Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just want to say that after hearing all the negative stories on King Ratsnakes I'm glad I went and got one anyway to find out for myself if the bad rap is warranted and it is not.
After a very short time being here my King Rat doesn't musk, bite, or frantically try to escape while being handled. The snake never has feeding issues, eats like a horse and is growing like a weed! Very easy in it's care requirements and is an extremely alert and intelligent snake.
I highly recommend the King Rats to anyone looking for an impressively big, and easy to care for Ratsnake.

cool, now lets see it!
-----
Thanks
Chad Ramsey
onetonyj@yahoo.com

I only have old pics of the snake and don't know how to post them as I'm not handy with the computer, but I will e mail them to you. I will also take new ones soon. The snake is awesome.

I went through the same thing when I bought a pair of red coachwhips, I had heard so much about how bad tempered they were, turns out they're two of the most trustworthy snakes I own, I've only been bit once, and it was when one of the two was in shed.

Anyway, from what I've heard, a king rat's like a big coachwhip, so I might have to invest

Kevin

Good luck, they are nice animals, but only for the right person. I wold dissuade anyone asking if it's a good animal to keep from getting one, I don't think it is. And if he's the right person he'll go out and get one anyway. like you did.

I'd love to see some pics micropilot, I'm happy for the snake, you like him.
I think you'v seen these pics, but here they are for people that haven't.

Yes, I've seen those pics and love them. I've noticed that these snakes don't all look the same. They must be coming in from different locales as the young one I have looks nothing like your snakes in coloration. Mine is the bright yellow with the black pattern going through it and is about the size of the snakes in your pics. I see them occasionally and they either look like yours or like the one I have. The monster in the post here is what I hope mine turns into. I prefer the lighter coloration. Thanks for the pictures.

DAAAMN! That is a powerhouse of a snake there!!!! AWESOME PICTURE!
I don't feel that these snakes are any worse than any other Rat, Cribo, FWC, Bull, Coachwhip, Cobra that I've kept and in some cases it is a better captive than other snakes I've kept or now keep.
I've heard that you can't handle these frequently or they will stress and perish, I have not found this to be true. I handle the King as much as I handle my YT Cribos with no problems. The snake no longer musks and never tries to bite, both of which it did when I first got it, not so much the biting, but more so the musking. The snake just chills out now as if I'm a basking spot.
I guess there's good and bad in every species, but I am sooo glad I found out for myself what these snakes are like first hand. I only wish that I hadn't waited so long to get into these as I would be keeping some monsters like the one in that picture, but the way this snake eats it shouldn't be long before I have a monster on my hands.
I feel that the impressive size, ease of care, along with all I've previously said about the King Rats makes them a good choice for someone looking to keep them. I have snakes here that make my King Rat look like a Ball Python in temperament.

I believe the goddess has a range that covers all of southern China and bordering countries and also, Taiwan, and other islands, such as Japan's Ryukyu's. This great range can cause quite a bit of variation in color, pattern, and size, etc. It may also be the cause of some variation in temperament.

Carinata is definitely an interesting snake, whether it makes a good pet, or not. I prefer a much smaller snake myself. Taxonomically, it's in a unique position. Still classed as an "Elaphe", I believe, I suspect it will be split from that genus eventually. Carinata is as much a racer as a constrictor, imo. They tend to eat other snakes, as well as the usual ratsnake fare, so be careful with that.

Look forward to any info you can provide from keeping them. Good luck....

TC

wowza dinodon, that is a mighty carinata. The pair we have do live up to their reputation though - but knew that before we got them lol.

Nice to hear your experiences though minicopilot.
-----
ratsnakefoundation.org society

Thanks, I'm glad mine doesn't live up to the reputation!!! LOL

Cool, they are one of the few species I have been considering raising. At this time I do not know of anyone with eggs that will have a pair available for sale.