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I would like some help/opinions with an American snake I'm from Sweden myself. So... I got this guy as a baby in 1995. I was told it was an everglades ratsnake. I didn't know a lot about snakes back then and now after some research I suspect the snake is a cross, probably yellow ratsnake/everglades. The thing that makes me confused is the stripes. The guy is about 5.3 foot and his colors has faded a little with time around the head. He is still my favorite snake and very placid and nice looking. Thanks!

That is a typical yellow rat snake. The subspecies name, "quadrivittata" translates to four lines, hence another of its several common names, four lined chicken snake. These are among the most beneficial snakes in the southeastern United States. The young feed on tree frogs, but soon graduate to mice, then small rats. They can grow to lengths in excess of seven feet, & are moderately robust, making them capable of obliterating a nest of rats, mother, and however many babies she has had. They will also readily raid chicken coops, eating biddies as well as eggs.

Enjoy! ~~Greg~~

I totally agree with Greg that it is a typical Yellow Ratsnake, even though it displays a slight light orange hue on it's upper dorsal background. Hatchling yellow ratsnake's typically look very similar to Gray or Black Rat hatchlings when very young. Then they gradually turn yellow as they mature while the outer edges of their dorsal blotches begin fusing together to form their adult stripe pattern. There is always a possibility it could have "some" distant geneflow from an Everglades Rat since the history of the animals lineage isn't precisely knowm, but going by it's phenotype alone (outward visual appearance), it definitely keys-out meristically as a Yellow Ratsnake.

Here is an exceptionally colored male Yellow Rat I captured in Palm Bay, Florida back in 2005. It was very thin at the time of capture.

Here is the same snake after being in my care for a while. It put on very substantial weight and grew much longer as well.

Here is another wild-caught female Yellow Rat captured about 10 miles from the above male.

Here is a small Everglades Rat hatchling originating from two parent's that originated from Hendry County, Florida. Note the very rusty/orange coloration already developing.

another pic as it got a bit older

same glades as it got a bit older still.

Another pic of the same Everglades as it matured some more.

And a photo of him at around 2 years old.

Here is his locality-specific mother that was captured in Hendry County, Florida just southwest of Lake Okeechobee in very well-known Everglades Ratsnake habitat.

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks to you both and very nice pictures!
I do love the more colored upper/middle line of my snake

sure thing!

"I do love the more colored upper/middle line of my snake"

I agree, that IS pretty interesting!..

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Any suggestions on where to find truly exceptional yellow rat snakes in FL? Are there any breeders with such stock?

I don't really know of any right off the top of my head, but sometimes exceptional ones can be found in a number of different places at any given time, but generally the east coast area of central Florida can have some real nice ones such as the nice male I posted. Some not so great looking ones can also be found in this same general area too, or just about anywhere for that matter, but I have seen some of THE nicest examples come from the area around Melbourne/Palm Bay, Florida.

Every now and then Daniel Parker(of Sunshine Serpents) and some others list some nice yellows on the KS classifieds here at the top of the "main page" tab.

Here is the link.....

Link

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thank you.