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WHAT IS THE LARGEST RAT SNAKE SPECIES? IF THE ANSWER IS BLACK THEN WHATS THE 2ND?

Rat snake or American rat snake?
I have a 10' Asian Blue Beauty that is not a record for its species. I'm told they can reach 12'.
Blues have an attitude to go with that size. Mine is named Demon and although he's settled down some he can sometimes show why he earned that name.
Keep in mind though he was a wild caught snake when I got him.
Captive bred will be better tempered.

I wrote earlier about that yellow I saw in Florida and there was another account of a big yellow so I would say for American rats snakes it would be a toss up between the Black and yellow rats. Both can be big. Gray rats can probably get some size too.

I have also never like the term "rat snake" used for Spilotes (Tiger Rat Snakes) either because they are nothing similar to USA native rat snakes, or old world rat snakes, but they have certainly been recorded upwards of 12' as well and I would certainly put them up as a contestant for worlds largest rat snakes if you want to consider them "rat snakes."

Personally I always liked a name I heard used for them in Mexico calling them "voladora," which roughly translates to "flyer," in reference to their ability to quickly climb from tree to tree looking like they are flying through the forest. If someone wanted to declare Spilotes and Pseustes just be put into a group of snakes we give the common group name "bird snakes," I would think that is an alright idea. But Pseustes actually remind me more of USA native rat snakes than Spilotes do actually, and Pseustes are often actually the ones called birds snakes.

But if Pseustes look and behave more similar to the US rat snakes like black rats, should we just call black rat snakes...black bird snakes?

I hate common names.

Lets give the biggest rat snake title to Ptyas...unless someone wants to call Eunectes a rat snake : )

Eunectes notaeus (Yellow Ratsnake)..

Don't know about it flying through the canopy like S.pullatus though, CRASHING through it,....sure..HAHAA!!

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