Texas Rat Snake (04 May 2007)

McKinney, Texas

(Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) Non-venomous; 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.

JENNIFER B. WROTE: Jerry I found your website today while trying to identify this snake my husband came across in our yard today. As you can see he made his way up a tree and is still alive. From the photos I observed he looks like a rat snake??? Any info would be greatly appreciated.  Jennifer B

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, just like this specimen.

The mid body markings consist of dark brown to purplish (this specimen is more purplish than dark brown) saddles over the spine, separated by lighter spaces with an orange tint (sometimes gray to bluish gray, as with this specimen).  On the sides, alternating between the upper saddles, are dark blotches ringed in the lighter coloration, usually tinged in orange but sometimes--again as in this specimen--in gray to 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, which is consistent with my count).  According to some authorities, the Texas rat snake tends to have a dark gray background coloration in the forested eastern portions of its range, but is more often yellowish in the western portions of its range. My experiences have not corroborated that, as I've found many very yellowish specimens in east Texas, and a few bluish gray ones in central Texas. McKinney is northeast of Fort Worth, in east-central north Texas... can I say that? Well, I guess I did.

Texas rat snakes are good climbers, and their belly markings consist of squarish, dark blotches, tinted with gray, as with this specimen.

MY REPLY: Jennifer---Yes, without a doubt, its a Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri).  Excellent photos! This snake is beneficial and (as long as you and the kids don't try to pick it up) harmless.  Its bite can be painful and bloody, but is not venomous---Jerry...  Many thanks to Jennifer B. for these excellent photos.

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