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Nature
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NatureNotes

Rat Snakes

By Rudy Mancke
Published June 7, 2017 at 5:29 AM EDT
The yellow rat snake is a variant of the eastern rat snake, which is often black on the back.
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A yellow rat snake.
Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA / Wikimedia Commons
The yellow rat snake is a variant of the eastern rat snake, which is often black on the back.
2 of 4
A yellow rat snake.
Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA / Wikimedia Commons
An adult Black Rat Snake.
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An adult Black Rat Snake.
Mr.TinDC/Flickr
An adult Black Rat Snake.
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An adult Black Rat Snake.
Mr.TinDC/Flickr

Yellow Rat Snakes and Black Rat Snakes are two sub species, or inter-grades, of the same species.

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Rudy Mancke
Rudy Mancke served as naturalist and co-host of South Carolina ETV's <i>NatureScene</i>, which began its long run in 1978. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, earned him a legion of dedicated viewers. Rudy's knowledge of the complex inner-workings of different ecosystems and his great admiration for the natural world make him the perfect guide. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation and the Garden Club of America honored his commitment to resource conservation with special awards. After retiring from SCETV, Rudy went on to become naturalist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He hosted SC Public Radio's <i>NatureNotes</i> from 1999 until his death in 2023 at age 78.
See stories by Rudy Mancke