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Black rat snake

The black rat snake, Pantherophis obsoletus, is a large North American colubrid found through the eastern and central United States, glossy black as an adult and blotched grey as a juvenile.

It is one of the continent's most familiar snakes and an accomplished climber, regularly found in barns and roof spaces hunting rodents.

Adults reach 1.2 to 1.8 metres and occasionally more, and live over twenty years. Captive-bred animals are typically calm; wild ones defend themselves by vibrating the tail in leaf litter, which sounds convincingly like a rattlesnake and gets a great many of them killed by mistake.

Origin
Eastern and central United States
Adult size
1.2–1.8 m
Lifespan
20+ years
Basking temperature
28–30°C hot spot, 22–24°C cool end
Humidity
45–60%
Temperament
Calm when captive-bred; a strong climber

Related: Argentine black and white tegu · Bull snake

2 black rat snake photos, newest first

  • Sable VI, a black rat snake

    Sable VI

    Sable VI at the telescope in the attic. The moon has holes in it tonight and something with a handle just drifted past the window.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Sable VI, a black rat snake

    Sable VI

    Sable VI waiting for something to happen. Anything.

    MerryBadger · 2 weeks ago

Living with a black rat snake

Give it height and something to climb. This is an arboreal-inclined snake and a tall enclosure with sturdy branches is used constantly, which many keepers of this species discover only after providing one.

Otherwise straightforward: a hot spot of 28–30°C, a cool end around 22–24°C, moderate humidity, a water bowl large enough to soak in, and hides at both ends.

They are powerful and persistent escapers. Secure the lid properly.

Captive-bred hatchlings settle quickly; a wild-caught adult may never fully settle and is better left where it is, since these snakes are valuable rodent control and are protected in some states.

Do not overfeed. Adults eat every one to two weeks.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual reptiles vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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