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Black Rat Snake

Elaphe obsoleta

Photo by KenCheeks
Published on Project Noah
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33.2817, -81.8383

Field Notes

Description:

Adult rat snakes are typically 3-5 ft (91-152 cm), but large individuals may be more than 6 ft (183 cm) long. The appearance of rat snakes varies greatly throughout the geographic range. Black rat snakes are more northern in distribution and are characteristically black on top with a faint hint of white between some of the scales.

Habitat:

Rat snakes occupy a wide variety of habitats including rocky timbered hills, hardwood forests, river floodplains and swamp margins. They are commonly found in abandoned buildings and barns and are often the most common large snake in suburban areas. This one was photographed crossing a road in a swampy area in the coastal plain of South Carolina.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (3)

Me either, Tom! Definitely not what I was expecting to see when I clicked on the spotting, but it was a nice surprise :)
Great looking snake! I didn't realize Black Rat Snakes could have a nice pattern like this until I saw this picture.
This snake is unbelievably beautiful! Great find!

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