Black snake is beneficial, right?

17 years ago

We have 2 three-foot-long blacksnakes that must be living right up next to the house because we're seeing them daily. My husband thinks they look like black racers in Peterson's "Reptiles and Snakes" book. It doesn't say much about their advantages or disadvantages as neighbors. Can't find anything about them anywhere else. But I think they eat slugs, voles, and (sob) frogs. Good riddance to 2 out of 3. Can anybody verify that?

We've had copperheads in the past, but they're easily identifiable, and no doubt about the "friend of foe" part.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Featured Answer

Randi Grainger

6 years ago

We have (at least ) 2, 3ft long black snakes also. I read the responses you got from your question and they are pretty much right on. Leave them alone and they pretty much leave you alone. But, be careful if you have small pets. Small dogs are especially curious and will end up getting bitten. They also like to hide in tall grass, so if you do own dogs, (from experience), try not to let you dogs go potty alone, one of my dogs swatted to pee and got bit in the butt, not a pretty site! Also, since you do have bird feeders, the snakes aren't climbing to eat the bird food, they want to eat the birds! Yuch! I know, but true. Their carnivores. They are especially great to have around if you have fruit trees. They LOVE rats, and rats love fruit trees.

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Comments (8)

monkeyman_2006
17 years ago
Copperheads are poisonous, black rat snakes or black racers are not poisonous.

Oh it would pain me so much if you killed them, please don't. They are just as beneficial to the food chain as any other animal!

If you see poisonous ones you may wanna call someone to help remove it from your area without killing it. If you see rat snakes or black racers don't worry, they will slither away if they see you and are no harm. They probably eat all kinds of little animals but I doubt slugs.

All snakes are beneficial, but the poisonous ones are dangerous! ;)!!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
17 years ago
If you are seeing them during the daytime, you probably do have black racers. You are correct in assuming that they will prey on a wide variety of small animals, even those you don't want them to. Don't know about the slugs. They will climb shrubs and even trees to get to bird nests.

I have found black racers to be somewhat short tempered snakes and will defend themselves extremely vigorously. So don't try to make friends with them. They do a great rattlesnake imitation, too....almost worth teasing a bit just to see it, except for the fact that they are likely to chase you just a little if they get mad. And they will bite.

Very lively neighbor.
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catoctin
Original Author
17 years ago
We saw the rattlesnake imitation! It got our attention! We did assume that they are beneficial, and do plan to keep leave them alone(especially to help deal with our vole population explosion). Just wanted to check with you all first to see if there are any reasons (like life and death) that we should check it out further.
I hope they aren't the ones that crawl into the bluebird houses. We may have to put some baffles or whatever it is that keeps that from happening. That's do-able
Oh - the slugs - I must have been thinking of toads that eat slugs.
Thanks for the information
seamommy
17 years ago
Don't feel too bad, they don't eat too many frogs, a few tree frogs sometimes. But they mostly eat rodents, which more than makes up for a few frogs in their diets. If they're up close to your house you can count yourself lucky, it just means that you won't have to worry about mice inside. We have a few little snakes around our house and between them and the cats and the dogs, we eliminated a serious rodent problem in our yard. Cheryl
vagarden
17 years ago
We live on the edge of the woods, and have black rat snakes regularly. I was always glad to see them until one climbed a one-story brick wall (on its corner) and another story of siding and then sidled along an electrical conduit to a house finch nest on the nesting platform we had installed under the eave. The next morning the poor parents were frantic, and the snake was sitting on their nest with three heart-breaking little lumps in his side. He stayed for three days while he digested them, right outside my sunporch window. This year we nailed tack strips to the corner of the house and have fledged two nests already, so maybe I can learn to appreciate them again.
tracy59
16 years ago
I've had the same two black snakes in my yard for a few years, now this year, I have at least 5. I know people keep telling me they're "good to have around", but when they start coming at me two and three at a time - I start freakin' out. Then I get mad because they've now run me out of my garden - leaving tools and all. The other day, I notice a small pile of dirt next to my house and some gravel stone lining it (thought that was strange, because it looked like someone just dumped it there). Today, My 10 year old shows me where there's this nice 2 inch round hole in it headed down. Could this possibly be my "friends" home - having more babies, no less??
gemini_jim
16 years ago
Black rat snakes and racers are both rodent-eaters and good to have around. Yes, they will eat a few birds too, but rodents are their main food.

If they are a nuisance to you, please call your state wildlife officials, local zoo, or nature center. They will know how to humanely trap and relocate them.

Depending on your location, harming them may be a punishable offense.