Are there rat snakes in Kansas?
The western rat snake is a large snake found throughout the state, but is common in the eastern Kansas woodlands and frequents urban areas. Its name both identifies its family and it diet. In addition to rodents, the western rat snake feeds on birds and their eggs.
What does a Kansas rat snake look like?
Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas. Description: The Great Plains Ratsnake is typically light gray or tan in color, with 25–45 dark gray, brown, or green-gray transverse blotches down its back. The blotches on the back of the Great Plains Ratsnake are transverse, whereas the blotches on the Western Ratsnake are longitudinal.
What is the most deadliest snake in Kansas?
Timber Rattlesnake
Of all the venomous snakes in Kansas, the Timber Rattlesnake has the most potent venom. Most people who are bitten by Timber Rattlesnakes surprise the snakes wherein they strike out and bite.
How common are copperheads in Kansas?
Copperheads aren’t rare in Kansas, according to the Nature Center. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says the state is home to a variety of pit vipers and venomous snakes including massasauga rattlers and copperheads.
Will a rat snake bite my dog?
Thanks! Snakes will usually not attack any person or animal unless they are threatened or actually attacked. Your black snakes are probably rat snakes-about 6.5-7 feet. Your dogs and snakes will usually avoid each other and rarely come into actual contact so a snake bite would be rare.
Are cottonmouth snakes in Kansas?
Cottonmouths are very rare in Kansas. Just two specimens of the northern cottonmouth have been recorded in the Spring River drainage in the far southeastern corner of the state. All venomous snakes found in Kansas are pit vipers, meaning they have heat-sensitive pits in front of each eye to help locate prey.
Where are rat snakes located?
Range and Habitat: Rat snakes are found throughout every southeastern state and most of the eastern and midwestern states as far north as southern New England and southern Michigan. In our region, black rat snakes are found in the mountains and Piedmont regions of central Georgia and South Carolina.
What is the deadliest animal in Kansas?
The Most Dangerous Animals in Kansas Today
- Spiders: Kansas has black widow spiders, hobo spiders and brown recluse spiders.
- Snakes: Copperheads and prairie rattlesnakes both live in Kansas.
- Ticks: These disease-carrying parasites live in the wooded areas of Kansas. They are dangerous because of the diseases they carry.
Do rat snakes swim?
Eastern rat snakes, formerly known as black rat snakes, are large non-venomous snakes between 3.5 and 7 feet (one and two meters) long. Eastern rat snakes are excellent swimmers and climbers. They will use these skills to catch a variety of food, from bird eggs to frogs.
Are there rat snakes in the Great Plains?
The hatchlings of juvenile Great Plains rat snakes are practically indistinguishable from those of the black rat snake and adult Great Plains rat snakes are difficult to tell apart from adult prairie kingsnakes.
What kind of snakes live in the Kansas prairies?
Great Plains Rat Snake. Smaller and more slender than the western rat snake, this snake is the same species as the corn snake, but wears a camouflage color pattern more suitable to Kansas soils. This resident of Kansas prairies feeds on rodents.
Where can I find an eastern rat snake?
Eastern rat snakes live in fields, woodlands, farmlands, and around suburban communities from Connecticut to South Carolina and west to the middle of Kansas and Oklahoma. Predators include hawks and other snakes. Eastern rat snakes are excellent swimmers and climbers.
Where can I find a gopher snake in Kansas?
Photo © by Suzanne L. Collins Used by permission Also known as the bullsnake, this Gopher Snake snake is found throughout Kansas but is most common in the central and western prairies. It feeds on a variety of rodents, including voles, rats, pocket gophers and young prairie dogs.