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Black Rat Snake
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
- Family: Colubridae ("typical" snakes)
- Subfamily: Colubrinae ("typical"
snakes)
- Genus: Elaphe (corn, fox, and rat
snakes)
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| Also Known As: chicken
snake (for its affinity with chicken coops, where it may prey on
chicks as well as rodents), pilot snake (thought to lead other
snakes around) |
Scientific Name: Elaphe obsoleta
obsoleta (Baird & Girard, 1853) |
| Habitat: A wide range;
from forests to arid lands, often around human habitation, to
where it is attracted by the presence of rodents. |
Elaphos="deer" (possibly alluding
to these snakes' speed), obsoleta="faded"
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| Length: Up to
approximately 8 feet. |
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| Food: Rodents, birds,
and lizards. |
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This snake was found exactly as shown in the
photograph at right during July 2006 west of Oklahoma City.
This area is recognized as an intergrade region between the black
rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta, and the Texas
rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri.
NOTE: current taxonomic revisions rename the genus for North
American ratsnakes from Elaphe to Pantherophis. Notice
the raised head to give the snake a better view over the grassy
lawn. |
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| After picking up the snake with
no ill effects, a careless loosening of the grip resulted in the
snake quickly turning and biting the captor's index finger!
While nonvenomous, ratsnakes can be fairly aggressive. After
these photos, the snake was released where found.
See also the entries for Great
Plains rat snake, Texas rat
snake, and Southern Plains rat
snake in the Texas section.
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