Western Rat Snake

Pantherophis obsoletus

Description:

Mostly black snake with dark blotches and hints of red on the back. The chin is white and inside of the mouth is blue, which he gladly showed us ;)

Habitat:

Found crossing the road about 5 pm in piney woods area.

Species ID Suggestions

8 Comments

Neil Ross 10 years ago

You certainly know how to spot them, Ashley. The strike pose in the first photo is stunning. Very nice, indeed :-)

AshleyT 10 years ago

Thanks Karen :)

KarenL 10 years ago

Fun fact! Rat snakes, as their name suggests, feed primarily on rodents, primarily mice and rats, although their diet can also include chipmunks and moles, as well as bird eggs and young. Although they are a top-level predator, rat snakes are themselves subject to predation by many animals, including other snakes and large birds of prey. Raptors attempting to prey upon large rat snakes may get more than they bargain for; such attacks often result in violent prolonged struggles as the Western rat snake is extremely strong and agile, and is sometimes able to overwhelm and kill formidable avian predators such as red-tailed hawks, and great horned owls.

Although they can look very menacing when they strike a defensive posture like this one, rat snake pose no threat to humans. https://upload.facebook.com/projectnoah/...