Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.

Click here for Dragon Serpents
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
Click for 65% off Shipping with Reptiles 2 You

Black Rat Snake

SydBarrett Aug 09, 2007 12:46 AM

This is what i belive to be a black rat snake. He is about 4.5 feet WC. very docile for a wild caught snake i think, he took a small mouse 2nd time offered... I would like to obtain another of the same speices for breeding, Is there anything i special i should know concerning this type of snake?

Replies (8)

MikeinOKC Aug 09, 2007 07:24 AM

Yes, a black rat snake. They do love to climb, so a taller cage with a tree or branch is essential. I feed mine (about the same size) one large mouse each week, though at that size they can easily take small or medium rats. They also love birds and tend to raid nests. Usually their disposition is rather touchy, so if he's that docile right after capture, you are fortunate. Should he turn nippy, simply use some gloves to initially pick him up and he'll calm down after finding that biting the glove does no good.
Overall an easy snake to keep, hardy and long lived.

MikeinOKC Aug 09, 2007 07:55 AM

By the way, black rats are very abundant throughout most of the eastern half or two-thirds of the country, so unless you are planning on breeding for some of the rarer morph traits the demand for young is not likely to be very high.

Alan Garry Aug 09, 2007 11:57 AM

Where is he wildcaught from?

dingoblue Aug 09, 2007 04:40 PM

Since the animal is wild caught, you should take a stool sample to a herp/exotic vet and have it analyzed for parasites. Treatment is easy if the snake does indeed have these organisms.

That's a beautiful animal, and good luck!

KevColubrid Aug 09, 2007 05:08 PM

I've always had a soft spot for black rat snakes. I love finding them, and I've loved keeping them in the past, though I don't keep any currently. The first snake I ever held was a black rat snake, when I was about three. It fell out of a tree onto my dad while he was mowing or something like that, and he brought it in the house and let me hold it. I think that was the first thing that ever really got me into snakes. Their temperments can be a little unpredictable (I had one start chewing on my knee while it was watching TV with me, I had another that I pulled off the road bite me in the face while it was just hanging out in my lap a few seconds earlier), but I have had some that were very, very docile. They're a cool snake, I like the ones that have a lot of red in them, or the ones we get from Missouri that are just jet-black all the way down. Anyway, good luck!
Kevin

MurphysLaw Aug 09, 2007 11:36 PM

>>This is what i belive to be a black rat snake. He is about 4.5 feet WC. very docile for a wild caught snake i think, he took a small mouse 2nd time offered... I would like to obtain another of the same speices for breeding, Is there anything i special i should know concerning this type of snake?
>>

In your state.
-----
If lead paint is so deadly why do they make it so delicious?

SydBarrett Aug 10, 2007 04:11 AM

I have tried to do some reading on the laws for keeping local herps in my state (SC) and there seems to be no law regulating the capture and breeding of unprotected native species or any other animal for that matter. (although I have read there is a proposed bill to regulate venomous animals now) I know these snakes are pretty common all over the US and my goal would not be to sell the offspring produced but rather keep them for my own collection or perhaps give to a friend who shares the same interest in these amazing animals.

In case I am wrong or have missed somthing regarding herp law in South Carolina i would greatly appreciate any information as everything i found was a bit vague.

Elaphefan Aug 10, 2007 09:59 PM

Great looking snake. Do you know what sex the animal is? I breed Eastern Black Rats myself and I can tell you that it is not a way to make money, but Black Rats are both easy to keep and breed.
Image

Site Tools