The eastern rat snake is primarily active at night during the summer, and diurnal in the spring and fall. It is a terrestrial burrower and an excellent climber, and it may enter water. It is found under rocks and boards, and in trees under bark and within knot holes and palm fronds. The snake is a constrictor, and adults eat mainly endothermswhile young eat mainly ectotherms. The diet includes rodents, lizards, frogs, and birds and their eggs.[17] The snakes can also eat young chickens and chicks, hence the common name chicken snake.
An Eastern Rat Snake In the Circle of Life
Stephen Lody Photography
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Wikimedia Commons
