Florida Yellow Rat Snake

Eastern rat snake rat snake chicken snake everglades rat snake black rat snake pilot snake and pilot rat snake.

Florida yellow rat snake. They are a morph of black rat snake eastern rat snake with orange or yellow coloring all over. Rat snakes are one of the largest kinds of species of snakes with over 50 types of sub species. Yellow rat snake pantherophis alleghaniensis ssp. South florida yellow rat snake elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata.

The life span of a yellow rat snake can reach 20 years. As the prey exhales the snake tightens its grip further leaving no scope for the prey to inhale. Underside of the head chin and throat c. In florida the rat snake occurs in the panhandle east of the apalachicola river and throughout the peninsula south to key largo however it does readily hybridize with the gray rat snake pantherophis spiloides in the panhandle.

The yellow rat snake is a constrictor. While the yellow rat snake loves the state of florida it can also be found in north and south carolina along the coast as well as georgia. Yellow rat snake elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata or pantherophis alleghaniensis quadrivittata picture of yellow rat snake. The yellow rat snake above the most common color morph in peninsula florida is typically yellowish with four brownish black stripes along the body.

It suffocates its prey to death like pythons and other boa species. Rat snakes can grow to be six feet long 1 8 m. Other common names include. It is a member of colubridae a family of mostly constrictor snakes.

The most familiar rat snakes in the florida peninsula are the yellow rat snakes. Top of the head b. Our south florida yellow rat snakes descend from the sugar cane fields in the neighboring counties of glades hendry and palm. Yellow rat snakes from the southern tip of their range tend to be more golden butter yellow overall and have lots of yellow highlights on the belly and under the chin compared to the tannish straw yellow colored yellow rat snakes from central and northern florida.

Rat snakes are large constrictors that are mainly found in the northern hemisphere. They are long slim snakes with a head only slightly wider than their body. Weekly keeled scales range. Some of the most attractive rat snakes occur on the south side of lake okeechobee in the everglades region.

Thereafter the snake swallows the kill whole headfirst. Side of the head e. While hunting it coils around its prey. This causes the prey to suffocate and die.

Coastal north and south carolina southward throughout peninsular florida. This snake will live anywhere including. One of the more common kinds of sub species is the yellow rate snake. A young adult with stunning coloration.

Quadrivittata in florida adult snakes commonly measure 90 to 180 cm 36 to 72 in in total length including tail with a few exceeding 200 cm 79 in. Classically these snakes have yellow irises.