Rat snake/corn cross???

[cornyballpython]

ok heres the facts, i need some answers please....

a) the snake was found in NW Florida
b) at first glace it looks like a rat snake
c) at 2nd glance its tail looks like a corns tail...
d) when i grabed him he never bit me
e) he eats F/T (i fed him friday night)
f) his belly is a red specled color neer the tail(pic one) and white neer the head(pic 2)
g) oh yah and hes about 2 1/2 feet long

photos....
tail under belly


under belly next to head


side profile of head


top of head


full body shot


thanks for looking at him,

one more Q
-Is it posible for rats and corns to cross breed in the wild? cause we have corns here in NW Florida....

this is the 2nd rat i have had and he only looks to me like a rat from the head...

thanks bunches
-sara

[dannyc]

It's my understanding, corn snakes, are rat snakes and sometimes called red rat snakes. Also Black rat snakes have a pattern similar to that as juviniles but gradually turn solid black by the time they reach 3-3 1/2 years old.

I have a W/C black rat snake and it's never struck at me. I handle it and the only difference I see in personality is they are more alert. If you move too quick it assumes a defensive posture. I think this is from being raised in the wild.

Don't know if this sheds any light on the subject or not.

I just looked at the pic again. My black rat and my corns have a checkerboard pattern on the underside. That one doesn't. Not sure what you have there.

[cornyballpython]

ok thanks for the input i was just looking at a site and i am leaning towards a black rat.... Issa is slightly checkerd on the belly more neer the head... and rust brown mix dotted more near his tail... im researching more on the black rat now... umm yah i got him thursday night at a friend of my moms house(we drove over there to identify the snake) and i kept him cause hes soo pretty...

[gonesnakee]

A corn basically is a type of ratsnake & they intergrade in the wild & can be hybridized as well together. I'm guessing its a grey rat snake, but don't know for sure. Mark

[cornyballpython]

that was my first thought... ohh its a grey rat! but his belly scales are soo different than the grey rats i have seen and close to black rat belly scales

[cornyballpython]

any help would be nice..... please..

[Ryan23]

At first glance I was thinking Grey rat but it could be an intergrade, not with corn though. I'd say more like a Yellow X Black rat as I've seen pictures of them that are similar to that one there.