Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 6 yr old son found it in our back yard a couple weeks ago. Decided to keep it as a pet. Seems to be doing well. Eats large pinks with no problem (pic is after yesterday's feeding). So far the snake has been very calm with good demeaner. My son handles it often and it has yet to nip at him or me.

Any ideas as to what type of Rat Snake this is?

That's a Black Ratsnake!....nice find!, glad to hear it's doing well.....best regards...............................Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

It depends where you are in SC.

In the mts of SC, the ratsnakes are Black Ratsnakes, although few of them are completely black. Most are very dark snakes with a faint pattern showing through.

In the piedmont, particular towards the Savannah River side the ratsnakes are typically Gray Ratsnakes which retain their pattern most of their life. Some of these animals can be quite attractive as adults.

Along the coastal plain you get the integrade "Greenish" Ratsnake, although the SC ones are a lot less green than the ugly NC ones. Those snakes grow up into a dull olive yellow snake with black striping.

They are difficult to tell apart until they get partly grown. Either way, they are still just ratsnakes and their care is basically the same.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I'm in Aiken which is within 20 mi of the Savannah River. Sand hills with Pine and scrub oak.

That's "smack-in-the-middle" of the intergrade border of both Black Rat, and Gray Ratsnake!!LOL.....at this young age, it's really tuff to say as to whether or not it has a mix. But at this point, it looks like more Black than not!.......but that's really just a good educated guess.
In any case, it's a good find!LOL......................Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

IS the actual border, and from your side(north and west) is Black Rat territory,....so I'd call it BLACK RAT!...........Doug
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Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!

I'd guess that it's a black or greenish rat (yellow x black rat intergrade). I was unaware that grey rats are found in SC, although according to range maps their intergrade range with black rats comes close, so I guess its possible. I've seen grey/yellow/black intergrades farther south in GA & yellows from Charleston & the Okeetee (some may consider them greenish).

To me adult greenish rats have some remnants of a blotched pattern, whereas, yellows from coastal NC or SC are green or greenish yellow & are striped without blotches.