Gray Rat Snake Gray Rat Snake
Gray Rat Snake

Scientific Classification

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

Fast Facts

Description
Gray with grayish-black blotches on both dorsal and ventral surfaces
Size
91.4-182.8 cm (36-72 in) average adult length; 213.9 cm (84.3 in) maximum reported length
Weight
No data
Diet
Small mammals, frogs, lizards, birds, and eggs
Incubation
Eggs laid in rotting vegetation or hollow logs in summer
Clutch Size: 5-27 eggs; hatching occurs in fall
Breeding Period: Breeding occurs in spring
Sexual Maturity
3-4 years
Life Span
15-20 years in the natural environment
Range
Southeastern United States; north to southern Indiana, west to Louisiana
Habitat
Pinelands, cypress swamp, marshland, farmland, and residential areas; sandy soil and scrub preferred
Population
Global: No data
Status 
IUCN: No data
CITES: Not listed
USFWS: Not listed

Fun Facts

  1. Gray 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. Gray rat snakes can often be found in trees, hiding in crevices or searching for food.
  5. Unlike other rat snakes, gray rat snakes retain their juvenile coloration (speckled pattern) as adults.

Ecology and Conservation

Rat snakes are extremely important, both as predators and as prey. They help manage the rodent population by consuming small mice, rats, and voles but also become food for larger carnivores such as hawks, egrets, and foxes.


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.

flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/Elapheospiloides.htm