Here are several videos to watch closely. Common Black Rat Snakes eat Poisonous Snakes for desert like a tub of ice cream. Unfortunately, one of THE best predictors of poisonous snakes and rodents aren't as common as farmers who valued them are not as common. Country folks with sense would welcome the beneficial snakes as they were very valuable. Now that people no longer learn about wildlife and the environment, the phrase has become common, " The only good snake is a dead snake.". Scared little boys learn this from their cowardly friends and families. Hence the tradition is carried on. Unwittingly, they kill that harmless little critter that gets rid of the poisonous ones before they get big enough to do much good. As they grow and she'd, that pattern gradually fades and the background darkens to black. Black isn't the only color for rat snakes as they also come in grey, red/ orange (corns), depending upon what part of the country you may live in.
They like to go after copperheads and rattlers, constrict them like a boa, and eat them head first. Occasionally they will even tackle those bigger than themselves. If you don't have any venomous snakes in your local, rest assured that these friends are NO maintenance and will sniff out mice, rats, moles, etc.
A couple of more points is that Easter Milks are identical to young Black Rat Snakes aka Black Snakes with the exception of minor morphology. They don't get as big as Rat Snakes. They keep their pattern. Milks are also harmless unless you are a rodent.
The easiest way to tell the difference between a non venomous snake and a venomous one is to see them in person side by side, or in a video. You will note the head shape long before the eye pupils. If you press your index fingers together and your thumbs together, stretch them out. That is the oval head shape of a non venomous snake. Do the same now, but make the bend at the junction of the index and thumbs 90° . You should have a triangle that resembles the shape of a north American venomous snake that contrasts with the wife venom glands abruptly ending on the slender neck.
They like to sun themselves on the creosote timbers of our bridge. I have moved a couple over the years that allowed me to approach.
My hayseed inlaws will intentionally run them over. They think every snake is a copperheaded rattling water moccasin.
I pulled a hognose snake out my aunt’s (wife’s aunt) retaining wall. That one really fooled them because they have a shovel shaped head and mount up a big defensive bluff.
But yes, rat snakes have color variations when young, after a recent molt and sometimes they just have some color plain and simple.
Another mistake is people chopping up banded water snakes. People see any snake swimming and they freak.
This link is to a good article with some pics of some other " look alikes.". Once you verify them in person, it's easy to tell the difference. Don't worry about minor details. Pay close attention to the head shapes and pattern. The pupils of non venomous being round as opposed to the vertical cat eye pupils is another unique difference, but to tell this, you might have to get too close for comfort.
They like to sun themselves on the creosote timbers of our bridge. I have moved a couple over the years that allowed me to approach. (They are known as kings for a good reason. You are very fortunate.)
My hayseed inlaws will intentionally run them over. They think every snake is a copperheaded rattling water moccasin. 😄
I pulled a hognose snake out my aunt’s (wife’s aunt) retaining wall. That one really fooled them because they have a shovel shaped head and mount up a big defensive bluff. (That's one of those head shape exceptions that I'm glad you're pointing out. 👍)
But yes, rat snakes have color variations when young, after a recent molt and sometimes they just have some color plain and simple.
Another mistake is people chopping up banded water snakes. People see any snake swimming and they freak.
(I know what you mean. We don't have Moccasins up here, unless you run into a newbie who swears he saw one.)
They can climb up a brick wall. One of my buds has a pic of one about 4-5’ long climbing the wall of his house. The snakes body was in the shape of squared off “s” curves following the mortar seams.
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They can climb up a brick wall. One of my buds has a pic of one about 4-5’ long climbing the wall of his house. The snakes body was in the shape of squared off “s” curves following the mortar seams.
I bet that's a good picture. They sure are good climbers. Sometimes they will find a bird nest, but seem to prefer rodents.
