Yet Another Visitor

Look what Martha found curled up in one of our hens' laying box! Martha caught the snake while it was in the middle of trying to eat an egg. Talk about a suprise! This is an Eastern Ratsnake. Scientific name Pantherophis alleghaniensis, this snake was formerly known as a Black Ratsnake. The only snake in Virginia capable of growing over 6' in length, this non-venomous reptile primarily feeds on rodents, birds, and bird's eggs. They have also been known to eat frogs. It kills it's prey by constriction, while eggs are swallowed whole and later broken in the snake's throat. Their propensity to being found in barns and agricultural areas earned this snake the vernacular name of a "chicken snake." Capable of climbing trees, the Eastern Ratsnake is found state wide in Virginia, and thrives throughout the Allegheny and commonly travels into the Appalachian Mountains.

For more information on Virginia's wildlife, feel free to visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fishery website @ www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information.