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He wasn't very friendly. This guy was in Hocking Hills (Southern Ohio). It was somewhat chilly, but we managed to find a few herps.

Third Eye

That's not a black rat! Black rats are black j/k nice find!

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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

It looks like he has some red between his scales. Is that correct? Great looking snake for a non-balck Black Rat Snake. (LOL)

Real Black Rat Snake

That's a looker! Where is it from? Mine is that dark but has a few white flecks. And for some reason sometimes when the flash hits it just right you see a slight pattern in the picture. But I have never seen a pattern with my own eyes.....
BTW I am still looking forward to that emoryi! How is he?
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

The Snake in the photo is from South Eastern Virginia. We are blessed in our area to have very dark animals. Still, that Ohio snake wasn't so bad looking at all. As I have said on here before, there is no such thing as an ugly Black, Gray, Yellow, Everglades, or Texas Rat Snake. They all are works of Nature's art.

I agree. Accept for the Texas part j/k
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

Nice to see a animal from my old stompping grounds. I graduated from OU in '99. I really do miss the land down there. I am living outside of Indy now and it is nice and flat. I wasn't really into herps yet when I was there, so I don't have any good stories, but maybe I can make a trip back and see what I can come up with this summer. Thanks for the pic.
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0.1 Amel Motley Corn (Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's Ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.0 White Oaks Grey Rat (Tennesse Jed '04)
0.1 IJ Carpet Python (Cassidy '04)
1.0 Western Hognose (Samson '05)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 7yrs, Porter 2yrs)

rat but looks to be maybe a cross of natural occurrence of a integrating breeding of black rat with fox snake which by old classification is still in the elaphe species. Doesn't the fox snake occur from where this snake was found ?
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

Nope, this was in southern Ohio - Fox snakes live in the northwestern part of the state. Black rats aren't always black. The vast majority of the examples I've seen have white, yellow and red in between their scales. Some from Kentucky have so much pattern that they almost look like Texas rats. A google image search for "black rat snake" will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.

Tim

Third Eye

>>Nope, this was in southern Ohio - Fox snakes live in the northwestern part of the state. Black rats aren't always black. The vast majority of the examples I've seen have white, yellow and red in between their scales. Some from Kentucky have so much pattern that they almost look like Texas rats. A google image search for "black rat snake" will give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.
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>>Tim
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>>Third Eye

I live across the river in Mineral Wells, WV. about 35-45 minutes from OU. The black rats around here can get huge but not really super black. They do seem to have a lot of red in-between the scales and hold on to that juvy pattern even into adulthood. They are actually more dark brown than black. Which is sort of funny because Virgina which is a boarder state has some of the darkest black rats I have seen.
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Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

Here are some photos of a black rat snake that was removed from a man's home last week; it is the 27th BRS we have removed from the home in the last two years.

This snake is exceptionally red and is similar to a corn snake on the ventral and lateral areas.

The black markings are largely missing from the snake while the pattern of the juvenile is still obvious.

You can see more photos, including a comparison with a normal black rat also removed from the home at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/netherper/

Dennis Desmond
Northern Virginia Reptile Rescue
Black Rat Snake Photos