The Black Rat Snake, also called the Western Rat Snake, is native to the southeastern and midwestern USA. Many have a black topside and white underside, some are patterned. Non-venomous, rat snakes eat reptiles, amphibians, birds, eggs and small mammals, subdued by constriction. They climb well. They reach 4-5 feet in length.

The Texas Rat Snake has long been considered a subspecies of the Western or Black Rat Snake, the former being native to Texas, Louisiana and southern Oklahoma and the latter to other areas of central North America. Recently it has been suggested that all are one species with no subspecies and with regional colour variants. As shown above, there are also albino (centre, with normal-coloured) and leucistic (right) variants.