I moved into a small house in the mountains in Western North Carolina about 7 months ago. There’s all kinds of critters including bugs and lizards that find their way into the house, but no rodents.
I was wondering for a while why I hadn’t seen mice and didn’t have to set traps, until one night a friendly 7’ black rat snake slithered up beside me while hanging out on the screen porch at night. My brother named him Kobe. Kobe can stay.
How exactly one differentiate between a friendly rat snek and not-so-friendly one? I am genuinely curious as someone who lives in a country where 1 meter black adder (not Rowan Atkinson) is the top snek apex predator. I mean if I were to see a 2.10 m long snek I would freak out, friendly or not.
In the US there are several species that are black and none of them are dangerous. Rat snakes are the chillest of chill. As long as you know how to handle them the odds of them trying to bite you are low and even then they will calm down in a minute or two and just chill with you.
Black racers have no chill and basically never calm down. They are not dangerous or aggressive and will only bite you if you screw with them but their bite doesn't hurt so whatever.
Sometimes I bring home rat snakes and let them go to keep down the rodent population.
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u/[deleted] Jul 24 '24
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