Adult rat snakes are typically 3-5 ft (91-152 cm), but large individuals may be more than 6 ft (183 cm) long. The appearance of rat snakes varies greatly throughout the geographic range. Black rat snakes are more northern in distribution and are characteristically black on top with a faint hint of white between some of the scales. Yellow rat snakes are greenish, yellow, or orange with four dark stripes running the length of the body. Gray rat snakes are dark to light gray with darker gray or brown blotches. The juveniles of all subspecies resemble the gray rat. The belly is whitish in color near the head and becomes checkered or mottled toward the tail. The body cross section is loaf-shaped and not round . Rat snakes have weakly keeled scales and the anal plate is divided.
Rat snakes are found throughout every southeastern state and most of the eastern and midwestern states as far north as southern New England and southern Michigan. In our region, black rat snakes are found in the mountains and Piedmont regions of central Georgia and South Carolina. Yellow rat snakes are found along the coast and gray rat snakes are found in southern Georgia and along the Savannah River in Southern South Carolina . Rat snakes occupy a wide variety of habitats including rocky timbered hills, hardwood forests, river floodplains and swamp margins. They are commonly found in abandoned buildings and barns and are often the most common large snake in suburban areas.
Welcome to Watch For Snakes #8, this great series was originally placed by FLmassage1 in 2008 sadly he is no longer playing so I decided to keep this great series alive by adopting them and making a few changes from his original hides.
You are on a 12.1 miles journey through the wonderful Florida Everglades which will give you 10 great hides on key spots of this trail.
I will strongly recommend you to do this great journey on bike, but for the most extreme geocachers it will be a great hike as well.
ON December 31 of 2010 a group of 9 geocachers and three geo k9 decided to help me fix and replace this whole series at one shot. Needless to say it was an amazing way to close a caching year!
Rangergirl141, soflfamily, McPhenius, radioman84, ikolor, HurricaneJuan & Hazel, Kato and Ruby
The repair crew!
Suggested gear for this cache
*Bug repellent
*hiking footwear
*hiking pole or stick
*Water
*Bike
*Hat
* Tire repair kit ( BIKES )
*Camera
*Essential “the will to hike/bike and know your Everglades”