Identificaciones de wild_ecology

DOR young adult male. Imaged only. GTS 1003. First Black Ratsnake from this area in 30+ years of monitoring populations. In Dutchess County they are found in areas to the east (T/Dover) and to the west (T/Clinton and Hyde Park). This is the first specimen from in-between those better known populations that I am aware of.

Found a pair of these snakes sunning themselves in my driveway. One retreated into a hole, so it probably lives beneath the driveway. There are no ponds or creeks nearby (less then 1 mile) but the land is often wet (used to be swamp lands) and there is a drainage ditch along the road that always has water in it. Not sure about crayfish (queen snakes main diet) being in the ditch but I have seen crayfish in local creeks and lake.