NON-VENOMOUS
Yellow Rat Snake Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata
Yellow Rat Snakes are large constricting snakes. They are weekly keeled to smooth scaled. Adult size is considered to be in the range of 42 to 72 inches.
Adult Yellow Rat Snakes are distinguished by 4 dark stripes against a lighter background of yellow. Young rat snakes are strongly blotched against a gray background and could be easily mistaken for a different subspecies. Yellow Rat Snakes are found in the coastal areas of South Carolina.
They are known to interbreed with Black Rat Snakes which are found throughout the rest of the state. Such intergrade specimens may have a much darker greenish background and show both striped and blotched markings.
Yellow Rat Snakes very much like to climb in trees. They are not venomous, but may bite if handled carelessly. Ratsnakes are relatively slow moving and will most often freeze when first encountering danger. This is why so many are killed on our roadways. When freezing while crawling on the ground they will often take on a rippled posture, looking like a large unironed ribbon.
September 17, 2007
Contact: South Carolina Reptiles and Amphibians
