Texas Rat Snake (30 April 2007) Austin, Texas

(Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) Extremely Beneficial. 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, therefore, a very good snake to have around.

Photos courtesy of Todd H.

The muscular body of the Texas rat snake is evident in this photo.  The upper body is held up by the lower body muscles as it climbs.  Note that the head is rounded, from side to side, and uniformly dark gray on the nose and lateral face. Note also the paler color of the upper lips, which are unmarked.  The juvenile Texas rat snake has markings on the dorsal head, but mature specimens, like this one, are unmarked. on the upper head

The mid body markings consist of saddles over the spine, separated by lighter spaces with an orange tint (sometimes bluish gray, or a mixture of the two, as here), and often, as with this specimen, with white markings between some of the scales.  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.

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