Muskoka Wildlife Centre





  
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Kingston
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Wood Turtle
Oakley


Kingston the Black Rat Snake

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I'm sponsored! Special thanks to Emily Black
Born: Unknown
Sex: Male
  Kingston was being kept as a pet in someones home. He had stopped eating and his owner didn't know what to do. Kingston was brought here so we could try to get him back on track. After a few weeks he came around and started to eat again. He is now a healthy snake, but because he was raised by people and kept as a pet for years he can no longer be released into the wild. He could not be returned to the original owner either, because it is illegal to have any native to Ontario species of wildlife as a pet.

Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)

Average Size: Average Weight:
106 - 200 cm (3.5 - 8.5 ft).
Average Lifespan: Range:
Up to 25 years. Kingston area and a small pocket near Niagara Falls.

Dining and Dwelling

Life and Death

Black rat snakes are semi-constrictors feeding on mostly rodents and birds, although frogs and other snakes are also eaten.  They prefer wooded areas, although they may be found in fields and meadows.

These snakes will produce from 10-16 eggs, which are deposited in sheltered locations such as under rocks or fallen logs. The eggs are laid in early summer and hatch in late summer. The exact length of the incubation period depends on temperature.  The main threat to the life of a Black Rat Snake is Man. With the large size of this harmless snake, people generally assume it to be dangerous and end up killing the snake. The other major cause of death is by cars. As this snake lays out across the warm pavement to digest its food, it looks like an old bike tire due to its colouring and is often run over.

That's Amazing

  • The Black rat snake is the largest snake native to Ontario.
  • Though non-venomous, the black rat snake mimics the rattle snake by shaking its tail very quickly in leaves and grass in order to frighten away potential predators.
  • They are considered to be threatened, being found only by Kingston, and a small area by Niagara Falls.