Snakes as pets is not a new hobby to say the least.  One of the most popular snakes that people keep as pets is the yellow rat snake. This snake is readily found in the wild, and around farms in particular.  The yellow rat snake can be kind of tough to identify, however.  This article is for those people that want to identify the yellow rat snake in the wild, and possibly even keep them as pets.

The yellow rat snake has no venom like the pit vipers and other dangerous snakes in the United States.  Still, they are very feisty in the wild, and will bite readily.  As such, pet owners should really consider getting a yellow rat snake that was born in captivity. They are much more likely to be docile, and they surely would be easier to attain.  Still, a wild yellow rat snake is sometimes docile as well.

Yellow rat snakes can vary wildly in color as well.  This can lead to misidentification, and sometimes to dangerous misidentification.  This variation in color is due to regional location, as well as the age of the snake.  Here are some details about the yellow rat snake that can help you to understand and identify them better:

The first thing is to make sure the yellow rat snake is even located in your area.  They are generally foun din the southeast, from about South Carolina down to Florida.  They are very common in these areas, but they are also excellent at hiding from you when you are looking for them.  As mentioned, farms are a wonderful place to find the yellow rat snake, and this is because they are natural exterminators for mice and rats.  A yellow rat snake is true to their name… they eat the mice like crazy.  They can also be found in the woods, however, and anywhere that you might find mice.  Yes, that means in the house too if you have indoor mice.

In the North, the yellow rat snake is actually the black rat snake.  They are essentially the same snake that is colored different and in different locations.

Yellow rat snakes are most commonly yellow, but they can also be brown, black and any other color of the rainbow.  They always have four brown lines that run down the length of their bodies. The rat snake is a constrictor and is capable of powerful squeezes for their size.  They constrict their prey by wrapping around the prey, and slowly squeezing more and more as the prey struggles to breathe.  They then swallow the prey starting at the head, and working their way down the body.

While the yellow rat snake is harmless overall, it can deliver a nasty bite to you.  Any snakebite is important to have checked out at the doctor, simply because snakes eat carrion sometimes, and vermin.  Vermin carry disease, and it is better to be safe than sorry.  The yellow rat snake is generally a very laid back snake as a pet once they become used to you.  Again, consider having a yellow rat snake that was raised in captivity if you truly want a docile snake for a pet.

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