
The Black Rat snake can use its dark black coloring to blend in with forest floors or nearby surroundings, staying very still. However, if you encounter one, there’s a chance you won’t even notice it. Do Black Rat Snakes Bite?īlack rat snakes are diurnal, meaning they live their lives in the daytime. The black rat snake’s odor specifically smells how a poison might, in hopes that this defence mechanism wards off its predators. Like most snakes, when threatened, black rat snakes emit a foul smell. Rest assured, the black rat snake is neither of those venomous serpentine dangers, and it cannot poison you. These black snakes are sometimes mistaken for a copperhead snake. Read on to discover more about this misunderstood North American Black snake species.īlack rat snakes are non-venomous snakes, and they’re nothing to be frightened of.īlack Rat snakes are easy to mistake for a rattlesnake, as they will sometimes shake their tail when they feel threatened, releasing a rattling sound. Their body is often girthy, but they have a fairly small head indistinct from their body.īlack Rat snakes are found all around North America as they tolerate many different types of habitats.īlack rat snakes seem to prefer higher altitudes compared to other rat snakes, though. The lighter colors on this black snake distinguish it from other look-alike snakes, as the contrast is noticeable.īlack Rat snakes back keeled scales are shiny and distinct. Black Rat Snakes are typically three and a half to seven feet long fully grown, but these snakes can grow past eight feet long in some cases!Īs the name suggests, this black snake is mostly all black, but its throat has a noticeably lighter shade of creamy white or yellowish hue. The black rat snake can first be identified by its particularly large size. The black rat snake, also known as the Eastern rat snake, “pilot snake” or “chicken snake” is a conspicuous black snake that receives more frightening reactions than it deserves! Snake bites, even from non Venomous black snakes can still be dangerous as they will hurt a lot and can cause serious infections. It’s important to note, while the most common Black Snakes found in North America are not venomous, all black snakes can bite as self-defence or if you step on them. Other Black Snakes Such as Black Rat Snakes, Black Racers ,Black kingsnakes, Black Swamp Snakes, Black Ring Necked Snakes, Black Mud Snakes are not poisonous and not dangerous to humans.



Some Black Snakes such as Black Rattlesnakes, Black Moccasins or Black Mambas are poisonous and can be very dangerous. There are different types of Black Snakes, this article is going to cover all of them and show you pictures of how they look like – but especially Focus on the Black Rat snake as it’s the most common black snake found in North America.
