Black Rat Snake Black Rat Snake
Black Rat Snake

Scientific Classification

Common Name
black rat snake, pilot snake
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Colubridae
Genus Species
Elaphe (the deer) obsoleta obsoleta

Fast Facts

Description
Young are blotched black and gray; adults have a shiny black back with light brown or gray undersides; white chin and throat
Size
90-180 cm (42-72 in) average adult length; 270 cm (9 ft) maximum reported length
Weight
No data
Diet
Small mammals, frogs, lizards, birds, and eggs
Incubation
68-77 days; young hatch in the fall and are 10-16 inches at birth
Clutch Size: 5-20 eggs
Breeding Period
Eggs are laid between June and August in leaf litter or under rocks
Sexual Maturity
3-4 years
Life Span
10-15 years in the natural environment
Range
Northeastern and central United States; north to Wisconsin, west to Oklahoma, south to Louisiana and Georgia
Habitat
Woodlands and rocky outcroppings
Population
Global: No data
Status 
IUCN: No data
CITES: Not listed
USFWS: Not listed

Fun Facts

  1. Black rat snakes are one of the longest snakes in North America, occasionally reaching lengths of 8 feet.
  2. When threatened, rat snakes will "rattle" their tail, fooling other animals into believing they are venomous.
  3. Like pythons and boas, rat snakes are constrictors, which suffocate their prey.
  4. In the colder months of the year, the black rat snake will den up with other snakes including the timber rattlesnake and the racer. This may have caused the incorrect belief that the black rat snake leads the other snakes to shelter, earning it the name 'pilot snake'.
  5. Black rat snakes are excellent climbers and hunt for birds and eggs in trees.

Ecology and Conservation

Black rat snakes are helpful in controlling the rodent population, which can cause crop destruction and spread diseases.


Bibliography

Areste, Manuel and Cebrián, Rafael. Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2003.

Conant, Roger, and Joseph T. Collins. Peterson Field Guide-Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1991.

Mattison, Chris. Snakes of the World. Facts on File, Inc. New York, 1988.

Mehrtens, John M. Living Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., 1987.

ohiokids.org/ohc/nature/animals/reptile/bratsnake.html

herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/reptiles/snakes/black_ratsnake.html