Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri)
Found in a chicken coop on a farm near Eustace, Texas (5-12-2003)

Photos by Lee and Marge Traghella; text by Jerry Cates

When grandmother told her three-year-old grandson to gather the eggs, he went into the chicken house to do as he was asked. Shortly thereafter he emerged to report that a snake was in one of the nests. His grandmother thought he had probably just seen a stick, but when she went in to check things out, here is what she saw... the snake was in a nest preparing to devour a few eggs. While she watched the snake opened its mouth wide and... goodbye egg.

The Texas Rat Snake is fairly common, and is non-poisonous. It is known by other names as well. Two other specimens are shown on www.bugsinthenews.com.

Jerry thanks Lee and Marge Traghella for the digital photo shown here. 

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