Rat snakes eat mostly small mammals, birds, and bird eggs, with baby rat snakes starting on frogs, lizards, and tiny rodents. Pet rat snakes do best on frozen-thawed mice or rats.
What Rat Snakes Eat in the Wild
Rat snakes are North American constrictors, and they earned their name by eating rodents. Their diet includes mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels, along with songbirds and their eggs. They are skilled climbers that raid nests in trees and barns. Neonates and young snakes often eat frogs and lizards before moving on to mammals.
They find prey by scent and sight, then grab it, coil around it, and squeeze. This makes them valuable pest controllers around farms and sheds.
What to Feed a Pet Rat Snake
- Hatchlings: pinky mice, moving to fuzzies and hoppers.
- Juveniles: adult mice and small rats.
- Adults: medium rats about as thick as the snake’s body.
Feed frozen-thawed prey, warmed in a sealed bag in warm water. Live prey can injure your snake. Hatchlings usually eat every 5 to 7 days, juveniles every 7 to 10 days, and adults every 10 to 14 days.
Common Feeding Tips
- Keep the warm end of the enclosure around 85 to 90°F so your snake can digest properly.
- Feed in the enclosure or a separate tub, and avoid handling for about 48 hours after meals.
- Some babies refuse rodents at first. Scenting the mouse or offering a slightly different size can help.
Rat Snakes in Your Yard
If a wild rat snake is hanging around, it is probably hunting rodents. It is harmless to people and pets of normal size, though it may bite if handled. Rat snakes can also raid chicken coops for eggs, so close up gaps and collect eggs daily.
Bottom Line
Rat snakes live on rodents, birds, and eggs, and they thrive in captivity on regular frozen-thawed mice or rats. Related reading: feeding snakes frozen mice, what gopher snakes eat, and what baby black snakes eat.
If your snake refuses food for several weeks or looks thin, see a reptile veterinarian.
