Wednesday, April 16th
April's meeting will focus on how to safely handle and present your reptile to the public. Please feel free to bring your own animal to show off.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Annual Banquet
PLEASE NOTE: The annual banquet and recognition dinner will be rescheduled due to conflicts. The new date will likely be a Saturday in May, please contact a board member for more information.
Black Rat Snake
(Elaphe obsoleta)
Photo Courtesy of Aaron Greene
The Black Rat Snake is 32 - 101 inches in length. They tend to be plain back with occasional traces of white between the scale. The belly tends to be white, yellow or gray with dark mottling.
Mating occurs from April to June and in the fall producing clutches of 5 - 30 eggs which are laid from June to August in rotting logs, leaf litter or under rocks. The eggs are smooth and elongated and are usually 1.5 - 2 inches in size. The young hatch 7 - 15 weeks later in August through October and are usually 11 - 16 inches long.
The Black Rat Snake is diurnal in spring and fall, but becomes nocturnal in summer. They can often be found climbing trees to get to birds and eggs for food. They can also be found feeding on rodents and lizards. These snakes will often hibernate with Timber Rattlesnakes and are sometimes referred to as the Pilot Black Snake or Pilot Snake.
Remember that in many places it is illegal to take wildlife out of the wild without the proper permits from local, state, or federal authorities. Please do not release any captive reptiles or amphibians into the wild as this will disrupt the natural order of our environment. See our amphibian and reptile adoptions page for more information on what to do with unwanted herps.
Help further herpetology research and education by donating to the Marvin R. Aures Herpetological Grant