Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Two questions, but related. I've always loved Black Rats and had some as a kid. My favorite was a solid black male with a beautiful white belly. As you all know, they range from solid black to pretty heavily blotched as adults. So my question is, are any of you guys breeding jet black animals that throw babies that turn jet black as adults?

Secondly, I've always wanted a pair of Baird's rats and obvioulsy there is a ton of variation with those guys as well. Am I correct in saying that the Mexican variety has the silver/gray head with the orange body and the Texas variety can range from a dull brownish-orange to bright orange to a metallic silver? I really like the very bright silvery ones with the orange skin. Anyone breeding those?

Thanks for your input

Hmmm...All the ones I've found in this locale recently look like these two adults or a mix. I'm expecting eggs from the two adults in the post at this link if you'd be interested in the possible offspring. http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1696628,1696628 I'll definately keep a look out for any jet black BR's for you this summer and let you know. Maybe I can find a nice jet black female that is already pregnant if youre not interested in wild caught.

I got my bairds from Vivid Reptiles - Tim Gebhard. Check his site
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Jack Jeansonne

"So my question is, are any of you guys breeding jet black animals that throw babies that turn jet black as adults?"

Couldn't have asked it better myself. There were a couple subadults at the Anaheim show last year. Beautiful black with no pattern at all and just a little bit of white speckling. I waited to long to make my decision and they got sold. Drat, still kicking myself. Maybe this year.

Yes, the Mexican bairdi have the gray/silver head but mine have a yellowish body color. The eastern versions are the silver ones I believe and get more orange/brown the further west you go. The ones I got from Jimmy are silver and the ones I have from Toby out of Troy's stock are orange. Both have yellow and red in between the scales.
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Todd Hughes

>>Two questions, but related. I've always loved Black Rats and had some as a kid. My favorite was a solid black male with a beautiful white belly. As you all know, they range from solid black to pretty heavily blotched as adults. So my question is, are any of you guys breeding jet black animals that throw babies that turn jet black as adults?
>>
>>Secondly, I've always wanted a pair of Baird's rats and obvioulsy there is a ton of variation with those guys as well. Am I correct in saying that the Mexican variety has the silver/gray head with the orange body and the Texas variety can range from a dull brownish-orange to bright orange to a metallic silver? I really like the very bright silvery ones with the orange skin. Anyone breeding those?
>>
>>Thanks for your input

here is one of my breeding pairs of bairdis, Sam and Rosie.
Rosie laid eight nice eggs.
one of my other female bairdis didn't lay for some reason and I had another female that I bred to a ghost corn....sorry to all of you purists out there but I wanted to try something....lol

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

"I had another female that I bred to a ghost corn....sorry to all of you purists"

Baaahhhh! What's the world coming too?

I'm with you Mike. I like my black rats solid black, or close to it. uwharrie reptiles has some North Carolina locality black rats that get nice & black. I have an 08 male from them and he's turning out quite nice.
For bairdis, there's alot of good breeders and really nice looking animals out there. Just look at the adult breeders and see who has what you like. I loved the look of Draybars adults, and got a pair form Jimmy last year, & they're turning out quite beautiful.
Steve

Thanks for the tip Steve. I contacted Uwharrie Reptiles today and he expects some soon. Been on the lookout for a while and this is the first breeder of clean b-rats I've found, thanks to your help.

For anyone else:

www.uwharriereptiles.com/

Looks like there's some high quality animals here.

Cheers,
Brad

No problem Brad. I posted a few pics at the top of the forum of the 08 male I picked up from Unwharrie Reptiles last year.
Steve

Thanks for all the replies. this was really helpful. I let you know what I end up with.
Mike