Gray rat snake

Rat snakes are harmless to humans and highly beneficial to us because of all the rats, mice, and other rodents they consume. They also serve as food to other animals including eagles and hawks. Like all animals, snakes play an important role in the health of the environment.
Baby rat snakes are often confused with the venomous copperhead snake because they have a pattern of squares and diamonds down their back that slowly fades to black as they get bigger. Rat snakes also rattle their tails when they are frightened, and flatten their head into a triangle shape. Due to these two traits, there is a myth that rat snakes can mate with copperheads and rattle snakes to produce venomous hybrid offspring.