Gray Rat Snake - Behavior/Reproduction

Behavior/Reproduction

An agile climber, gray rat snakes are at home from the ground to the tree tops in many types of hardwood forest and cypress stands, along tree-lined streams and fields, and even barns and sheds in close proximity to people. Within its range, almost any environment rich in rodents, and vertical escape options, proves a suitable habitat for the gray rat snake. As scent-hunters these powerful constrictors feed primarily on rodents, birds, and their eggs as adults, while neonates and juveniles prefer a diet of frogs and lizards. When startled, this species, like other rat snakes, stops and remains motionless with its body held in a series of wave-like kinks. The gray rat snake will defend itself by raising its head and bluffing a strike. If handled, these snakes will musk a victim by releasing the foul-smelling contents of their cloaca, and will bite if necessary. However, the gray rat snake is less likely to bite than other members of its species, and wounds from a bite rarely require more than a bandage. Breeding takes place from April to July. Females deposit 5 to 27 eggs around mid-summer, and the 10" to 12" (25–30 cm) hatchlings usually emerge in September.