The Black Rat Snake: Everything You Need To Know! (4K)
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- One of the most common and widely distributed snakes in the Eastern US, learn all about the ecological importance, behavior, and biology of the black rat snake in this video!
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If you've made it this far in the description, remember to be safe when creature adventuring! Most wild animals can cause injury if harassed, and I do not recommend attempting to capture any creatures without purpose and practice. The reason that I interact with wildlife is to produce these educational videos, and I have years of zoology experience under my belt. Also, I always ask permission from a land owner before exploring on their property, and you should do the same.
Keep adventuring everywhere, and keep your adventures safe at all times!
-Ben Zino
"To the Lord your God belongs the Heavens, even the highest Heavens, and the earth and everything in it."
Deuteronomy 10:14
#reptiles #wildlife #nature
I just saved a young black rat snake from my work. It was caught in a large glue trap and thrown into the bushes. I arrived 2 hours later and was able to find it. The poor thing was in really bad shape. I managed to free it from the glue using vegetable oil. I decided to keep it. He's doing much better now
I'm so glad that you decided to help it, thank you!
That's so great!! Good for you!!
You’re an incredibly gifted public speaker. Loved the video!
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Just found one in my backyard. Your video kept me from killing it
That's awesome, I'm so glad to hear that!
Never kill a snake please.
@@Kvs-vf9nt How about venomous?
@@johnnellis3025 No! NEVER kill a snake. I can kill much stupid humans too and I don't.. Let them live. Is that so hard..
@@Kvs-vf9nt It’s pretty depressing that, instead of giving one of several good reasons to not kill a snake, you somewhat insanely mention having to keep yourself from killing people.
Just got one of these guys out of a basement today. About 6’ long. Pretty chill until I kept losing grip and eventually got it irritated at me lol.
Wanted to know more so here I am!
I’m in Lenior, NC.
Nice! Glad you were able to relocate him.
Such a calm and lovely animal. Too bad I live in Australia where picking up a random snake off the ground could get you killed. Keep it up!
Too bad I live in England where the only snakes are either Extremely rare or protected by law
Wise Guy NC here yeah we do! Nothing compared to Australia though 😂
Wise Guy I live at Topsail beach! So that’s mainly what I see!
Thanks Hugo, you guys definitely have some crazy snakes down there!
Found a snake on my deck at night, posted on reddit for ID and found out it was a central/eastern rat snake. It's climbing skills are awesome! My first real encounter with a snake. Was just a baby too. I'm excited to have the snake protecting my house from rodents!
Your videos really helped me embrace just how awesome of a creature it is. I'm now looking forward to seeing it again!! Thanks!
Did he ask this snake it's name? Lol cute. Love these snakes!
have one of these guys living near my pool. One day he even slithered across my bare foot while I was drying off. Very chill snek
I found an amazing specimen yesterday during my hike in the Chattahoochee forest. It was in Atlanta and much bigger than the beauty you found! Very rare to encounter such a prolific sized rat snake - quite an honor to observe her 🖤
That's awesome, congrats on such a great find!
I can attest to their climbing skills. My 8 yr old startled one in our driveway and ran in to tell me (mom is the snake lover in our home) so I immediately ran out to identify what species it was. My son said it went under a shelf on our porch. I looked for it for about 5 minutes before my daughter (18- also avid snake lover) spotted it above our heads. It had crawled up the brick wall to the ceiling in just a few minutes...luckily it didn't drop on our heads. I love snakes but would prefer not to have them falling on top of me before I've properly identified them. 😅
Haha that's amazing, I'm so glad that your kids are into herpetology! One time a rat snake nearly dropped on my mom's head and she never made peace with them after that.
