario Nature, gray rat snakes are the longest snakes in Canada, measuring up to 7 feet (2 m) in length. Red rat snakes vary in color but have yellowish or orange bodies with large red blotches on their backs, dark marks on their bellies, and a "V" shape on the tops of their heads. Red rat snake (Elaphe guttatus or Pantherophis guttatus)Īccording to Savitzky, "red rat snake" is an old-fashioned synonym for corn snake. Which came first: Snake fangs or venom? Their eyes typically have yellow irises, and the snakes have four narrow brown stripes going down their backs. Their coloration is a morph - a visual difference between populations, caused by a genetic mutation - of the eastern rat snake (also known as the black rat snake) that produces yellow or orange hues over the snake's entire body. Yellow rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata or Pantherophis alleghaniensis quadrivittata)Īccording to the Cincinnati Zoo, yellow rat snakes are the most common rat snake in the Florida peninsula. Juveniles are more blotchy and have white or gray bodies. Bellies are sometimes checkered in gray, brown, white or yellow. Spots might be white, yellow, red or orange. When their skin is stretched, such as after a meal, a spotted pattern may be visible. It has a white chin and many individuals have white bellies. ![]() Here are descriptions of the appearances of some common rat snake species.Įastern rat snake/black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta or Pantherophis alleghaniensis)Īccording to the Virginia Herpetological Society, this is a shiny, primarily black snake. ![]() Some species of rat snakes reach lengths of 10 feet (3 meters), though 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) long is more common, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Their pupils are round, as are those of most nonvenomous snakes. They have keeled scales - scales with a ridge running down the center - slender bodies and wedge-shaped heads. They can be black, red, brown, yellow, gray or black-and-white colored. ![]() They can have blotches, stripes, a combination of both or be single-colored. What do rat snakes look like?Īccording to Reptiles Magazine, rat snakes can vary widely in appearance. However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), recognized as the arbiter for the correct use of the scientific names of animals, does not recognize Pantherophis nor does the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). For example, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), a collaborative network of researchers, accepts Pantherophis, as does the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), an international non-profit organization that supports herpetological research and education. Some authorities adopted the classification.
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