Is the rat snake poisonous?

Snakes are considered an ominous symbol by many people. Apart from the fact that snakes don't look very impressive, the key point is that many types of snakes are highly poisonous and can kill a person within a short period of time after being bitten. Therefore, when people encounter a snake, their first concern is whether it is poisonous. Elaphe is a type of snake. So, is the rat snake poisonous? Let’s take a closer look below.

Elaphe is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae. There are about 50 species, all of which are non-toxic. Distributed in Asia, Europe and America. There are 16 species produced in China, distributed in all provinces and regions across the country. Among them, the central, southern and southwestern regions have the largest number and variety.

The head of this genus is oval and clearly distinguished from the neck. The body is long, cylindrical or slightly flattened. There are 19 to 27 rows of dorsal scales in the middle section, which are smooth or slightly ridged. They are more active during the day, but can also be seen at dusk and at night. It is active from early April to late October. It feeds on fish, frogs, tadpoles, lizards, snakes, birds, bird eggs, small mammals, and mollusks.

They can be oviparous or they can be ovoviviparous. The black-browed snake lays 1 to 12 eggs from July to August, mostly at night or early morning, which hatch after 2 to 3 months. Young snakes have egg-like teeth. It inhabits coastal lowlands and inland plains, hills and mountains, and is commonly seen in and around streams, rice fields, ponds. Some species live on hillsides or roadsides, tea mountains, corn fields, dry and barren slopes, bushes, graves and stone piles. They have also been found on the outskirts of villages and even inside houses. Ground-dwelling or arboreal.

I think everyone should have a clear understanding of whether rat snakes are poisonous. There are many types of rat snakes, and all of them are non-venomous, so you don't need to be too afraid of this kind of snake. Nowadays, many people keep snakes as alternative pets. Rat snakes look pretty good. If you can accept this kind of thing, it would be quite good to have a rat snake as your pet.