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The Texas Rat Snake is a fairly large snake, capable of attaining lengths past six feet. They vary greatly in color and patterning throughout their range, but they are typically yellow or tan in color, with brown to olive green irregular blotching from head to tail. Specimens from the southern area of their range tend to have more yellow on them, while those from the northern range tend to be darker. One way to distinguish them from other rat snakes is they are the only ones with a solid grey head. Some specimens also have red or orange speckling. Their belly is typically a solid gray or white in color. There are several naturally occurring color variations, including albinos, high orange or hypomelanistic, and a few specimens which display leucisism which have become regularly captive bred and are popular in the pet trade.

The Texas Rat Snake has a voracious appetite, consuming large amounts of rodents and birds, and sometimes lizards and frogs which they subdue with constriction. They are generalists, found in a wide range of habitats from swamps, to forests to grasslands, even in urban areas. They are agile climbers, able to reach bird nests with relative ease. They are often found around farmland, and will sometimes consume fledgeling chickens and eggs, which leads them to be erroneously called the chicken snake. They are known for their attitude, and will typically bite if handled, though their bite is harmless.

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