Florida Rat Snake

Grey rat snakes canada red rat snakes florida keys while these rat snakes may be endangered or threatened in these areas this doesn t mean that they don t have larger populations in the other areas that they roam.

Florida rat snake. As with all snakes deforestation and humans encroaching on the rat snake s habitat is the biggest threat of all. According to the cincinnati zoo yellow rat snakes are the most common rat snake in the florida peninsula. Side of the head e. Young will eat lizards and frogs.

They are found in almost every habitat where they prey on rodents birds and birds eggs. Underside of the head chin and throat c. Makes an excellent pet. In florida the rat snake occurs in the panhandle east of the apalachicola river and throughout the peninsula south to key largo however it does readily hybridize with the gray rat snake pantherophis spiloides in the panhandle.

A website dedicated to the identification of florida snakes. Red rat snake corn snake pantherophis guttatus. These beautiful snakes have a gray body with large blotches along the back and sides. I found a rat snake slithering outside my french doors itapped on the window he came back and put his face up against the glass i have two cats and i didn t know what kind of snake it was my husband took a shovel and carried him to the creek he ran away but never striked he was yellow and brown stripes i live in central florida in the woods.

Weekly keeled scales range. Perhaps the most common is the eastern rat snake which is widespread from new york to florida. This group of snakes is very common and well known and there are at least ten different known species. A website dedicated to the identification of florida snakes.

Its average length ranges from 30 48 inches 76 2 121 92 centimeters but it can grow up to 72 inches 182 9 centimeters. This species varies in color but usually has a yellowish tan to orange body color with large red or faded blotches located on. Different species of snake can often be distinguished by their characteristic color patterns. The gray rat snake elaphe obsoleta spiloides is the gray subspecies of rat snake is found in the florida panhandle and west into louisiana.

Top of the head b. There are numerous species and subspecies of rat snake across the world. Others have dark or light markings organized into stripes spots blotches or some other pattern. Front face view of the head d.

Here is a quick look at most of florida s snakes by pattern. Some are single uniform colors. This is a morph of the eastern rat snake black rat snake with all over yellow or orange. Florida snakes visual identification.