Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had a question about my black rats. They are 1 year this month and both (1.1) between 31"-33". My question is that they are not very thick. The male (Chunk) is about 3/4 the width of my pinky finger and his sister (Peaches) is about 1/2 as thick as my pinky. They aren't "skinny" and eat a hopper weekly. I know they are relatively slender for there size (as a species) but wasn't sure if they were particularly thin. I am concidering starting Chunk on a diet of rat pinks to put a little extra size on him for next spring. Which brings me to my second question. Do you think I have a good chance of getting him to breed my 4'7" female next spring? He will be an estimated 3' and she will be conciderably larger. I will just have to cross my fingers




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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

Not a very good idea. Your animals have a good but not exeptional length for their age. Black Ratsnakes aren't Cornsnakes, they grow much bigger and therefore need more time to mature. Breeding a female too early would slow down her growth significantly, and therefore bring down the length she ultimately would have attained. And then there is always the risk of her getting eggbound. It's safer to wait until their third year, and it's not like you're gonna get rich breeding them, so why take risks?

I am not breeding the young female. I am breeding the young male to a 4'7" black rat. But thanks for your concern.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

Try feeding them two hoppers a week. That will get them growing a little more quickly. One hopper a week for a snake that is almost three feet is not enough. I have Yellows that size eating small mice.

Remember to cool both snakes down this winter. For the most part, Black Rats are not picky about breeding. You put the female in with the male. Not the other way around. You can expect about a dozen eggs from a female that is about four and a half feet long.

Incubate the eggs at 82F. Seventy days later you get little snakes.

Thanks for the advice. I am still working on that emoryi.... Sorry for the wait.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"