This one has been around my place for years. Might be one I caught to handle a rat problem 15 years ago. However I saw her yesterday behind the chicken coop, Not kidding over 7 feet long. Tried to get a picture this morning but couldn't find her. I know she gets a few eggs but that's ok for rat control. However thinking one that big might take out a chicken and that would be the end of the truce.

Tree trimmers at the house today caught a 5’er this morning in my backyard. The next door neighbor has a junkyard for a backyard. Probably not hurting for something to eat over there. Tree guy let it go out in my front yard, it’ll probably be back.

LOL...I had one that size fall off a windmill once and just miss the bill on my cap.

I danced for a second until I figured out what it was.

Pulled out of my garage years ago and saw a limb of my front oak tree almost touching the ground. Turned out to be a huge rat snake weighing the limb down. I just drove off and never saw it again! I don't like any snakes!

I had one in my chicken nests last week about 5'-6' long.

ha, I know your pain


I had one hang from a rafter and touch my shoulder. I had a saddle in my hands at the time. pretty sure I died, took a long time for me to go back in tack barn. I carried my saddle in front seat of s10 pick up for a long time

Biggest ive had was 64 inches. Didn't know they could get any bigger.

Yes, 6 footers and a bit bigger 'common' in Deep East Texas.

Mating season right now....so lots of them on the move.

Bird egg eating machines. I’ve been popping them left and right.

A largely beneficial snake.

They are in fact semi-arboreal and will sometimes seek out birds, eggs and baby squirrels in trees, but mostly eat rats and mice (hence their name).

Any bird eggs eaten are quickly replaced and the snakes have no significant impact on any species of bird.

Your choice to kill them....but you aren't doing anything to balance the ecosystem if that your intent.

Flintknapper, this is what I have heard of them as well. They can be feisty rascals.

We had one here for a while. We named him.
Haven't seen him in a long time now.

Lots of critters in this area.

I caught one the other day here at the RV Park. Old guy couldn't believe I just picked it up bare handed. They're a great snake to have around. I showed it to an old lady walking her dog before I turned it loose, probly shouldn't have done that. Would have felt horrible if she'd had a heart attack.

I hate all snakes but normally give these a pass. Had a 5+ footer on my porch last week that was relocated way across the street. Left a folding chair out one night that was closed and standing up, went to move it the next day and had one curled up on the top backside somehow that I grabbed ahold of blindly. Amazing how they climb walls, get above doors and other high spaces.

Bring one to me. I have a target rich back yard

Saw him this morning, Wife says Rick Rick Rick come here. Check it out. This may be the one I saw the other day but this one seems to be a bit lighter colored.

I could easily have picked him up but didn't want to scare him any more than needed to get him off the porch.

Well fed critter

looks like a pet! one ya dont have to tend to.

best kind of pet BTW

Need him in my barn. I have some cats but they're not getting it done. Saw two mice 10 am Sunday morning.

This fine specimen is about 12 years old and longer than a dumpster is wide. Years ago we built a facility near a sunflower field, rats and would literally run in the door every time the warehouse door was opened. If there are rats, there are rat snakes. One day we found mama snake and about 5 little ones inside. Everyone was killing them, but I grabbed one about 6 inches long and relocated him to the flower bed by the dumpster. I would see one out by the dumpster enclosure and claimed it as the one I relocated. I hadn't seen it for a couple of years until some one came in and said a python was out by the dumpster, in the enclosure. Lo and behold it was Methusaleh. This is a picture that day, about 2 yrs ago.

Cool. Too bad so many people just kill them.

A friend of my Dad's was standing out in the wide open, not a tree for over 200 yards. He was working on a tractor and all of a sudden a rat snake landed on the hood of a tractor.

"God, is this the last day? Is it raining snakes?"

And then he saw the hawk...