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i was thinking of possibly getting either a yellow rat or a fox snake. are these generaly easy snakes to take care of? and how fast do they grow and how big do they get? thanks

A yellow rat snake or a foxsnake are relatively easy snakes to keep. The fox snake gets about 4 to 4 1/2 feet long. They are good feeders unless the temperatures are too high. They are from the Great Lakes area and don't appreciate it when temperatures get above 80 F. So if you can provide them with a room that doesn't get too hot they're easy.

The yellow rat can be from 5 to 6 feet in length (sometimes a little more) and is a significantly larger animal than the foxsnake. They are relatively undemanding in terms of keeping requirements.

Both are interesting pets. As far as temperment goes, they vary. Most foxsnakes have attitude. Especially when they're hungry. The same goes for yellow rats. So these two snakes would be a step up from the most basic snake requirements of, say a corn snake, but not too much for a reasonable beginner.

Hope this helps
Best regards
John

thanks for the info.

another question, how come i see rat snakes for like $10-$30?

why are they so cheap? is there little demand for them? or just a lot of them so they are easy to get? do fox snakes usualy cost about the same as rat snakes?

thanks

Yellow ratsnakes (along with the other obsoleta varieties, black, grey and texas) are relatively abundant as both captive bred and wild caught animals. And lately with the increase of special morphs (albinos, white-sided, etc.) are being bred in pretty good numbers. This tends to keep the price down.

Fox snakes are relatively scarce. Captive breeding is tricky because you need a very cold, long brumation to get fertile eggs. Easterns aren't available anymore as wild caught animals because of their endangered status and even the westerns aren't allowed to be caught in most of their range. For these reasons they are harder to find and a little more expensive. But also there isn't a lot of demand for them so it almost balances out.

John

I have never kept a fox snake so I can't help you there but I have had yellow rats and they are pretty cool snakes. Both of mine were at the 5ft mark and were as gentle as they could be. They were not aggressive at all. They are really easy to care for and I like them. Hope this helps. SSR
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There is nothing I hate more then a person buying a snake or any animal for that matter and not doing research and relizing what they are getting themselves into. Because of people like that we have such strict reptile and animal laws and they are ruining it for everyone. Not doing research is totally unacceptable and with the internet is super easy to do. There is just no excuse for that!!!

I've kept a few yellows, and a few fox snakes. My yellows tended to have varying "personalities", one was aggressive, one was shy, and another was mellow. Overall, from my experiences with them when I think of yellows I think of an alert snake that is fun to watch and handle. I think it is important to handle them regularly and gently from a young age if you want a consistently docile snake.
My foxes were very active, often cruising around their enclosure. They ate like pigs and were aggressive hitters when striking a prey item. I loved it...like little bulldogs on attack! I've heard they can be finicky eaters, but mine ate well. Mine were also easy to handle and never once bit me.
In closing, I strongly advise you get BOTH snakes! Herping is addictive!

from what I understand dont Fox snakes give off an odor ?

Thanks

I've also heard that fox snakes are quite musky and can be smelly. But, mine were not smelly, and never musked me. Like many pets, as long as their enclosure is kept clean odor will not be a problem. I also heard that they can be finicky eaters. Mine ate like hotdog eating champs at a county fair.

Posted by: shaky@best at Tue May 16 20:51:32 2006 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

I've also heard that fox snakes are quite musky and can be smelly. But, mine were not smelly, and never musked me. Like many pets, as long as their enclosure is kept clean odor will not be a problem. I also heard that they can be finicky eaters. Mine ate like hotdog eating champs at a county fair.

Thanks for the info its helpfull. I to am deciding on a fox snake or yellow rat so thats why I asked. . I like them both.

I'll add my $.02 here as well. I have not kept fox snakes, so I have no input on those. But I do have two yellows (that's my female's pic at the top of the forum page) and I will say they are fairly easy to take care of. Both eat very well, but in different ways - my male will take f/t mice right from my fingers or forceps and has never, ever skipped a meal and my female will take f/t mice that are left at the entrance to here hide. She has never skipped a meal. Personalities differ too with him being a big, active guy that is out all the time and is a joy to watch, awesome display snake! Fairly easy to handle too, although he does musk me, but has never bit me. My female is hands-down the nastiest snake I have ever owned in my 30 years of keeping snakes! She is just downright evil and will bite repeatedly while being held. She is also very shy and I almost never see her outside of her hide box. Another bonus is that they were old enough to breed this year and they went at it very aggresively almost immediatley so I am hoping for a healthy clutch in a couple of months. Attached are a few old pics of them when they were still juvies. Good luck with your decision!

Billy

>>i was thinking of possibly getting either a yellow rat or a fox snake. are these generaly easy snakes to take care of? and how fast do they grow and how big do they get? thanks