Critter of the Week Jan. 3: Yellow Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata)

One of the coolest and most misunderstood critters is the snake. The yellow rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata) is a subspecies of the rat snake. The yellow rat snake is found throughout Florida. They are found in a variety of habitats such as forested areas, swamps, and yes...suburbia. They are arboreal and often can be found by looking UP into trees and shrubs. These guys are actually constrictors by nature and primarily eat rodents, frogs, birds, and eggs. If you don't like snakes, keep in mind they help keep the rodent population in check! They are a slower moving snake that typically reacts to a threat first by freezing. Unfortunately this leads to lots of them being killed along our roadways. they are nonvenomous and typically not aggressive; however with any threatened animal they can and will bite so if you come across a snake just stand back and enjoy their beauty from a safe distance!