Adults can become quite large and are known to reach up to eight (8) feet, being the largest snake found in Canada. The record length is 101 inches (2,600 mm), making it (officially) the longest snake in North America. Unofficially, indigo snakes (Drymarchon corais) are known to exceed them, and one wild caught pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) with a portion of its tail missing measured 111 inches (2,800 mm)

Behavior

When startled, they may freeze and wrinkle themselves into a series of kinks. If they feel further threatened, they may flee quickly or vibrate their tails in dead leaves (a form of mimicry, to make it sound like a rattlesnake). They are also capable of producing a foul smelling musk which they will release onto a predator if picked up. They spread the musk with their tail in hopes of deterring the threat

Feeding

This species is a constrictor, meaning it suffocates its prey, coiling around small animals and tightening its grip until they can no longer draw breath, before eating them. Though they do consume mice and rats, the Black Rat Snakes will also hunt other snakes, chipmunks, squirrels, birds, and bird eggs.

Reproduction

The male snake wraps its tail around the female with their vents nearly touching. Males then erect their sex organ, the hemipenis, and insert it into the female sex organ, cloaca. The mating lasts about a few minutes or a few hours. The female lays about 12 to 20 eggs after five weeks and they hatch about 65 to 70 days later.^[