Black Snake Diet

Black rat snakes (Elaphe o. obsoleta) are native to the eastern United States, from Minnesota to Texas and eastward to Massachusetts, and southward to the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. The Smithsonian National Zoological Park states that the black rat snake has the widest distribution of the rat snake species. Isolated populations of black rat snakes are also found in Canada and northern New York. Within this range, they are one of the largest snakes found, and adults reach six feet in length, with UMass Amherst reporting a record of 101 inches long.

  1. Adult Black Rat Snakes

    • As the name states, adult black rat snakes are black. They also have a white chin and a checkerboard pattern on the belly. Rat snakes are unique in that they are not round in cross section, but have a flattened belly, taking on a cross sectional shape more like a slice of bread. This flattened belly permits them to become accomplished tree climbers.

    Juvenile Black Rat Snakes

    • Young black rat snakes do not look like adults. They are gray with black blotches along the body. As they grow older, juvenile black rat snakes darken in color, becoming black and completely losing their pattern once they are about three feet long.

    Constriction

    • Rat snakes are powerful constrictors. They will lie and wait for a food item to cross their path. They will then strike, grabbing the prey with their teeth. The snake will then coil around the prey, tightening the coils until the prey dies of suffocation. Rat snakes, like most other snakes, will proceed to eat the prey head first.

    Juvenile Feeding

    • Juvenile black rat snakes will feed mostly on rodents. The prey item will be in proportion to their size, with baby snakes feeding on baby rats and mice. At a young age, lizards are also a large part of their diet, as are small frogs.

    Adult Feeding Behavior

    • Adult black rat snakes are primarily rodent eaters. Large adults will eat mice, rats and chipmunks. Moles, small rabbits and other small rodents will also be killed and eaten. Black rat snakes use their excellent climbing ability to eat birds, and raid bird nests for eggs and young birds.