The western green rat snake is very rare in the United States, although there have been many sightings in Mexico. Members of the rat snake clan can have stripes, blotches, or a combination of stripes and blotches; even unicolored species can be found. Adult coloration of the western green rat snake ranges from a drab olive-green to a beautiful lime-gree. Rat snakes also have several representatives that are amelanistic (lacking black pigment) or leucistic (white coloration with blue eyes).

Housing for the rat snake group can be simple. Cages should be escape-proof, roomy and well-ventilated. Hide boxes are appreciated by most forms. Substrates that work well include pine shavings, newsprint, indoor/outdoor carpeting or paper toweling. These animals do best with ventral heating--provide a heater on the bottom of one side of the cage setting up a temperature range from which the animal can select its preferred body temperature.

These snakes can be maintained on adult mice.