Ran across this fella yesterday while putting out some corn for the hogs at a bait site.

Just took a quick video, stepped over him (he never moved) and went on my way.

Good snake. I know y'all recognize this one. About 4' long, more slender than the ones I usually find.

Is that a Texas Indigo?

Looks like an eastern rat snake....

Looks like he was wound up ready to sprint in case he needed to.

Red on black venom lack.

No Sir.

This one was very calm, never moved except to track my movement with it's head when I stepped over it.

But unusually thin given the habitat. Normally they have more girth than this one at its length.

Hint: Not sure if you can see the reddish tint of the skin under the scales. The lighting is poor.

'Rat Snake' yes............

It's a good one for sure!

👍👍

knew it was a rat. Didn't notice the typical red/orange and yellow of a Texas rat and with the dark color figured it was an eastern

Good shot, not a indigo, it would have been gone soon as it saw you! rat snake..... they will bite, letm go......
they keep peace with the food chain..... if you picked him up, he would have pee'd all over you!......


walk softly..... be safe...

Indigo was never a consideration, there are none in Deep East Texas and they are a BIG snake. No mistaking them.

Generally I pick snakes up for a few photos...but I had a bucket of corn in one hand and phone in the other, so I just left it alone. Good snake to have around.

Never seen one of those and hope to keep it that way haha. But beautiful colors

Exactly right. Texas Rat Snake, but our variant color in my part of the State (for most of them). 'Eastern' was a good and prudent guess...but I needed to add that last bit of info for accurate identification. Good work!

I control those on my ranch because they are egg eating machines and I'm trying to improve the quail population. They will eat the eggs right out from under a chicken sitting on her eggs.

Yes, in fact they are known (colloquially) as 'chicken snakes here for just that reason.

Also semi-arboreal in my area. I see them in trees frequently. There are excellent climbers. Eat birds and bird eggs as well as nesting squirrels.

I can see where they would take the eggs of ground nesting birds as well....but submit that other predators are probably responsible for most of your losses.

Think of the MANY animals that would feast on the eggs of quail and turkey, just a partial list:

*Feral Hogs
*Raccoon
*Possum
*Various Snakes
*Crows
*Coyote
*Fox
*Skunk
*Bobcat
*Ringtail cat
*Armadillo (yes)
*Badgers
*Hawks
*Owls
*Rat

Rat snake