Coastal eastern Black Rat Snakes are often jet black dorsally.
Long in the herpetocultural shadows of more brightly colored rat snakes, it now seems that much interest is being channeled to the big Black Rat Snake, Pantherophis obsoletus obsoletus. Although I’m surely missing some, genetic aberrancies such as white-sided, albino, lavender, rusty, brindle, and calico, have been developed. But let’s talk about the normal rather than the aberrances here.

The Black Rat Snake, a big dark colored constrictor, has an immense range in eastern USA. Using state abbreviations, it may be found from New England’s Lake Champlain to neGA, then seMN to cKS and cLA. Habitats include stone walls, woodlands, pasture edges, deserted buildings and other such structures.

It, like its several subspecies, is adult at 5 to 6 feet in length. Occasional examples have exceeded 8 feet in length. With a record length of 101 inches it is one of the 5 longest snakes in the USA.

When adult this is a large, primarily black, harmless, but often feisty, semi-arboreal snake. Black above, traces of darker blotches may be seen, and if the snake is a hatchling/juvenile, or distended with a meal or gravid. Patches of white, gray, or orange interstitial skin (the skin between the scales) may also show. Dorsal patterns are also more apt to be seen where this snake nears the ranges of the Gray Rat Snake and Texas Rat Snake. The belly is white with irregular blotches of black.

Typically hatchlings are gray with black saddles. Various colors, especially a dark olive green, may show at areas where this snake intergrades with the yellow rat snake. Rodents, birds, and lizards are the preferred prey items of this powerful constrictor.

Rat snakes, as a group, will hiss if frightened and will often vibrate the tail. This latter, if in dried grass or leaves, will make a whirring sound that is similar to the noise of a rattlesnake’s rattle.

Know the difference before you approach.