While there are several species of snakes co-existing to live in this world, the discussion in this piece is all about black snakes.So, if you want to dive deeper into the world of a black snake, then follow this article. There are a lot many questions regarding these black and dark snakes, thus in this article, there are many facts and figures which can help you get rid of these queries.Like rattlesnakes, there are many species of snakes, of which the black snake is most commonly found throughout the United States, in the central and eastern regions, along with some parts of Canada. The length of a rattlesnake and a black snake might range from 42-72 in (1.06 -1.8 m). Typically, the color of their bodies is completely black except the chin portion, which is of white color. Being a reptile, a black snake crawl on its stomach as there are no feet to support its movement. The peak of their mating period is in the months of May and June. As for the eating habits of a black snake, rodents like rats and mice are their primary food. While these are the habits of the adult black rat snakes, the younger snake might even consume lizards, frogs, and birds. These snakes, contrary to the snake’s species, are non-venomous.Typically speaking, these black snakes are divided into two categories on the broader side, that is, the black rat snakes and the black racers. While both of them are non-poisonous, both have some special defense methods for the purpose of their safety. Their natural habitat is water, grasses, and marshy areas. After reading about poisonous snakes, the habitat where they live, and their venom, do check why do snakes eat themselves and why do snakes shed?Are black snakes good to have around?While snakes are generally venomous, a black snake is not harmful when this characteristic is considered, because they are not poisonous in nature. Being non-poisonous doesn’t mean that they can’t harm a human or any other animal.They have their own self-defense mechanism even if they lack venom. While a black snake is not very aggressive in nature, having them around can be helpful. As they eat rats and mice, they can be used as pest control against these rodents. In fact, having constant black snakes sneaking in your yards or gardens can be a clear indicator of the rodents present on your property. Being creatures who don’t like confrontation and can be considered shy, they pose little to no threat and are therefore considered to be safe if kept around. Though these reptiles generally shy away, that doesn’t mean that they can’t handle an attack. In situations where they find themselves threatened, they start retelling their tails and produce some sort of musky substance to keep off their predators. They are not dangerous to humans, they are certainly a threat to the rodents living in the habitat same as theirs. Even nests of birds in the yard are under threat in their presence. Even black snake pest control can be called to get rid of the problem of the black snakes.What does a baby black snake look like?This is common knowledge that the younger version of a snake is slightly or a lot different from their adult selves. The same is true with these black snakes.Though these black baby snakes while maturing adapt to the color of their parents or their adult self, sometimes a mark or few of the younger self is left behind. While the adult black snake’s color is black with a glossy look and a white chin, the younger or the baby version of these black snakes are not exactly black rather they are gray with brown spots, these spots are highly irregular in shape and size, this can be considered a type of pattern on the baby black snake’s skin. Along with this, the length or the size of a black rat snake also determines the phase of the snake’s life - younger or adult self. The habitats of a baby black snake are the same as that of an adult, while they hibernate to conserve their energy adults don’t. Not only this but also a baby black snake feeds on birds, frogs, and lizards along with rats and mice, while an adult is more likely to eat rats, mice, and maybe some other rodents too.As adults are typically black, the gray color of the baby black snake can be considered as the distinguishing feature apart from the size of their bodies.Do black snakes keep copperheads away? Why?Our environment is very unique, it has its own prey and predators to keep the ecological balance which doesn’t let one population overgrow and create an imbalance. Whether humans are posing a threat to this ecology, that is a totally different topic. What the discussion is about, is whether a black snake can keep copperheads away and if yes then why do they do this?Black rat snakes are the species that keep a check on rodents, insects, pests, and amphibians. While a black rat snake and a dark and a black racer snake have personalities of easy-going and do not have much prey to kill it is not a surprise to find them killing and fighting off other snakes, which includes copperheads too. These snakes generally don’t look for trouble and hence can be found hibernating with not only the copperheads but also with other reptiles.Though you can find a black snake fighting off a copperhead snake the chances are that either these animals are the black king snakes or the black racer snakes as copperheads are venomous snakes. Finding them sharing nests with a copperhead snake is also a common thing as this helps in maintaining body heat for the otherwise cold-blooded animals. This is one of the reasons why these snakes don’t feed on other snakes as this will not help them with the external heat they gain from their food and on top of that makes them hungry real quick.How does a black snake kill?The question which arises is if these black rat snakes and black racers are not equipped with poison to defend them, then how will they protect themselves from other snakes or how can they kill poisonous snakes? So, to answer this very question, one needs to have a look at the next paragraph, where you will get to know the tricks these snakes use to defend themselves.Black snakes, like the black racers, are generally very calm and don’t get into trouble by getting into fights with the other snakes. However, it’s not a surprise that they can attack the snakes of other species as well as kill them and eat them. These animals lack venom so poison is out of the question which can be used to kill other snakes, but what they do is first squeeze them or bite them with their fangs followed by squeezing till they are sure that they killed their prey. The tail has strength that can be used during a fight. They rapidly shake and vibrate their tail to intimidate the opponent when they feel threatened.A black racer snake is more built for defense as they have immunity against other snake bites. That is the reason that apart from the black, dark king snake black racer is found to be a tough competitor of the copperhead. As the copperhead is unable to affect them with their venom when they strike, a black racer can use their fangs and weaken the strength of the copperhead and can even kill them in certain situations. Copperheads tend to hibernate with other copperheads as well as rattlesnakes.Are black garden snakes poisonous?Both types of black snakes whether it is a black racer or a black rat snake have no poison. And as the name suggests a black racer is a good swimmer while a black rat snake is more famous for its diet. Having snakes in a garden or the yard is not a very big deal, rather it is very common to encounter one, especially if the property is near a forest or a water body.To answer the above question of whether black garden snakes are poisonous, the answer is no, they are not. In fact, one can say that these black garden snakes can exist in harmony with humans until one annoys them off or poses any type of threat. They generally don’t like confrontation and often crawl away if they encounter a threat, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t bite or that their bite won’t have any consequences. Like any other animal such as dogs, cats, raccoons, and whatnot, black snakes with whitish and grayish throats and bodies, can cause some serious infections. Thus, it won’t be wrong to say that getting rid of them will be better than keeping them around for a long time. How can one get rid of them is mentioned below and can be used if there are black snakes around? They are generally found alone in a garden.What happens if a black snake bites you?Having black snakes around means they are either black racers or rat snakes, but the good news is that they both are nonvenomous and not very aggressive and therefore they pose no threat to human beings. Having them in the vicinity means that their food is around, which is surely not a human being. Unlike venomous snakes, these are safer to be around.While most snakes are poisonous, these black racers and rat snakes, though non-venomous, can still cause allergies and infections if they bite a human being. Like any other animal, which on biting can cause infection or allergies, a black racer or a rat snake can cause infection. Mostly they are around for food, but pissing them off or causing a threat to them might result in a bite. While the most common reactions on the body are mentioned above, fear of being bitten by a snake can cause a human to have the nauseous feeling, dizziness, or even numbness, but it has less to do with the snake bite and more with the fear that grips after such a bite. So, the best defense is to keep out of these all the types of snakes and definitely not to piss them off or rather get ready to get a bite but not their food. Their bites are full of bacteria and can cause some really bad pain and even swelling around the area of the bite. One can consult a doctor and get the medicines to get rid of the pain and infection, still, the best idea is to keep off, of their paths and not to go in search of trouble.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are black snakes poisonous then why not take a look at when do snakes hibernate, or snake facts.
While there are several species of snakes co-existing to live in this world, the discussion in this piece is all about black snakes.
