Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In southern Illinois this past weekend we found black rat snakes of all ages/sizes. Here’s a little one:

A medium one:

And an exceptionally pretty adult:

As found. Gotta love the “stick” impression these guys do!

And coiled -- check out the beautiful orange interstitial skin!

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Carl

Wow, that big adult is beautiful! I especially love that second shot-very cool.

Very cool, Carl....

Tiz the season......
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Regards, Bill McGighan

Man or man, that last one is screamin' ...but for some reason I just love obsoleta, even the ugly ones! Thanks for posting the great pics and variation.

btw, rats aren't the only ones that do the stick thing (not that you don't known that). I've even seen glossy snakes do it! I think it is adaptation for looking cool.
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See all my snakes at SerpenTrack.com

I found a prairie king doing that last Spring.

I read that Ratsnakes do that as a camoflage way of avoiding attention of predators in Tenant's book. I nocticed the nice amount of orange between the scales in the large black rat, and I have seen that in the Blacks down here in Charlotte, NC also, yet in the western NC mts near Asheville and Hendersonville, they are all black with just some white, and those are the ones I work with. The orange coloring is very nice though!
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BULLS: Pr normal (KS&TX), 1 Pr Northern (M Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada & F Minn), Pr Kankakee Co, Ill, CORNS: Pr Okeetee, SC, FOXES: Pr Western, KINGS: Pr Black Eastern (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, Pr. NC Eastern Chains (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), Pr."Goini", Franklin Co. Fla, Pr. Costal Banded Cal (M Hypo & F normal) Pr Speckled, Harris Co. TX, PINES: Pr Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), Pr Southern (F light & M- Aiken, SC), PYTHONS: Pr normal Ball, RATS: Pr Black, Henderson Co. NC, Pr Black (M White Side & F Leucistic), Western Green, F (Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ), OTHERS: 10 Tarantulas, 150 Orchid plants, 40 assorted tropical plants and violets, 3 Freshwater Planted Aquariums with West African Dwarf Cichlids and 2 condo-porch gardens with Bonsai, Roses and etc...

Very nice finds!!,.....That last very solid black specimen is absolutely STELLAR!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Ditto on that last one, though all are nice. Black rats never get old to me. Such a perfect snake. I suppose they are out and about and moving at this time of year because they are headed for their winter grounds, correct?

Yeah, that is what I would strongly suspect. That, and maybe see about a last meal or so just prior to doing so.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks for the replies, y'all! Yep, the black rats are headin' to the bluffs in southern IL. Such a cool serpent.
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Carl

Not too long ago I remember someone was breeding western locality black rats (I was thinking from Missouri for some reason, but it may have been Illinois). Anyway, I remember him saying they got large, turned very solid black, and had lots of red and orange interstitial skin. I had forgotten about it until now, but does anyone remember who I'm talking about?

I work with some western ones. Let me get back to you, as I'm on my way out the door. Do you have e-mail?
Alan Garry,

>>I work with some western ones. Let me get back to you, as I'm on my way out the door. Do you have e-mail?
>>Alan Garry,

I shot you an email. Let me know if you didn't get it.

SO, when are ya goin to post some pics of some Kanakee Ill Bulls hahaha.... ever find any Fox Snakes and if so any pics?
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BULLS: Pr normal (KS&TX), 1 Pr Northern (M Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada & F Minn), Pr Kankakee Co, Ill, CORNS: Pr Okeetee, SC, FOXES: Pr Western, KINGS: Pr Black Eastern (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, Pr. NC Eastern Chains (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), Pr."Goini", Franklin Co. Fla, Pr. Costal Banded Cal (M Hypo & F normal) Pr Speckled, Harris Co. TX, PINES: Pr Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), Pr Southern (F light & M- Aiken, SC), PYTHONS: Pr normal Ball, RATS: Pr Black, Henderson Co. NC, Pr Black (M White Side & F Leucistic), Western Green, F (Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ), OTHERS: 10 Tarantulas, 150 Orchid plants, 40 assorted tropical plants and violets, 3 Freshwater Planted Aquariums with West African Dwarf Cichlids and 2 condo-porch gardens with Bonsai, Roses and etc...