It is illegal to kill or collect this species by law in Iowa. Common in eastern Iowa, records for the southern parts of the state are scattered. Help us fill these gaps. Description Black rat snakes are among the largest of Iowa's snakes. Adults range from 40 to 74 inches in length.
Most adults have shiny, unmarked black heads and necks with bright white labials.
Dorsally, the bodies are black or brown with white, yellow, or red in between the scales and sometimes on the scale tips as well. In most cases, these highlights accent a blotched pattern that is much more evident in young specimens. Posteriorly, the snake becomes solid black again. Ventrally, the throat and neck are white. At the midbelly, black or brown invades the white, and posteriorly, the ventrals are a shiny bluish black.