It's a Snek!

Thursday, April 17, 2025

It’s a Snek!

Today’s special animal friend is the black rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta. The taxonomy is disputed. Many websites have Pantherophis obsoletus as the specific name. Some list several other names, which – depending on where they land on the lumper-splitter continuum – may indicate all one species, subspecies, or separate species. Also, the black rat snake is not the same as the black racer, Coluber constrictor, although both are constrictor snakes in the Colubridae family. Black rat snakes can reach a length of 8 feet. They do not want to eat you: they want to eat rodents.

Black rat snakes are found throughout the eastern United States and into Canada. If you lump the whole caboodle into E. obsoleta, they’re found in the western U.S. as well. Although they’re called “black” rat snakes, their coloration varies depending on their habitat. Here in the Carolina Piedmont, they are generally black, except for juveniles, which have dark brown blotches on a lighter background.

Rat snakes eat, as mentioned, rodents, including mice, voles, squirrels, etc. as well as rats. They also eat birds, birds’ eggs, and non-rodent small mammals. At our local Scout camp, we have sometimes had a bird nest in a shelter on Monday and a rat snake – looking pleased with itself – in the same place on Tuesday. When Thor was on staff at the bigger camp in the mountains, “snake catcher” was one of his tasks.

Mating season for this species is late spring to early summer, depending on the latitude and altitude of their habitat. Females lay 6 to 28 eggs (older females lay more) which hatch in 65 to 70 days. Black rat snakes can be found all over the place. They are excellent climbers and will raid birds’ and squirrels’ nests in trees as well as in the rafters of buildings. Black rat snakes are a species of Least Concern. Populations can be found in most environments, except for the most urbanized.

Black rat snakes will often be seen basking in the open on sidewalks or paths. Their first reaction to a threat is to make their body into a slightly crooked shape, hoping to be mistaken for a stick. If that doesn’t deter Thor, the snake may vibrate its tail rapidly, release bad-smelling musk, and even attempt a bite. Thor considered getting one to bite him an Achievement. They will also flee, but not very fast, because they’re not very fast.

Black rat snakes are an ancient and important symbol for the Catawba people of South Carolina. War leaders in this tribe, as well as among other native people of the Southeast, would have a black snake tattoo on each shoulder blade. Snakes would be painted, beaded, or carved onto war-related regalia. Today, the most common use of black snake motifs is in pottery, especially on bowls and jugs. The Catawbas’ use of pottery goes back about 6,000 years; however, it is possible that the “snake bowl” and “snake jug” forms originated as late as the 19^th century, when traditional clothing and ritual regalia was suppressed.

The Catawba have unique sources of clay and traditional production methods that do not include kiln-firing.