Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I have a "Normal" Black Ratsnake that is almost 4 years old and is over 5' long and rather heavy bodied. I want to get a good wife for him. I am wondering how big that the Whitesided Black Ratsnakes grow to.

I am inquiring about length as well as thickness.

I would appreciate any helpful input here.

white-sideds will be the exact same as normal black rats. The only difference is color. Sometimes certain lines of them tend to be a little larger or smaller, and some lines tend to be slightly more aggressive than others, but they are genetically the exact same snake, just with different colors. It's like the difference between having brown eyes or blue.

Well put....Redmoon

I've always heard that the normal top end for a fully mature, healthy and well fed rat snake is right around 6 feet. I know there are reports and even photos of larger animals, but I'd say a safe bet for anyone planning on keeping a rat snake long term is to anticipate an eventual length of 4.5 to 5.5 feet max. For bullsnake keepers, add a foot.

I'd add about a foot plus for male ratsnakes, but for females I'd say you're right on.

alot of people would like to argue the fact but, whith time, proper diet, and proper conditions, north american ratsnakes can obtain a length of slightly over eight feet. don't expect this to happen over night, as it can take well over ten years for snakes to get that size. althou four foot can be expected in two to four years.