Thank you for making this video, I live in PA and came across one with my dog while on a hike today. It wasnt moving when we came upon it, but it then raised its head off the ground, like at the 6 minute mark, and I was so terrified I stopped my hike and turned around. I'm trying to gain more knowledge on the species and I appreciate you showing how docile and uninterested they are in humans when they don't feel threatened. I also ran into a timber rattlesnake last week on the same trail I went on today. I am not having good luck lately! Anyway, thanks for the video, I feel more at ease with this species if I run into one in the future! :)
So glad that I could help you out! Sounds like you know some awesome hiking trails, definitely don't let the presence of snakes discourage you. That just means that the ecosystem is healthy and diverse :)
"Hey, whats your name"😂😂 i cant count how many times ive said that to wild snakes when i find then and chill w them a bit lol. I adore the countryside.
You gotta ask them a few low stakes questions break the ice!
Hi there, just found this on YT. Thank you for doing this video. I just moved to 150 acres in Ohio and a 4-5ft rat snake appeared on my porch. I have always been terrified of snakes. Then i thought knowledge is important, and they are just trying to survive too. So I'm learning to kinda love them. He was a very slow, quiet guy. So I named him Herman. Lol! I haven't seen him since, but because of this video, I have a new respect and love for these guys! 👍
Glad you enjoyed the video and are learning to love snakes :)
Thank you for this. Just saw one in my back yard and panicked. Would never hurt it but still panicked. This was helpful and ease any fears that lingered.
So glad to hear that, thanks for watching!
You Make Great Videos! I live in middle Tennessee and see these all the time.
Thanks Steve, glad to hear that you are enjoying my content!
Just saw one in clinton Tennessee area today off clinch river forest area
OMGoodness! Thank you so much for the excellent explanation. I saw one of these outside today climbing my gutter, and I freaked out! Now I shouldn't fear. Thanks Ben.
So glad I could help, thanks for watching!
my sister loves all snakes. so, funny story, one time there was this guy who was coming to do something to our crawl space. he came out of it after a bit and said there was a snake in there. so my dad said: ok, I'll go get my daughter. the maintenance guy (I'm assuming he was a maintenance guy) was very confused and thought my dad was joking. but my sister went in there and pulled out a rat snake. due to a near bite encounter, we were pretty sure that there was a copperhead in a pile of vines and since rat snakes eat them we sent it in.
Haha that is golden, I would have loved to see the look on his face xD
Thanks for the video. I just found a 5' skin under my 3 wheeler. A welcome guest in my opinion. Keep the education going. Amazing what education does to fear.
Great video. Just had an encounter with the black rat snake under my house (upstate SC). He fell off my gutter onto the deck and made a loud thud. I called my dogs away to inspect and he slithered back under the house. Identifying what kind of snake it was led me to this awesome informative video. Thanks for sharing!
Amazing work as always Ben! No matter how many times you feature this species, they are always equally impressive to observe, and I always learn something new. I have not seen a Black Rat Snake in the wild for a number of years unfortunately, but I look forward to catching one the next time I do! Thank you for sharing Ben!
- Harrison and Evan
Thanks for the support guys! Hopefully you can find and film one this summer.
Black rat snakes are wonderful !! One of them took care of a problem that I had with field mice getting into my shed. Black rat snakes are always welcome at my place!!!
They really are so helpful!
Fantastic presentation! My kids came across one yesterday and I was trying to learn how to handle one so I can show them how beautiful and important these animals are to our woods and homestead (always teaching when an opportunity presents itself). I'd really like to get over my fear of handling snakes. I love them, but I'm naturally hesitant to touch them without someone that knows what they're doing. Next rat snake I see, I'll try your calm approach and see how the snake responds. Thanks for the great education.
Had one in my house today. Scared the crap out of me. Then I realized it came in through a mouse hole...so my assumption is that it was following a mouse trail. Luckily, it went back in the hole and it was sealed up so it could live in the wild.
Haha they do have a habit of appearing in unusual places
@@TheWildReportOfficial They have a habit of appearing in houses with holes and mice. I had one in my bedroom! Scared the heck out of me too. Same size as one in video. Came for mice. I too sealed up all holes. Great to have around the yard - not in the house, trust me. Seal up all entrances and eaves/attics.
