 They are primarily nocturnal, and oviparous, laying clutches of as many as 25 eggs in the late spring.Like most rat snakes, when agitated, the Great Plains rat snake will shake its tail vigorously, which by itself makes no noise, but when it shakes amongst dry leaf litter, it can sound remarkably like a rattlesnake, and often leads to misidentification.Warning signs of agitation are curling up tightly, shaking its tail rapidly, and hissing.