Is the rat snake poisonous?

People don't have a very good impression of snakes, mainly because snakes look very scary. Another important reason is that many snakes are poisonous, and if you are accidentally bitten by a snake, it may be life-threatening. There are many types of snakes, such as the rat snake, also known as the king elaphe. Since we don’t know much about this snake, whether it is poisonous or not is a concern for everyone. So, is the rat snake poisonous? Let’s take a closer look below.

The king elaphe is a species of Colubridae snake. It is large, ferocious, and non-venomous. It will kill each other if it encounters its own kind. It is widely distributed in Henan and southern Shandong (it used to be more common, but is now relatively rare due to the deterioration of the ecological environment and human factors in recent years), Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places. Distributed abroad in Vietnam. Lives in plains, hills and mountains. Vertical distribution range: 300～2300mm.

The king elaphe is large in size, cold-resistant, highly adaptable, fast-growing, has a short breeding cycle, and is easy to breed and hatch. Many snake farms or snake breeders, especially those in the northern provinces and regions, raise it as a non-venomous snake. Elaphe, also known as the rat snake, king snake, king snake, and stinky yellow jaw. It is the fastest growing and largest non-venomous snake (except pythons). It lives in mountains, plains and hilly areas, and moves around rivers, ponds, reservoirs and other places near water.

The king snake is agile, ferocious, crawls fast and can climb trees. It is a generalist snake that preys on frogs, birds, rodents and various bird eggs. When food is scarce, it will even eat its own young or its own kind. Therefore, special attention must be paid during breeding to ensure that its food is sufficient and diversified. This is also the main reason why King Elaphe must be raised alone in artificial breeding and cannot be mixed with other non-venomous snakes. The anal glands of the King Elaphe give off a strange odor, so it is called the Stinky Yellow Jaw. After holding the snake's body, you must scrub it with ginger slices or wash your hands with a strongly scented soap to wash away the odor.

Estimated number: Its number in the wild is second only to that of the black-browed snake, and it is still a common species. It is currently an object of development and utilization.

Further conservation measures should be taken: Appropriate control of overfishing and purchase. This snake is non-venomous and is also distributed in Beijing.

The king elaphe is the fastest growing and largest non-venomous snake (except pythons), but it has a ferocious temperament and dares to compete for food with venomous snakes such as cobras. It also has the habit of cannibalizing its own kind or other snakes. Therefore, this snake can only be raised alone and cannot be raised together with other non-venomous snakes. When breeding this snake, even if the bait is sufficient and diverse, a certain amount of feed snakes should be added from time to time, such as red-spotted snakes, double-spotted rat snakes, water snakes, etc., to satisfy their snake-eating "hobby" and avoid cannibalism among snakes. This is the main difference from other snakes.

Many people want to know whether rat snakes are poisonous. In fact, this kind of snake is not poisonous, so there is no need to worry. However, the rat snake is quite ferocious and has a certain degree of aggressiveness, so we still need to pay attention to this. After all, if you are bitten, it will cause harm to your body, but we should not underestimate the impact it has on our bodies.