I've seen one that was easily 6 feet long. It was in a storage shelter housing grass seed. So it had an abundance of mice to feed on. This was in Wilson, NC.
That's awesome!
Wow! Ben the quality of your videos is exceptional! We can't wait to see more adventures! Great to see other wildlife UA-camrs, like yourself, using the platform as educational entertainment. Keep it up, your work is very inspiring! - EliWild1 and LukeWild2
Thanks so much you guys, I appreciate the support and look forward to seeing more content from you!
@@TheWildReportOfficial Thanks Ben! We have put up three new videos since you last saw them! We would love it if you commented on them and let us know what you thought! Thank you! -EliWild1 and LukeWild2
Great video. Wish I seen this sooner.
About 5 years ago I setup a mouse trap to catch a elusive mouse in my cabinet that kept getting into our food. One night my wife heard the trap go off and she alerted me that we finally got the mouse. I told her "no problem, I'll get it out in the morning "
Next morning I went to get the trap and discovered it was a black rat snake that was caught. He was after the same mouse lol. He was definitely sore but not seriously injured. I removed the trap and released him in the woods. He was quite friendly for a snake in pain from a trap. I still think about that day.
You know a lot about snakes. When I was young there were a lot of snakes where I lived. I knew the difference between the bad ones and the non deadly ones before kindergarten. Where I am from we just called them "black snakes." They were my favorite. Dad would be driving down the road and one would be stretched across the road sunning himself. They look awesome but they are harmless. I would ask people to not harm them and to avoid hitting them when driving. I have not seen one in a long time. I have heard farmers in Pennsylvania say they will put them in their barns to keep vermin away and that poisonous snakes will stay away from them. So yea, I would rather have a black snake around than rats or a copperhead.. I enjoyed your video.
Excellent recording. Thank you for the info. I see them often, so this video was very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome stuff! Thanks man!
Glad you enjoyed, thanks for watching!
Awesome thanks so much for the educational info on these beautiful animals.
No problem, thanks so much for the support!
Great job Ben! I’ve been on the lookout and haven’t seen any yet! Have a fun summer!!
Thanks Janet, let me know if you spot any!
Just found one in my crape myrtle near Baltimore! I've seen them before, but this is the first time I've seen one in my yard! Thanks for sharing!
we saw one today at a park and got a nice video of it. Love your videos!
Cool, they are always a joy to see. And thank you!
Thank you so much for your video, I'm still figuring out if what's in my yard is a black rat snake or a black racer but this information in your video has definitely put me at ease. I don't ever see the snake when I'm outside with my kids but I notice when my outside cat notices. Lol I'm wanting to assume what's in my yard is a black racer bc as soon as it sensed my cat watching it, it took off fast into the brush so we will just leave it be and keep our distance with the education you gave us. Thank you!
Absolutely, glad I could help ease your worries. Thanks for watching!
Great vid!
amazing and lovely video, I am inspired by your love of these beautiful snakes.
Love this channel!! 🐍
Thanks so much, glad to hear that!
That's an awesome tutorial! Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Definitely a cool snake for sure. Thanks for sharing Ben!
Absolutely, thanks for watching!
Hey! This was great! Good job!
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed!
Thank you. Educational and reassuring.
Glad that I could help!
Very informative. Thank you !🐍
Glad it was helpful!
I'm from Oklahoma. Very docile snakes. Good presentation! They're always welcome in and around my house.
Heeeey found one that buzzed her tail at me today! She didn't want me to handle her so I let her be. They're absolutely fantastic for having around the barn and usually super sweet and let me take pictures up close without an issue. One of the most gorgeous snakes we have here in the Raleigh area! It's just sad how people kill them for no reason then complain about having moles and other pests in their yard.
They do that pretty frequently, definitely one of my favorite species as well.
En France aussi, beaucoup de personnes tuent les serpents sans raison malheureusement.
I'm over here to the west of you, in Tennessee.
Had one of these sneak into my house a week or so back.
My poor cat freak right the hell out! Ran into her carrier and wouldn't come out.
