Texas Rat Snake (4 May 2007) McKinney, Texas

(Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) Non-poisonous; very aggressive; may bite if cornered, not allowed to escape, and handled; the productive bite of a mature adult may produce painful wounds that bleed freely from the numerous puncture marks caused by its small, sharp teeth; the bite is otherwise inconsequential; this species of snake preys on mice and rats and is very beneficial.

Photos courtesy of Jennifer B.; text by Jerry Cates

Jennifer's husband found this Texas rat snake in their yard, crawling along the side of the house.

From this angle it isn't absolutely certain that it is a Texas rat snake, but lots of clues are still visible.  The head is rounded, from side to side, and uniformly dark gray on the nose, and sides, to the paler color of the upper lips.  The upper lips are unmarked, as are the underchin scales.

Dorsal scales on the upper head are large, with two largest behind the eyes, and three between the eyes.  In the juvenile Texas rat snake, the head in marked with spearpoint markings that fade as the snake matures.  The mature Texas rat snake has a uniformly dark gray dorsal head.

The mid body markings consist of saddles over the spine, separated by lighter spaces with an orange tint (sometimes bluish gray).  On the sides, alternating between the upper saddles, are dark blotches ringed in the lighter coloration, usually tinged in orange but sometimes in bluish gray.  The scales nearest the spine are keeled, but those on the sides are either weakly keeled or smooth.  I count 13 to 14 scale rows from spine to lower side (the Texas rat snake has 27 rows from side to side at mid body).

Texas rat snakes are good climbers, and their belly markings consist of squarish, dark blotches.

Many thanks to Jennifer B. for these excellent photos.

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