Gray Ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides)
- Length: 39″-72″
- Weight: 2-5 pounds
- Diet: Carnivorous, eating birds, rodents, and small animals.
- Breeding: Starts in March through July.
- Gestation: 50-70 Days.
- Reproduction: 5-27 eggs, hatchlings appearing starting in September.
- Habitat: Urban areas with the availability of food water and shelter, tree hollows, drainage ditches, under sheds, and dense green spaces. Common around urban dwellings.
- Legal Status: Common throughout Tennessee, and under no protection. It is illegal to harm, capture, or remove from the wild. Protected species in Georgia.
- Other Names: Chicken snake, black snake, and rat snake.
- Interesting Facts: The gray ratsnake is one of the most common snakes found around human dwellings. They are excellent climbers, and commonly found in homes. To thwart a percieved threat, they will rattle their tail, whipping it back and forth, mimicking a rattle sound, as if a rattlesnake.
The gray ratsnake, often referred to as the chicken snake or black snake, is the most common snake found to enter homes in Tennessee. They are excellent climbers, and can even use mortar lines in between bricks to gain access into a home. The largest threat this snake will cause, is the injury you may receive if you trip while running away.
As a defense mechanism, the grey rat snake will rattle its tail, or vibrate it fast enough to produce a rattle sound, even though not a rattlesnake. They can grow very large, as we have found them up to 9′ ft in length. They are found throughout the entire State of Tennessee. Gray ratsnakes will strike if too close or agitated, so it is best to keep your distance. Gray ratsnakes will often feed on rodents, birds, and other small mammals and can live up to 15 years in the wild.