Gray Rat Snake Indoors: Harmless Climber, No Effective Repellents

Juvenile gray rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta)—also called chicken snake, oak runner, black snake. Slender, long, excellent climbers with flexible jaws. No repellents work well. Best prevention: keep a walking stick at garden entry, knock ground and swish shrubs as you walk. Snakes flee vibration. If cornered, muscles contract involuntarily (wrinkled appearance).