Rat Snakes in Arizona

Rat snakes get their name from their penchant for eating rats, and they are relatively harmless to humans. Arizona is currently home to only one type of rat snake: the green rat snake. This is one of the rarest types of rat snakes found in the United States, living only in New Mexico and Arizona, and they tend to eat smaller prey like mice and birds. Other types of rat snakes are very common in the United States, just not in Arizona.

  1. Physical Appearance

    • Green rat snakes that live in Arizona are green in color with slight variations possible. Plain green, olive green and a yellowish-green skin are the most common skin colors. The underside of the snake is normally cream or yellow in color. Young snakes are gray to gray-green in color and become greener in color as they age. The head is long and narrow and appears large because green rat snakes have a very thin neck. Females normally become longer than males, possibly reaching lengths of 63 inches but averaging around 39 inches in length.

    Habitat

    • Green rat snakes are found in the southwestern part of Arizona. They are often found in the mountains and can live at altitudes of 3,000 to 8,000 feet. Green rat snakes prefer areas with rocky slopes, trees and some grassland cover. They are also often found at the base of drainage areas for rocky slopes.

    Hunting

    • Green rat snakes will eat small mammals, lizards, bats, mice and birds. They spend their time hunting during the day or near twilight. Most of the time, these snakes will hunt for prey on the ground, looking in rocks, brush piles and other forms of ground cover. They can climb trees to hunt for food in branches and bushes. Arizona provides plenty of small animals for green rat snakes to hunt, and since they constrict food to death, they are harmless to humans and are a nonvenomous breed of snake.

    Hibernation and Defense

    • Green rat snakes in Arizona will hibernate during the cooler months of late fall and winter. They normally live under trees, rocks, boulders and other large ground objects. They are a rare snake, so they do not come into contact with humans often. When a green rat snake does see humans or large animals, they normally stay completely still, presumably to keep from being detected.