Texas Rat Snake

The Texas rat snake is one of the most common subspecies of the western rat snake in the wild.

If you live anywhere in the south-central United States, then you may see these large snakes out in the grass or somewhere near you’re home but don’t panic.

They’re generally not dangerous to people and can be safely avoided.

They even make for good pets provided you’re willing to properly care for one. This article will cover some fascinating facts about the identification, habitat, lifespan, behavior, and predators of the Texas rat snake.

5 Texas Rat Snake Amazing Facts

• Rat snakes are semi-arboreal. They are good climbers and spend at least part of their time in trees. They are also considered to be excellent swimmers.
• Rat snakes tend to be nocturnal (meaning they primarily hunt at night) the farther south you go. However, they still need to soak up the sun in the daytime to warm their bodies. In colder climates, they hibernate for the winter.
• Males will attract mates with the use of pheromones. They will sometimes fight each other for access to the females.
• Once impregnated, females lay a clutch of 12 to 20 eggs in hollow logs, compost piles, and other hidden locations.
• The young hatch about two months later, measuring about a foot long. Since they receive no parental care, many of the juveniles fall prey to fearsome predators such as hawks and other snakes. Burying beetles will sometimes lay larvae on the snake eggs, which then consume the growing embryo inside.
• Rat snakes are sometimes known to consume chicken eggs, which has given it the alternate name of chicken snake.

Evolution and Origins

The findings indicate that ratsnakes evolved in tropical Asia during the late Eocene era and then spread to the Western and Eastern Palearctic regions by the early Oligocene period.

These snakes are present in North America, Europe, and Asia as far as the Philippines, and they are predominantly found in wooded areas and near agricultural structures where they prey on rats and mice, killing them through constriction.

Furthermore, the Texas rat snakes are not venomous and they kill their prey through constriction, with a preference for rats and mice, but they also prey on birds and their eggs.

Different Types

Here are the different types of rat snakes:

• Black rat snake
• Spilotes pullatus
• Corn snake
• Eastern rat snake
• Gray ratsnake
• Ptyas mucosa
• Rhinoceros ratsnake
• Great plains rat snake
• Beauty rat snake
• Gonyosoma oxycephalum
• Philippine rat snake
• Trans-Pecos rat snake
• Elaphe carinata
• Mandarin rat snake
• Elaphe schrenckii
• Ptyas korros
• Radiated ratsnake
• Japanese rat snake
• Baird’s rat snake
• Ptyas nigromarginata
• Coelognathus flavolineatus
• European ratsnake
• Red-headed rat snake
• Steppe rat snake
• Aesculapian snake
• Black-banded trinket snake
• Trinket snake
• Ptyas carinata
• Senticolis
• Four-lined snake
• Euprepiophis conspicillata
• Gonyosoma prasinum
• Japanese striped snake
• Yellow-red rat snake
• Gonyosoma frenatum
• Pantherophis vulpinus
• Ptyas dhumnades
• Persian ratsnake
• Elaphe bimaculata
• Ptyas fusca
• Gonyosoma jansenii
• Pantherophis gloydi
• Blotched snake
• Transcaucasian ratsnake
• Baja California rat snake
• Indonesian ratsnake
• Ptyas luzonensis
• Italian Aesculapian snake
• Elaphe davidi
• Oocatochus rufodorsatus
• Orthriophis cantoris

Where to Find Texas Rat Snakes

The Texas rat snake can be found throughout the entire south-central region of the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. They are comfortable with living in a variety of different habitats and locations, including forests, grasslands, swamps, and suburban and urban areas.

Scientific Name

The scientific name is Pantherophis obsoletus lindheimeri. This subspecies of the western rat snake was named in honor of the person who first classified it, the German American naturalist Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer.

It was originally a part of the genus Elaphe, but based on DNA evidence, some experts recommended moving the species into the genus Pantherophis instead (a name that essentially means panther snake). However, since this is not universally recognized, some organizations still classify it in the genus Elaphe.

Population and Conservation Status

As a subspecies, the Texas rat snake has not been given its own separate conservation status, but according to the IUCN Red List, the entire western rat snake group is considered to be a species of least concern.

We do not have enough facts about their population numbers to make a good estimate, but they appear to be quite common and widespread throughout their entire natural range.

Appearance and Description

The Texas rat snake is a relatively long snake, measuring about 4 to 6 feet in size. The skin can come in multiple colors, including green, reddish-brown, or yellow with gray bellies and heads and irregular blotches along the entire length of the body.

White albino snakes are sometimes born as well; they’re particularly popular in the pet trade but quite rare in the wild. Males and females tend to look similar to each other.

How to identify the snake:

• Long, slender body
• Large triangle-shaped head
• Reddish brown, yellow, or olive-green body with gray head and light belly
• Darker blotches from head to tail
• White albinos with no blotches are common in the pet trade

How Dangerous Are They?

Despite their large size, these snakes do not pose any significant danger to people. These are non-venomous snakes without any sharp fangs. While it’s generally recommended to leave them alone, you also don’t have anything to really fear from them.

Behavior and Humans

These snakes can be a little defensive around people. When they’re disturbed, some may open their mouths and try to bite, but most of them would prefer to run away and hide. They have the ability to vibrate their tails to mimic the far more dangerous rattlesnake in hopes that any potential predators will be fooled.

The lack of a rattle on the tail will help greatly in identification, however. If this mimicry fails, then the rat snake can also release a foul-smelling substance around it to deter predators.

1. Live Science, Available here: https://www.livescience.com/53855-rat-snake.html
2. Reptiles, Available here: https://reptilesmagazine.com/texas-rat-snake-care-sheet/