The Rat Snake Is More Essential Than You Realize

If there's a random snake you're trying to ID and it's not a boa, python, viper, rattlesnake or some venomous elapid (the family cobras, mambas and sea snakes belong to), then there's a good chance it's a colubrid.

Colubrids slither across every continent except Antarctica. Thousands of species have been catalogued, including milk snakes, kingsnakes, garter snakes, racers, flying snakes (yeah, those are a thing) and our new pals, the rat snakes.

While some colubrids — like the African boomslang — carry dangerous venom, you'll be happy to know rat snakes don't.

Within the Colubridae family, rat snakes are themselves a big (and colorful) group of species, with such common names as the red rat snake, black rat snakes, the chicken snake, the gray rat snake, eastern rat snakes, the great plains rat snake, leopard snake, four lined snake, aesculapian snake and many other species.

"New World" rat snakes dwell in North America, where they're distributed from coast to coast, and from Mexico to Canada. Commonly sighted in barns, the reptiles can grow rather large: An eastern rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) measuring around 8.4 feet (2.6 meters) long was once documented in Massachusetts.

The Oriental rat snake (Ptyas mucosa) of southern Asia grows up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) in length (although rarely they can be much larger). Also called the dhaman, it's one of the better-known "Old World" rat snakes.

A 2007 study argued that the common ancestors of all living rat snakes — in both hemispheres — probably evolved over 34 million years ago somewhere in tropical Asia. However, genetic data shows that New World species are more closely related to king snakes (another group of American colubrids) than to Old World rat snakes. Experts are still grappling with their affiliations today.

Ah, the corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus). An all-American rat snake, this colorful critter occupies New Jersey, Kentucky, Florida, the Gulf Coast and plenty of spots in between.

Wild "corns" usually incorporate shades of orange, yellow and brown into their color schemes — with some adorable checkering on the belly. But in captivity, it's another story.

Corn snakes are docile, reasonably sized and easily cared for. Because of all this, they're a go-to beginner's species for novice reptile-keepers.

Breeders have developed more than 800 different color morphs, including many you'd probably never see in the wild. Just know that while "normal-looking" corns come cheap, some of the rarer breeds may cost $1,000 or more — each.

Capable of slaying an elephant with one bite, the 10- to 18-foot (3- to 5.4-meter) king cobra is the longest venomous snake alive. The monarch feeds on its brethren; king cobras specialize in devouring smaller snakes. Old World rat snakes, including dhamans, are among its regular targets.

Through frequent sheds, rattlesnakes develop a series of interlocking "rattles" on their tails. When shaken, they emit a threatening "buzz" that tells other animals to stay away from the venomous reptiles.

New World rat snakes — such as wild corns and the western rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) — sometimes play copycat.

To keep predators at bay, they vibrate their tails against dry grasses or leaf piles. The resultant buzzing noise makes them sound like genuine rattlesnakes, which gives attackers pause. Deception can be a matter of life and death out in the wild.

Full-grown rhinoceros rat snakes are naturally bluish-green. The Asian reptiles stand out — to animal-lovers, at least — because of the weird, scaly appendages that protrude from the tips of their snouts. Superficially, these things look a bit like rhino horns, but their function is unclear.

Garters, northern water snakes and a few other colubrids give birth to live young. Rat snakes are a bit more conventional, laying eggs in clutches of nine to 20 (depending on the species).

Besides rodents, many rat snakes will eat lizards and amphibians, particularly when the snakes are young. Birds are fair game too; in North America, the eastern rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) is a notorious raider of bird houses that can make an easy meal out of eggs, chicks or both.

Like a lot of nonvenomous serpents — and a few venomous ones, besides — rat snakes constrict their prey.

And it's exactly as advertised. Native to China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and other parts of southern Asia, the beauty snake (Elaphe taeniura) is a slender animal with olive to yellow scales underlain by darker patches.

Capable of growing 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, it's found in rainforests as well as caves (where the species gobbles up wild bats). Reptile hobbyists all over the world now keep these guys, which feed readily and make attractive captives.

Many species of rat snake, such as red rat snakes, are climbers. You can probably guess what that means: They like to climb trees. You don't need to worry about them dropping onto your head in the forest, however; they're up there seeking much smaller prey, such as bird eggs.

Left unchecked, rats and other rodents can devastate crops while inflicting structural damage on the barns they hole up in. By keeping the mammals in check, native rat snakes perform a great service for farming communities.

As a nice bonus, their appetites can slow down the spread of harmful diseases rodents carry.