I gathered the snake up and put it back outside to give the mice and squirrels hell.
It was almost through shedding, but still had one eye covered with dead skin.
Surprised me that it was still so calm, since most of the snakes around here are more than a little irritable during a shed.
These, black racers, and pine snakes are welcome around my house, but anything with fangs and venom has to go elsewhere if I find them.
( It cost too much at the vet's office, when a dog gets bitten by a copperhead. )
Haha they do love popping up in weird places. Glad to hear you got it outside without incident!
How much does it cost at vet's?
@@johnnellis3025 - It cost over $600 to get 3 dogs treated for a copperhead bite, more than 12 years ago.
And that was with 2 of the dogs getting either "dry" bites, or very little venom.
@@guarddog318 My neighbor got bit 2 years ago by a copperhead, first place was an urgent care center, they don't carry anti-venom. Second place was the local hospital, they could administer it but would take 6 hours to get it. Some of his family members then drove him to yet another hospital where he was treated. First stop along the way =$. Next stop = $$. Last hospital stop = $$$. He had insurance. Total bill = over $ 14,000.
@@johnnellis3025 I've known people who were bitten by copperheads and never even went to the doctor.
One of those was an old guy who lived not far from me that was cutting wood at the time.
When the snake bit him, he killed it, then put a plug of chewing tobacco on the bite, tied a bandana on it then went back to cutting wood.
Apparently he never even got sick.
Anyway, copperheads are the least venomous snakes you'll find, here in the U.S.
Better to be bitten by one of them than a cottonmouth or a rattler.
Oh, and all three of my dogs were fine, and lived to die of old age more than a decade later.
P.S. I should have mentioned that antivenom is not usually given for copperhead bites, and isn't even recommended in most cases.
They are surprisingly strong snakes. There was one in my car and I was trying to get her out and as I pulled her she pulled me. I let her relax and cought her later. She was so calm.
Great info and presented very well!
Thank you!
what a sweet snake! it knew you were gonna show it some love! nice video thanks!
Thanks John, rat snakes are often very docile when handled!
@@TheWildReportOfficial good to know. I promise I'll be careful but I'm dying to interact with a wild snake I never find any though !
Great video!
Thanks!
Thank you for making this video ! Yes she was beautiful ! So nice seeing u so relaxed with her !!
Glad you enjoyed, thanks for watching!
Very nice vid.
I caught a very calm one yesterday and made a short vid.
I remember these critters well from my childhood in Virginia. Thanks for a cool video!
Absolutely Eric, thanks for watching!
This has been one of my favorite videos so far for some reason. Maybe because you made a friend.
So glad to hear that, thanks for watching!
Little guy just let you pick him up like that? That's impressive.
Yeah they are usually really relaxed!
I live in Durham county & a 6ft rat snake climbed into the back of my suburban when I left the rear door open in less than 3 mins.
Haha that's fantastic, my mom would've lost it
Most Excellent ! Thank you.
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed!
We have a lot of them in PA. I assume its the same snake for the past few years but every year around this time one shows up and literally goes around and in my house for a few weeks cleaning up all the birds, squirrels and mice nests that have settled down in my house. When they are around the house i dont even let the dogs out unsupervised in fear they will mess if the cleanup phase of spring via snake.
I wouldn't be surprised if it is the same individual, we have one that does a similar thing at my house. It's so cool that you let it clean up for you!
Great informative video! I saw one on the greenway today here in Charlotte. It was a beautiful snake and totally acted calm and was just cruising along. That being said my chipmunks and squirrels are really cute in my backyard so I hope they can avoid being dinner for one of these guys. lol
Thank you! Yeah they just go with the flow.
I have one that lives in the tree in my back yard. such a sweet girl
Neat, they are so cool to watch when they climb.
Awesome video!
Thank you!
Thanks for this. We found one in the forest and didn't know about it, but now we do. It's April, so it may have been looking for a mate.
Glad you enjoyed, thanks for watching! Yep, April is the start of the breeding season for these guys in most of the Southeast so that's definitely possible.
