Reptile & Amphibian Forums

here are a few more images i took today after we cleaned his cage and then fed him.. put some coconut bark down and he seems to like it.. he moves around a lot easier now..

keep an eye out on the pics.. as you can see one of his eyes look damaged.. it has looked like that since we saved him back in early May.. he has grown about twice the length so far in those few months.. he loves to eat.. if anyone has an idea what is wrong with his right eye let me know.. ok.. now for the pics..

another pic

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another

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right eye

tongue

What kind of snake is he? Please don't tell me he's a black rat. Mine looks about that size but is nowhere near as dark yet (has pretty clear pattern right now).

yah he's a black rat snake.. he had a pretty juvenile patter but it has now since started to change and you can see a darker stripe pattern beginning to form.. as I said he has shed about 3-4 times already.

Cause I swear he doesn't look bigger than mine at all, and mine is showing very little sign of changing colors. I'm just really hoping mine doesn't either end up brown or never fully black (I think it's really ugly to see a black rat that has some pattern showing through, but it's darkened).

not sure but as any animal im sure some change different depending on area and conditions.. we live in eastern NC so I am not sure if they change different then others.. do you have a pic of yours?

I have half sisters, one is 9 months now and even blacker than that snake of Brat's, and her 8 month sister is still brown on grey. They come from the same father and their mothers are sisters. My adult male is nearly jet black with a nearly solid black belly while other adults you'll see retain much of the juvenile pattern. It's a big spectrum with regards to black rats. This is soot when I got her, so she's about 6 months old in the picture.

Alex

Where are these guys from?

A local breeder, or at least a guy who was local until I moved halfway across the continent.
Strangely, she's an albino x het albino breeding, I can't remember if I said that in the other post.

nm
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~Katt

And I have yet to get a black snake. I have a mexican black kingsnake with all sorts of yellow and white dots on him (he's supposed to be all black, and unlike black rats, it's not supposed to be that common to get one that isn't). I like the white chin of the black rats, but I don't want any pattern, I want a patternless black top.

Ah, I knew I was doomed to get yet another snake showing pattern that the "ideal" one wouldn't (yes, I realize some people like the pattern, I like his juvenile pattern, but I hate the muted pattern that the adults that don't go fully black have, and I kinda wanted a black snake).

But then, I can't say I'm not being overworried (when I bought the mexican black king as a baby I thought he'd grow out of it, every book said they would if they had pattern as a baby). I have no idea what age this guy is at. On the other hand, my friends have noted he's gotten bigger in the two-three months I've had him, but not any darker.

I've been working with black rats for about 18 years now, and have yet to see an adult totally devoid of any juvinile pattern whatsoever. I have had them from many parts of their range, and I have seen some really black ones, but upon close examination I could always find at least a slight trace of a pattern, whether it be occasional white flecks here and there or slight blemmishes at the edge of what used to be blotches. I have found that the ones from higher elevations tend to be more consistently black, with the ones from lower areas varying from black to lighter hued. If you want some really black snakes you might try what I just started doing in recent years. producing your own. It will be time consuming, and it is difficult to assess how a hatchling will turn out, but the results are well worth the effort. I have gotten a few really nice ones from average looking adults. With that said, I also understand that not everyone is looking for a big long term project. They just want a pet snake to raise up. Anyway I hope yours turns out the way you want it to. If not, breed it with a mate and see what you get. Good luck.
Alan,

Looks like either an old scar or a congenital defect. Is there any scarring of the orbital scales (around the eye)? What about swelling? If there is any swelling I'd be worried. If there is no swelling/scarring then its probably just a congenital defect. