 The epithet "lindheimeri" is to honor the German-American naturalist Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer, who collected the first specimen in New Braunfels, Texas.The Texas rat snake is a medium to large snake, capable of attaining lengths of 4-5 ft.They vary greatly in color and patterning throughout their range, but they are typically yellow or tan, with brown to olive-green, irregular blotching from head to tail.