Everglades Rat Snake

Comment

Comment by Xavier Becquer on December 22, 2010 at 4:35pm

I'm still on the lookout for a scarlet king and an eastern indigo. back in the late 80's my friends and i would go snake hunting. cold nights and warm days usually spelled success on lightly traveled roads.. We collected quite a few which became pets and would be released when a more interesting species came up.    My favorite was a pygmy rattle, but mom and dad freaked with good reason and that only lasted a week until I released it.

 

Fast forward to present day and I wish I had left them all alone, even if I may have saved some of them from an encounter with a car.  For the life of me I do not understand why no one has made serious attempts at breeding our very beautiful native species and pushed them hard in the pet trade.Can you imagine the colors some of our species would attain through selective breeding...no to mention we would not have as many invasive snake problems if that had been done in the past.

Comment by Jeff Weber on December 22, 2010 at 3:25pm

Thanks.  The Everglades race is light orange with a rosy cast dorsally, like this one.  Interestingly, the lighter Yellow Rat Snakes with the two dark stripes share the same areas in the Everglades, and you're right, there doesn't seem to be many of them anymore.  This guy was a total surprise and is the only Everglades Rat I have ever found.  I pointed him out to a kayaker who was landing his boat, and he just kind of grunted and walked away; must not have liked snakes. . . .

Comment by Xavier Becquer on December 22, 2010 at 2:56pm

absolutely beautiful... Don't see yellow everglades rat snakes much these days.