Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can someone post some pics of about a 2 - 2 1/2 foot gray rat snake. I just got one but it looks more to me like a juvi black rat. It's still has all of the pattern left. All pics will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Boy, this one might be tough - even with pics! As far as I know, the young and juveniles of both subspecies can be virtually identical, and both can be highly variable in coloration and boldness of pattern. And to compound the problem, the two subspecies intergrade in some areas. So you might have a Black, or you might have a Gray, or you might even have a Black/Gray intergrade. You might just have to wait until it grows up!

One identifying feature that at least might help rule out another possibility, the Great Plains Rat snake, is to check where the postocular stripe ends. If it ends at the mouth line, you have either a Black or a Gray (or perhaps even a Texas Rat), or some combination thereof. If the stripe extends beyond the mouth line, it could be a Great Plains Rat.
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MichaelB

If the pattern is fading towards the rear of the snake, I'd lean towards a black rat or an intergrade. If the pattern stays strong and solid as the snake grows, I'd lean toward a gray rat. But it's really hard to say without looking at a picture of your snake.