Post by Jeff on Dec 1, 2008 19:16:41 GMT -5
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
COMMON NAME: black rat snake, pilot snake
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER: Squamata
FAMILY: Colubridae
GENUS SPECIES: Elaphe (the deer) obsoleta obsoleta
FAST FACTS
DESCRIPTION: Young are blotched black and gray; adults have a shiny black back with light brown or gray undersides; white chin and throat
SIZE: 90-180 cm (42-72 in) average adult length; 270 cm (9 ft) maximum reported length
WEIGHT:
DIET: Small mammals, frogs, lizards, birds, and eggs
INCUBATION: 68-77 days; young hatch in the fall and are 10-16 inches at birth
CLUTCH SIZE 5-20 eggs
BREEDING PERIOD Eggs are laid between June and August in leaf litter or under rocks
SEXUAL MATURITY: 3-4 years
LIFE SPAN: 10-15 years in the natural environment
RANGE: Northeastern and central United States; north to Wisconsin, west to Oklahoma, south to Louisiana and Georgia
HABITAT: Woodlands and rocky outcroppings
FUN FACTS
1. Black rat snakes are one of the longest snakes in North America, occasionally reaching lengths of 8 feet.
2. When threatened, rat snakes will "rattle" their tail, fooling other animals into believing they are venomous.
3. Like pythons and boas, rat snakes are constrictors, which suffocate their prey.
4. In the colder months of the year, the black rat snake will den up with other snakes including the timber rattlesnake and the racer. This may have caused the incorrect belief that the black rat snake leads the other snakes to shelter, earning it the name 'pilot snake'.
5. Black rat snakes are excellent climbers and hunt for birds and eggs in trees.
ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Black rat snakes are helpful in controlling the rodent population, which can cause crop destruction and spread diseases.
COMMON NAME: black rat snake, pilot snake
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER: Squamata
FAMILY: Colubridae
GENUS SPECIES: Elaphe (the deer) obsoleta obsoleta
FAST FACTS
DESCRIPTION: Young are blotched black and gray; adults have a shiny black back with light brown or gray undersides; white chin and throat
SIZE: 90-180 cm (42-72 in) average adult length; 270 cm (9 ft) maximum reported length
WEIGHT:
DIET: Small mammals, frogs, lizards, birds, and eggs
INCUBATION: 68-77 days; young hatch in the fall and are 10-16 inches at birth
CLUTCH SIZE 5-20 eggs
BREEDING PERIOD Eggs are laid between June and August in leaf litter or under rocks
SEXUAL MATURITY: 3-4 years
LIFE SPAN: 10-15 years in the natural environment
RANGE: Northeastern and central United States; north to Wisconsin, west to Oklahoma, south to Louisiana and Georgia
HABITAT: Woodlands and rocky outcroppings
FUN FACTS
1. Black rat snakes are one of the longest snakes in North America, occasionally reaching lengths of 8 feet.
2. When threatened, rat snakes will "rattle" their tail, fooling other animals into believing they are venomous.
3. Like pythons and boas, rat snakes are constrictors, which suffocate their prey.
4. In the colder months of the year, the black rat snake will den up with other snakes including the timber rattlesnake and the racer. This may have caused the incorrect belief that the black rat snake leads the other snakes to shelter, earning it the name 'pilot snake'.
5. Black rat snakes are excellent climbers and hunt for birds and eggs in trees.
ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Black rat snakes are helpful in controlling the rodent population, which can cause crop destruction and spread diseases.