Gray ratsnakes, also commonly known as black ratsnakes are a non-venomous species. In Ontario, they occur only in two regions. In southeastern Ontario, gray ratsnakes are threatened and in southwestern Ontario, they are in danger of extirpation. Gray ratsnakes are at risk in Ontario for a few reasons. Habitat loss, a lot of ratsnakes get killed on roads, so road mortality is a problem. And then there's just a general misunderstanding and fear of a big dark snake and so a lot of people unfortunately go out of their way to kill them or to move them too far from their range.