Beautiful snake. I had one by my pool today getting some sun here in Southern MD. It let me get real close for a short photo shoot.
Good video thanks
Very good
Glad you liked it!
I'm glad I finally know what kind of snake this is bc I saw 2 of these snakes in the woods a few feet from my neighborhood and I thought they were venomous and I was gonna catch them and kill them but now I dont need too, I rather have some in my yard bc of the moles that have been destroying my yard
Glad I could help, and that you decided not to kill them!
@@TheWildReportOfficial yeah, my sister and I always loved animals since we were young and now were older and still have a good heart for animals
Very professional. I live in Rockingham County, North Carolina, and see these snakes all the time. They always seem to be around my chicken pens.
Thank you. Rat snakes definitely love their eggs!
found one in my grandma’s house. didnt touch it i let it leave, but yeah. the hole it came in was patched. cool snake.
Thanks ! Great snake to have around a Barn !
We just had a 5 footer show up in our condo complex yesterday (June 20, 2023) and it was NOT friendly. It went after a guy walking near it and lunged at a dog someone else was walking.
You are doing good work. God bless you.
Thanks so much!
i love this
Good video! 👍
Thanks!
Cool video
Thanks man!
Just caught one on a glue trap! Used oil to get it loose like the mice I catch. It was pretty chill and let me hold her with no animosity! My 1st snake lol
Cool, glad you got it un-stuck!
It's good to know there are some people with common sense in NC.
We came across one during our hike yesterday in North East NJ. I saw this a few years ago when hiking in the same area. The one we encountered was much longer then the one in this video. I wanted to pick it up, but wasn't sure what kind of snake it was. I need one in my back yard. Until next time. Thanks for the video and education.
That's awesome, glad you enjoyed the video!
Great video! Newbie snake enthusiast. 2 questions. How did you identify it as a female and when you had a close up of her eye, was she starting a shed. It looked like a clear covering on it. Thanks!
Thank you! For your first question females are often larger and have shorter tails than males. For the second question, that is actually a clear scale that all snakes have on their eye called the brille or ocular scale.
Love your channel, down here in Florida I go road cruising all the time. My dream is to find an indigo one day
Thanks Joe! Yeah an indigo would be one of the coolest snakes to see in the wild for sure. Good luck!
The Wild Report other herpers find them all the time. Fortunately their population is increasing.
I recently cleared a lot of underbrush from my wooded back yard. I think I displaced the snakes. Do black snakes need a lot of ground cover to survive? Is that the best way to get them back?
I think that a good mix of ground cover and trees is important, they are a semi-arboreal species so proper canopy coverage is important.
had on slide in my house while the door was open not 30 mins ago!! put my dog and cat up and caught her and put her back outside ..she was only afraid of my dog and cat ..she was very calm
💥💥 2:51 that black with white speckles has me thinking it’s a kingsnake...!!
Great observation! They do look similar, especially from a distance.
Beautiful animal.
It really is!
Awesome video and snake! If there are any in North Carolina can you make a yellow rat snake video?
Thanks! I would definitely love to film a yellow rat snake video if I ever get the chance.
Hey just wanted to let you know I have a yellow rat snake video now!
@@TheWildReportOfficial Awesome I'll check it out 👍
Not sure if it’s the same one, but I see one under, inside, or around my shed several times a year in VA. I’m not going to pick it up but it’s 6 foot at least, no doubt at all. Been seeing it for at least 7-8 years... if it’s the same one. Do they have a home range or do they move areas often or year to year?
Yes, definitely! Adults have a home range and specific structures (such as sheds) that they visit often within that range.
Thanks for the video. I actually heard a "thunk" in my kitchen today and when I walked over to see what it is, it was a snake that looked just like this which had knocked down my dish soap into my kitchen sink.
As soon as we met eyes, it slid down behind my stovetop and I've been trying to get the courage to get it out of my house for a few hours now.
