Frog-eating Rat Snake

About the Frog-eating Rat Snake

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Frog-eating Rat Snake

Is the Frog-eating Rat Snake venomous?

No. The Frog-eating Rat Snake (Oocatochus rufodorsatus) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.

Is the Frog-eating Rat Snake poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Frog-eating Rat Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Frog-eating Rat Snake dangerous?

The Frog-eating Rat Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

More Colubridae snakes

• 
  Common Garter Snake
  Thamnophis sirtalis
• 
  Common Watersnake
  Nerodia sipedon
• 
  Gopher Snake
  Pituophis catenifer
• 
  DeKay's Brownsnake
  Storeria dekayi
• 
  North American Racer
  Coluber constrictor
• 
  Ring-necked Snake
  Diadophis punctatus
• 
  Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
  Thamnophis elegans
• 
  Grass Snake
  Natrix natrix

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards

Squamata

FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits

Colubridae

GenusA close-knit group of very similar species

Oocatochus

SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name

Oocatochus rufodorsatus

Keep learning

• What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
• Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
• What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
• How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.