Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)

Excellent comparison showing the "glossy" finish of rat snakes compared to the "matte" finish of racers that herpetologist Jeff Beane talks about.

This also shows how lighting and cameras make a difference because this is the same rat snake as in the above photo after the racer had raced away, but the photo was taken with a different camera.

And finally, this illustrates how rat snakes are often mellow and stay put while racers almost immediately become active and try to escape!

I believe this is the same individual as the one in the two photos above. Clearly it's approaching time to shed its skin!

Some Rat Snakes, when agitated, will accentuate a triangular shape to their head and will rear up in a threatening posture (see below) before striking.

Rat Sankes are excellent swimmers!

Rat Snakes are often encountered on roads & trails, and they often have a "wrinkled" or kinked appearance.

Rat Snakes are often found in crawlspaces or buildings where mice, toads, or other delicacies are hiding.

Here I am holding a very docile Rat Snake as the temperature was very chilly the day we found it in the grass.

Lounging!

Here's lookin' atcha!

Rat Snakes near the coast in North Carolina have a yellow or green tint and show dark longitudinal stripes.

This snake was very docile. We gently picked it up and it never showed any aggression. After taking photos, we released him into the ditch near the road he was crossing when we found him.