Your video helped me to identify what kind of snake it is, and it has given me the confidence to just remove it and let it go in our yard.
Glad I could help, good luck getting it out!
Beautiful snake and so nice and calm. I had a black racer on my upstairs porch. He must have climbed a tree. At least I thought it was a black racer. Do black racers climb trees too?
It really was! Racers rarely climb very high in trees, so it was more likely a rat snake.
Great video! Question: I found one of these (what appears to be more of a baby, about a foot and a half long) in my house today. How would you go about getting it out? Last I saw it, it crawled between a counter and the wall and I can’t get to it. Any tips?
Try to wait till it comes out and catch it with a crate or a box and relocate it in the forest
It may come to an egg or something if left out, but more likely than not it will just have to come out on its own time.
My Tigger Tat had one on the porch last October on the porch and he and I played with it for a while before I moved it because it was cold.....
Thanks for the video. I came to watch this after an encounter with a black rat snake yesterday. I was sitting by myself on the grass (inachair) when the snake slithered over 50 feet right towards me with me only taking notice when the snake was about 4 feet away from me. With my sudden reaction the snake departing the woods. ? Any thoughts?
Sounds like it was foraging in your yard and was probably just as surprised to see you as you were to see it!
My parents found a black snake tangled in a net in our back yard today. We cut it out, cut the netting off from around it, then released it.
It was my first snake handling experience and it was terrifying. Especially because it was stressed out because of being stuck in the net so it was really defensive.
10/10 tho would help snek again.
That's so cool, I'm really glad you helped it out! Thanks for doing your part :)
I just saw one in my house your video helped me identify it and I will release it as soon as I get how should I remove it
You can just pick it up and carry it outside.
Hi Ben. Huge fan of your vids. Last fall I had a black snake from my farm show up in my car on my way to a job. Regrettably I had to pull over and let it out. I've not seen a black snake since. How do I get one to come back?
@@TheWildReportOfficialThanks for the reply. There is lots of water. Two creeks and a spring. I have found skins in my barn but not sure of the species.
Sûrement le serpent le plus sympa de la planète! J'ai découvert ce serpent grâce à la vidéo une femme qui retire un rat snake de dessous une poule.🥰😍
Walked one off the property the other day. We were smelling some odd smells in some shrubs. What exactly does the musk these snakes put off smell like?
Bad.
I store grain in my barn for my horses. I have 2 blacksnakes living there. I have zero rodent issues. I love these snakes. I leave them eggs sometimes for a treat.
That's so cool!
One freaked me out this morning in the garage. I ran inside and locked all the doors🤣🤣
Snake pick-up line: "Hey. What's your name? Can I hold you?" Ha! Nah, love the informative videos.
If only that worked with humans haha
I found that in my garage!!!
When I was about 30 years old and living in South Jersey I caught one the largest Black Rats I have ever seen. I am 5’ 6” and I held her by the head above my head, arm extended up and her tail touched the ground. She was huge. A bit aggressive at first, she rattled her tail by dry leaves to fake a rattle snake sound like they do. I had a friend at the Philadelphia Zoo that I called and he actually came out to get her. That was 34 years ago (I’m 64) and herping is still my favorite past time. Living in Connecticut now though. I have never seen a bigger Black Rat snake since then. Now like you I release them all, (after photos of course). One thing I love about Rat Snakes, I’ve never been musked on by one, bit yes...but I’d rather be bit than musked on. 🤮
Wow, that's awesome! I rarely see specimens that large in the wild.
We see these snakes all the time because of our chicken and duck coops. So I have two questions: what do I do if I do get bit? And, if I leave them in the chicken coop would they eat the eggs more or go for the mice?
My mother catches them but not nicely and we usually just relocate them to the back of the yard.
If you get bit, just wash the area with soap and water. These do eat eggs, so I would move them to a different location if that will be a problem.
He talkin bout these found in a wide variety of habitats while in the background I hear geese going crazy honkin while he over here talkin bout snakes
Yup this was shot right beside a seasonal floodplain with plenty of geese!