Many people wonder if black snakes are capable of rattling their tails like rattlesnakes. Encounters with dark-colored snakes making rustling sounds often lead to this confusion. While black snakes do not possess a rattle, their defensive behaviors can create sounds that might be mistaken for one. Understanding the true nature of these snakes helps clarify such misconceptions.
Do Black Snakes Rattle Their Tails?
Black snakes, such as rat snakes and racers, do not have a specialized rattle on their tails like rattlesnakes. The sound often associated with them results from a defensive behavior where they rapidly vibrate their tails. This tail vibration, when occurring in dry leaves, grass, or other debris, can produce a rustling or buzzing noise that mimics a rattlesnake’s warning.
This behavior serves as a warning to potential threats, attempting to deter predators by imitating a more dangerous animal. It is a natural defensive response, not aggressive, indicating the snake feels threatened. Many non-venomous snake species exhibit this tail vibration when agitated.
Common Black Snakes You Might Encounter
In North America, two commonly encountered black snakes are the Eastern Rat Snake (formerly known as the Black Rat Snake) and the Black Racer. Eastern Rat Snakes are long, non-venomous constrictors that can reach lengths between 3.5 and 7 feet. Adults are typically shiny black with a light-colored belly, sometimes featuring a black and white checkerboard pattern, and a white chin and throat. These adaptable snakes inhabit various environments, including forests, farmlands, and suburban areas, and are excellent climbers often found in trees or around buildings where rodents are present.
Black Racers are slender, fast-moving snakes, usually growing to about 3 to 6 feet long. They are uniformly black to bluish-black with smooth, shiny scales and a white chin and throat. They are diurnal, actively hunting prey by sight in open habitats like fields, pastures, and forest edges. Unlike rat snakes, racers typically do not constrict their prey but instead pin it down or swallow it alive.
Telling Them Apart from Rattlesnakes
Distinguishing black snakes from rattlesnakes is important for safety. The most obvious difference is the presence of a rattle on the tail of a rattlesnake, which black snakes lack. Rattlesnakes also typically have a triangular or spade-shaped head, wider than their neck, due to venom glands. In contrast, black snakes usually have a more rounded head that is not significantly wider than their body.
Another distinguishing feature is pupil shape: most venomous snakes in North America, including rattlesnakes, have elliptical or vertical, slit-like pupils, while non-venomous snakes typically have round pupils. Rattlesnakes also possess heat-sensing pits located between their eyes and nostrils, a feature absent in black snakes. While black snakes have weakly keeled or smooth scales, rattlesnakes often have strongly keeled scales and distinct body patterns.
What to Do When You See a Black Snake
If you encounter a black snake, remain calm and observe it from a safe distance. These snakes are generally non-aggressive and will typically try to escape when they perceive a human presence. Avoid making sudden movements, and slowly back away to give the snake ample space to retreat.
Never attempt to handle, capture, or harass any snake, as this can provoke a defensive bite. Black snakes play a beneficial role in the ecosystem by controlling rodent populations. If a snake is in an undesirable location, such as inside a home, contact a professional snake removal service or animal control rather than trying to remove it yourself.