Posted by:
gofer
at Mon Jul 11 12:34:54 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by gofer ]
I have been keeping mine with a hot spot also in the rear of the tank which is 79-81 F. and the rest of the tank (most of it) is room temp which in my basement stays between 68-72 F. They don't seem to be at the rear of the tank very often, and i have tried keeping them without the hot spot and they fed and acted normal while kept at room temps only, but i agree that having a hot spot to rest after eating is a good idea and am back to that set-up now. All 4 of mine are fiesty, but calm down once they are out of the cages and handled. They eat great, they would eat me out of house and home if i let them. Since they are yearlings i have them set up in medium racks for right now, but in a few more months they will be in large racks since they are growing so quickly. I will also be hibernating them (if i am able to keep them until adults) for 90 days at 50-55 F. in preperation for breeding in the spring.
Thanks for your husbandry notes, it is really nice to see what other people are keeping them at. Have a good day,
Gregg
>>Hi Doug,
>>They are basically like 'most' ratsnakes, in terms of care. I give my adults a wide thermal gradient (25-35 degrees C - probably 25-32C is more than adequate but as I've got the surface area to use I provide a warmer hot spot, which they often use after a meal etc), with a night time drop of around 10 C overall, in 90 x 60 x 60cm vivs. I have kept them in drawer type set-ups in the past, but prefer to give them space with branches and a shelf. I provide a few hides as they can be a bit nervous, well mine are anyway. They are pretty hardy things, they don't require a high humidity, and can be tamed down with regular handling. My eldest four bite and hiss when picked up but settle down after a minute or so in the hands. My youngest female is a lot more placid though, much more lady like.
>>I cool mine for about 3 months @ 8-12C. Food wise they don't appear to be fussy and will usually take what you offer them, even as hatchlings.
>>Gregg F, how do you keep yours, always interesting to compare notes with other keepers. Kind regards,
>>-----
>>Devboy.
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Gregg F.
www.greggsrb.com
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RE: More uncommon Rat Snakes... - gofer, Mon Jul 11 12:34:54 2005