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

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