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A gray rat snake with dark blotches coiled on moss.
Photo: Will Brown, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gray Rat Snake

Pantherophis spiloides

A harmless, tree-climbing constrictor of the eastern and southeastern United States that eats rodents, birds and eggs.

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About the Gray Rat Snake

Gray rat snakes live in the southeastern United States, north to southern Indiana and west to Louisiana. They live in pinelands, cypress swamps, marshes, farmland and even neighborhoods. They are gray with dark blotches. Gray rat snakes are not venomous; they squeeze their prey, which includes small mammals, frogs, lizards, birds and eggs. They are often found in trees.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Pantherophis spiloides[2]
Size
Adults average 36 to 72 inches (91 to 183 cm). The longest recorded was about 84 inches.[1]
Lifespan
15 to 20 years in the wild.[1]
Diet
Small mammals, frogs, lizards, birds and eggs. Kills by constriction.[1]
Habitat
Pinelands, cypress swamps, marshes, farmland and neighborhoods.[1]
Where it lives
Southeastern United States, north to southern Indiana and west to Louisiana.[1]
Babies
5 to 27 eggs, laid in summer in rotting plants or hollow logs. They hatch in fall.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Gray rat snakes are not venomous. They squeeze their prey.[1]
  • When threatened, a gray rat snake may rattle its tail to imitate a venomous snake.[1]
  • Unlike other rat snakes, gray rat snakes keep their blotched baby pattern as adults.[1]

Vocabulary

constrictor
A snake that kills prey by wrapping around it and squeezing.
venomous
Able to inject poison by biting or stinging.
blotch
A large, uneven spot or mark.
mimic
To copy the sounds or actions of something else.
cypress swamp
A wetland forest of cypress trees growing in standing water.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Animal Info. “Gray Rat Snake.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/reptiles/gray-rat-snake/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Pantherophis spiloides (Midland Rat Snake).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/90069659/90069671 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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