Rat Snake

Description: Adult rat snakes are typically 3-5 ft (91-152 cm), but large individuals may be more than 6 ft (183 cm) long. The appearance of rat snakes varies greatly throughout the geographic range. Black rat snakes are more northern in distribution and are characteristically black on top with a faint hint of white between some of the scales. Yellow rat snakes are greenish, yellow, or orange with four dark stripes running the length of the body. Gray rat snakes are dark to light gray with darker gray or brown blotches. The juveniles of all subspecies resemble the gray rat. The belly is whitish in color near the head and becomes checkered or mottled toward the tail. The body cross section is loaf-shaped and not round. Rat snakes have weakly keeled scales and the anal plate is divided.

Yellow rat snake

Range and Habitat: Rat snakes are found throughout every southeastern state and most of the eastern and midwestern states as far north as southern New England and southern Michigan. In our region, black rat snakes are found in the mountains and Piedmont regions of central Georgia and South Carolina. Yellow rat snakes are found along the coast and gray rat snakes are found in southern Georgia and along the Savannah River in Southern South Carolina . Rat snakes occupy a wide variety of habitats including rocky timbered hills, hardwood forests, river floodplains and swamp margins. They are commonly found in abandoned buildings and barns and are often the most common large snake in suburban areas.

Habits: Adult rat snakes primarily eat mice, rats, squirrels, and birds, as well as bird eggs. They are a common predator on wood duck eggs. Juveniles eat small frogs, lizards, and small rodents. Rat snakes are constrictors, and adept climbers that can scale brick walls as well as tree trunks. When frightened they often assume a “kinked” posture and remain motionless. They will vibrate the tail and expel malodorous musk.

Conservation Status: Rat snakes are very common in the Southeast and are not protected throughout most of it. This species is protected throughout the state of Georgia 

The Largest Snake In The World The Anaconda

The Anaconda Snake.

ANACONDA SNAKE

Anacondas are four species of aquatic boa inhabiting the swamps and rivers of the dense forests of tropical South America. The Yellow Anaconda can be found as far south as Argentina. It is unclear how the name originated so far from the snakes native habitat. It is likely due to its vague similarity to the large Asian pythons.

 Local names for the Anaconda in South America include the Spanish term ‘matatoro’, meaning ‘bull killer’, and the Native American terms ‘sucuri’ and ‘yakumama’. Anacondas as members of the boa family are sometimes called ‘water boas’. The Latin name for Anaconda is ‘Eunectes’ meaning ‘good swimmer’.

ANACONDA DESCRIPTION

Big Anaconda.

 There is some debate about the maximum size of Anacondas and there have been unverified claims of enormous snakes alleged to be as long as 30 – 45 metres (98.4 – 147.6 feet). Some Anacondas, which live in the water, can reach up to 30 feet in length.

GREEN ANACONDA SNAKE

 The Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the largest member of the boa family of snakes and the most heavy bodied member of the super-order ‘Squamata’. The Green Anaconda is among the largest snakes in the world. It rivals the Reticulated Python in length, but is typically considerably heavier. It can weigh 250 kilograms (551 pounds) and have a girth of more than 30 centimetres (11.8 inches) in diameter.

Green Anaconda.

 Female anacondas are significantly larger than males, having the largest sexual dimorphism of all the snakes.

 The primary colour of the Green Anaconda is an olive green, with black blotches that run the length of the body. Their head is narrow compared to the rest of the body, with most exhibiting distinctive orange-yellow striping on either side. Their eyes are set high on their head so as to allow the snake to be able to see out of the water without exposing the rest of its body.

YELLOW ANACONDA SNAKE

Yellow Anaconda.

 The Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), is native to South America in countries such as Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, western Brazil and northeast Argentina. The Yellow Anaconda is smaller than the more well known Green Anaconda and reaches an average adult length of about 3 metres (9.8 feet).

 Yellow Anacondas have a yellow/brown base colour with black blotches and rosettes. Yellow Anacondas live in mostly aquatic habitats including swamps, marshes and brush covered banks of slow moving rivers and streams.

 Just about every species of snake on earth has teeth, but the Anacondas teeth are not used for chewing. Most snakes teeth are used for holding onto their prey, preventing them from escaping. Some snakes have venom in two specially designed, extra long teeth which they use to kill their prey.

 Anacondas have teeth, however, they are not a venomous snake. They rely on their enormous size and power to subdue their victims. It is possible to be bitten by an Anaconda, but the bite itself would not be fatal.

ANACONDA DIET

Anaconda hunting

The Anaconda diet includes deer, wild pigs, birds and large rodents and also aquatic animals such as fish and reptiles (caiman). Anacondas swim well and kill their prey by strangling them. If that does not work, they drown them. These snakes can survive years without eating.

 Anacondas also typically feed on tapirs, capybaras, peccaries, turtles, sheep and dogs. They have been known to occasionally prey on jaguars and attacks on humans can be confirmed, although this is rare.

 Anacondas swallow their prey whole, starting with the head. This is so the legs fold up and the prey goes down smoothly. The Anaconda can swallow prey much bigger than the size of its mouth since its jaw can unhinge and the jaw bones are loosely connected to the skull. While the snake eats, its muscles have wave-like contractions, crushing the prey even further and surging it downward with each bite.

ANACONDA BEHAVIOUR

Anaconda snake

 The Anaconda is most active at night which makes it a nocturnal reptile. Although they are not venomous, they defend themselves by inflicting severe bites, but actually kill its prey by constriction.

 Most local people kill these snakes on sight, out of the fear that they are man-eaters. In most instances, if an Anaconda senses humans in the area, it will retreat in another direction. Human death by an Anaconda is quite rare. Anacondas themselves are preyed by jaguars, large caimans and by other Anacondas. A wounded Anaconda can also fall prey to piranhas.

ANACONDA REPRODUCTION

Younger Anacondas

The Anaconda is an amphibious snake. It gives birth to live young.During mating, several males will coil around the female in the water, sometimes for several weeks. Females keep their eggs inside them and give birth to 20-40 live young, which are immediately able to swim and hunt.Younger Anacondas feed on mice, rats, chicks, frogs and fish. After eating a large animal, the anaconda needs no food for a long time, and rests for weeks