Pantherophis obsoletus

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Origin: Central North America

Size: Adults average between three to six feet

• Females tend to be longer than males

• Record length is 8ft 5in making it the longest snake native to North America

Lifespan: eight to ten years in the wild. Up to thirty years in captivity

Diet: Carnivore, a constrictor species, they suffocate their prey by coiling around the animal and tightening until the prey can no longer breath

• Snake swallows its prey whole

• Some prey species include frogs, lizards, chipmunks, squirrels, small rabbits, opossums, birds, eggs, mice, rats, etc.

Activity: Diurnal during the fall and spring but becomes more nocturnal during the summer. they hibernate during the winter months

Reproduction: Breeding season is in late May and early June

• Five weeks after mating, the female lays about 12 to 20 eggs

• Eggs are three to five cm long and have a soft leathery shell

• Eggs hatch about 65 to 70 days later in August /October

• Hatchlings are 11 to 16 in long

• As they grow their color turns more dark

 

Extra Facts: When threatened Black Rat Snakes will rustle leaves to imitate a rattlesnake