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I actually caught this Yellow Rat Snake in an attic! |
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DESCRIPTION: A yellow snake with brown or black stripes down the length of its body. The juveniles look nothing like the adults - they look like gray tree bark.
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Yellow Rat Snake
Yellow rat snakes are found all across the Florida peninsula. The yellow rat snake is non-venomous species that can grow up to 6 feet long. They can be somewhat yellow, orange or green, and often have four brown stripes going from head to tail. The young are somewhat white on the underside of the head and the body is blotchy.
As their name implies, they love to eat rats as well as mice. They are also known to frequent chicken coops to eat eggs, giving them the nickname of “chicken snake”. Other animals they eat include squirrels and birds.
Yellow rat snakes are easy to care for and are often recommended as the first snake you will want as a pet. They need an enclosure that will readily accommodate their size and allow them to move around. The bottom of the enclosure should include some things like unbleached paper towels, aspen shavings, snake safe mulch, or bark.
You will need to give them a space to curl up in that fits their entire size. They love to climb, so place a shelf or branches for their comfort and some exercise. Keep a light shining into the enclosure for heat, but do not let it dry out. Humidity in their habitat needs to be 40 to 60%.
To feed your yellow rat snake you can get frozen mice and thaw them, or get live mice from your local pet store. Juveniles need to be fed a couple of times a week while adults can go up to two weeks between feedings. It is smart to feed them in an area separate from their enclosure to ensure they do not associate your hand with food if you try to get them out. If you choose to feed your snake live rodents, you need to stay with them. Sometimes they can severely injure the snake.
Running a wildlife removal business in the state of Florida gives me the chance to see all kinds of interesting snakes! Florida has about 45 species of snake, and I've seen 29 of them so far. I've always got my eye out for new species, and
I love spotting rare snakes in Florida. I also have a thing for venomous snakes - they're not too common in FL, so I always enjoy the chance to see a poisonous serpent. I really like snakes, and I've never hurt or killed one. They're an
important part of the ecosystem, and often persecuted. Still, if you don't want snakes in your house or on your property, and judging from the number of phone calls I receive regarding snake problems, you don't, then give me or a local snake
expert in your area a call, and we can remove the snakes from your property for you. I use many snake control methods - from snake traps, to snake repellents, to habitat modification, but most of all, good old-fashioned capture and removal.
If you want to learn more, please read my How To Get Rid of Snakes page.
AAAnimal Control is a privately owned wildlife removal and pest control business, located in Orlando Florida. I deal strictly with wild animals including snakes inside houses. I am not an extermination company, but a critter removal
and control specialist. The above photos are some of the many that I've taken in the field over my years of work. Please email me if
you have any questions about the above photographs, or any questions about
wildlife problems or Florida snake removal issues.
You can safely catch snakes with a special trap, which you can order by clicking this banner:
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