I recently sold off a large venomous collection after working with them for 7 years. (something I and my wife thought I would never do). I now am focusing on North American ratsnakes. I have to say I love them and find them to be real interesting and smart (for a snakes). I have sevral of the obsoletta species. They never rub their noses. Some can be nippy as babies, but all my adults are laid back for the most part. You need to handle them as young snakes. My favorites are my yellow ratsnakes. If you have room to set up an arboreal set up, they will make use of it and you can enjoy them even more. I only had one other snake I liked as much as my yellow rat snake. It was an Indian spectacled cobra. They both had/have the same curious nature. Both the rat snake and cobra actually get/got excited and come up to the glass when when I enter the room. The nice thing is I can free handle the ratsnake. I also have some Tiger carpet pythons and Jungle carpets. While they are beautiful they have nothing going on upstairs (in the brain). They perch allday and bite any thing that moves. I took my jungle out the other day and while I was holding him he bit himself twice. I was pissed. Any way sorry to ramble. Go for the rat snake they are cool, and get a grey oak they are beautiful. Cheers Greg

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