Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's a new addition I picked up. An 08 Montgomery County N.C. Black Rat from Uwharrie reptiles. Both adults are almost solid black & orginate from the Uwharrie Mountains in NC. Looking forward to watching this little guy go through his color change.
Steve

very cute!!! i LOVE black rats... too bad breeding and selling is illegal in VA My male Black Rat is almost solid black.... beautiful!!! keep the pictures coming as he grows!!
~kin
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Thanks Kin. That is exactly why I only picked up just a lone male. Because of Va. Law. But anyway, I'll enjoy keeping this guy as a pet and also to do native species presentations.

Steve

The law says you can't sell them: it doesn't say you can't give them away.

I also have an adult NC Black Rat, a PA Black Rat, a NY Black Rat, and a wonderful VA Black Rat (The VA and the PA were rescue snakes.) When I see posts of Black Rats from west of the Allegheny Mountains, I think to my self how lucky I am to live in an area where our Black Rats are so very dark with that classic jet black with almost no pattern.

I hope that little pup grows up to have those classic Eastern Black Rat looks like we find in our home state.

Thanks for the post.

No doubt about that elaphafan. If you like solid black ratsnakes, Va. is one of the best states to be in. Or atleast in in my part of the state they are. (Near Williamsburg)
This Montgomery co. NC black rat I picked up comes from a pair of adults that are pretty solid black.
As far as Va. Black rats go, have you seen any part of the state that is the best area for having solid black rats? Or is the state has a whole excellent for having solid black animals? I was always curiuos if the black rats out in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Va. consistantly look simular to the ones you would find in, lets say the Tidewater area. Next time I'm out in Western Va. I'll have to do a little observation on that.
Steve

I think in the mountains and the Shenandoah Valley, you'll see more of the blotches showing through with exceptions, of course.
.
This bad pic is from our back yard when we lived in Afton, west of Charlottesville in '84, and you can see blotches.

.
You guys are right about eastern/tide water VA Blacks...
I wonder if a contributing factor is the thick stripes that seem to be an underlying pattern????
I saw some young adults when I was at Quantico (where we found BRs almost daily in some places on base) and the stripes could be seen if you caught the light just right!!!
.
Anyway, best of luck with the new animal.

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Regards, Bill McGighan

Bill & Steve,

I live in the Tidewater area. Around here, most of the adults show very little pattern. I also lived outside of Richmond at one time, and the Black Rats I found there also showed very little pattern.

I will have to take some head shots for you of the BK's from four eastern states. I see that they differ in eye coloring.

I remember seeing posts of western Black Rats with red colored eyes. Is that common for Black Rats from west of the Allegheny Mountains?

Bill, I also have noted the faint broad stripes (very faint but there) that can be seen between the scales. Maybe Burbink was right about lumping Eastern Black Rats, Yellow Rats, and Everglades Rats as one species.

Rick

Here's a few Va. Black Rats & one NC Black rat for comparison pics of different localities. This would be a good thread to start fresh at a future time.
Charles City Co. Virginia

James City Co. Virginia (York River State Park)

New Kent co. Virginia

Henrico Co. Virginia

Dare co. North Carolina

Those are great.
2nd, 3rd, and 4th pics really show how black they are in those areas.

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Regards, Bill McGighan

Steve,

The Dare Co. animal, was it found on the OBX or the mainland?

All are great looking animals. The one climbing the tree is truly outstanding.

Thanks for posting!

Rick

Rick, the Dare co. black rat was found on the mainland. I believe that one was near the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Thanks.
Steve

"I also have noted the faint broad stripes (very faint but there) that can be seen between the scales. Maybe Burbink was right about lumping Eastern Black Rats, Yellow Rats, and Everglades Rats as one species"
It could be and I really hope that mtDNA data studies and morphology studies become more in synch.
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Regards, Bill McGighan