Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Late last night I received a phone call from a lady I know's care taker. She was terrified about the fact that there was a large snake found in one of the bathrooms, so I tried to calm her down enough to talk her through her version of an "accurate" description of the snake.

I asked some very specific questions, and from what she told me, it sounded like a definite Yellow Ratsnake. She was describing the snake to me while the other(male) care taker was busy trying to get it under a pale without having to touch it(very typical..LOL!). I also told her if it turns out to be a female, I would definitely be interested in keeping it, as I've been waiting to find a locality mate for my gorgeous male Yellow Rat for some time now.

So upon arriving there to her home, I was first happy to see that it was indeed a Yellow Ratsnake, and secondly,...upon inspection, it also turned out to be a female that I was eagerly hoping for as well!

She's nowhere near as nice looking as my male, but until I can find a prettier locality female, she will certainly do just fine. I could buy a nice one from anywhere, but I really like the idea of producing some locality animals from my native county from here in Brevard County, Florida.

I did a close visual inspection of her today, and she seems to be totally free of any ticks or mites, which is a good thing. So we shall see how she does in her new captive life. I'll let her settle in for a couple more days, then offer her a nice tasty mouse!

I was wondering when I'd finally stumble upon a female, and never expected it to originate from a late night phone call,......funny how thing's work sometimes!

~Doug
the newly acquired female, she is from extreme southern Brevard County approx. 15 miles from where the male below was captured.

previously captured exceptional male...also from southern Brevard County

and some pips from this morning...100% het for ghost



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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Doug,

Man those are some exceptional Hondos! Very orange at that age. Wow.
The Yellow female is pretty handsome, pretty classic colors.
Exciting times for you, huh? LOL

Matthew

Thanks a lot Mathew!,..yes, I'm real happy with those Hondos, as well as finding the newly acquired Yellow Rat!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

...So am I getting she will soon have a mate" vibe here? <G>

Matthew

She will definitely be put in with that awesome male I have next spring!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Those are going to be some great looking kids! <G>

Matthew

I would be happy with her. They make a nice pair, hope she does well. That reminds me of a similar situaion this summer invloving getting a call from a friend of my step-son. Only being in SW Louisiana it was a texas rat, which I released. It wasn't a very pretty individual and had the typical texas rat dispositon.
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Matt Kauffman

LOL!,..BOY do I know all about the "disposition"...GEEESH!

I personally think my leucistic female was sent strait from the bowels of hell!. She is just plain UNRELENTING!!!

~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

None of the Texas rats I have encountered here in Texas has been the least bit defensive.. Go figure! LOL

Matthew

Wow!,....that's hard to figure for SURE!

This is basically my mental picture of what most Texas Rat's are like. Certainly not all, but most..LOL!

~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

That was the initial impression I was under. But after encountering 5 different ones over spring & summer, not one sat up & went defensive. Of course, the one longer than my bike when not hardly streched out, would have been a little TOO impressive up close! LOL
However, I never tried to catch any of them..

Matthew

"However, I never tried to catch any of them.."

Hmmm, I'd be willing to bet they wouldn't be quite so easy-going, and sweet natured if that was attempted..LOL!, but of course it all depends on many things,.....individual personality of the snake, method and gentleness of handling, etc...

I personally don't think too much of bites from most colubrids, unless they are really large,...otherwise, it doesn't much phase me. However, many years ago when a thirteen and a half foot, 100 plus pound Burmese Python Grabbed my ENTIRE hand one time in an attempt to constrict and eat it my hand(and me),..then I will admit, I was very much "phased"..hahaha!,....not to mention bleeding like a "stuck pig"..LOL!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

>>Late last night I received a phone call from a lady I know's care taker. She was terrified about the fact that there was a large snake found in one of the bathrooms, so I tried to calm her down enough to talk her through her version of an "accurate" description of the snake.
>>
>> I asked some very specific questions, and from what she told me, it sounded like a definite Yellow Ratsnake. She was describing the snake to me while the other(male) care taker was busy trying to get it under a pale without having to touch it(very typical..LOL!). I also told her if it turns out to be a female, I would definitely be interested in keeping it, as I've been waiting to find a locality mate for my gorgeous male Yellow Rat for some time now.
>>
>> So upon arriving there to her home, I was first happy to see that it was indeed a Yellow Ratsnake, and secondly,...upon inspection, it also turned out to be a female that I was eagerly hoping for as well!
>>
>> She's nowhere near as nice looking as my male, but until I can find a prettier locality female, she will certainly do just fine. I could buy a nice one from anywhere, but I really like the idea of producing some locality animals from my native county from here in Brevard County, Florida.
>>
>> I did a close visual inspection of her today, and she seems to be totally free of any ticks or mites, which is a good thing. So we shall see how she does in her new captive life. I'll let her settle in for a couple more days, then offer her a nice tasty mouse!
>>
>> I was wondering when I'd finally stumble upon a female, and never expected it to originate from a late night phone call,......funny how thing's work sometimes!
>>
>>
>> ~Doug
>> the newly acquired female, she is from extreme southern Brevard County approx. 15 miles from where the male below was captured.
>>
>> previously captured exceptional male...also from southern Brevard County
>>
>> and some pips from this morning...100% het for ghost
>>
>>
>>
>>-----

You are right.
She doesn't quite live up to the male but I doubt you will find many that could. He is exceptional. That new female is nice though. Get a few mrals in her and a good shed or two and I think she will be a beauty.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

Thanks, Jimmy!,.....yeah, the possibility of a shed real soon would be nice, that would no doubt brighten her up a little. And as you mentioned,..put her on a weight gain program as well. You should have seen how spindly the male was when I first caught him!..MAN!, he was a REAL thin!

thanks again!, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

The male is a text book example of a yellow rat ...he's smokin!!!!!!!

Thanks!,...yes, the male is extremely hard to beat in my opinion too. They just don't get much nicer than him....period!

I've seen several unbelievably sweet ones in the area in the past, and I captured an INSANELY yellow female specimen about 20 years ago just a mile or so away from where the killer male was captured.

Sure wish I had that same "canary yellow" female now!..LOL! I sold her to a fellow herp society member MANY years ago for just a mere $10.00 bucks!.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

That female is great looking. the male is smoking for sure. but the female is really nice too with the very well-defined stripes. I used to catch these as a kid and there is so much variation in them. Also, in South Florida, where i used to catch them, there were intergrades with Everglades rat snakes which made them even more variable. but both your are knockouts. Should produce some nice young. Good luck.

Thanks!,....yes, I actually just moved here to central Florida only a few years ago, and lived in south Florida most of my entire life(Ft. Lauderdale). I remember catching all sorts of them there as a kid too.

Just as you said, lots of variation, even within small areas of their range, vivid, drab, patterned, etc...

I also think the offspring should look pretty nice too, and there will no doubt be some variation within the given clutch as well.

thanks again!, ~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"