Texas Rat Snake.

Clearing some brush off a fence line this afternoon.....I spied this fella laying still, hoping I would just walk on by.

Picked him up for a quick video and then sent him on his way.

It is mating season for Rat Snakes in East Texas right now and I am seeing them all over the place.

Good snake to have around (as long as you don't have chickens).

Agree, the ones in the yard with the chicken coop are not so welcome. Before the Chickens got here they were welcome though,

They get no pass from me. Too hard on the game bird population.

I keep em around and am willing to lose a chick or a few eggs for their rat control work.

What game birds?

I'd wager other predators are more responsible for the 'taking' of any game birds, but certainly Rat Snakes will take advantage of eggs/chicks found from ground nesting birds.

In my area we basically have none. NO quail and very few Turkey or Ducks.....so they don't represent a significant source of depredation here (Deep East Texas).


They ARE excellent climbers however and will readily raid the nests of tree nesting birds and squirrels....but don't seem to have much impact on their numbers. Rats and Mice on the other hand are prime targets (here) and I'm sure a fair number of Chicken Eggs get consumed.

I think all in all they are a beneficial snake...but it remains each persons decision whether to dispatch them or give them a pass.

My position as well.

Very docile. Thanks for sharing.

I don’t need their help to keep the rodent population in check around my ranch house. I had pretty much no turkey population here 3 years ago and after getting rid of about 400 trash pandas and about 200 rat snakes, I have turkeys all over it. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.

I love snakes of all kinds but there’s no shortage of rat snakes. I would bet at least 90% of the snakes I have found in the last couple years were either rat snakes or water snakes.

They are cool but of you want ground nesting birds on your place you have to deal with everything that eats their eggs and their young. It’s not like we are creating a bunch of great new habitat for them to hide in, habitat doesn't grow in 2023.

I don’t mess with them but neither do i hold you in contempt for controlling them.

Save a game bird nest; kill a hog.

Yes, and its not just Rat Snakes.


Feral Hogs
Raccoons
Skunks
Fox
Coyote
Rats
Bobcat
Several variety of snakes
Crows, Blue-Jays
Possum
Badger
Hawks


Just to name a few.

They ALL contribute, some worse than others.

I have read several times that the decline of Meadowlarks and quail was caused by the Fire ant. Back in the seventies where Arlington is now was a quail mecca.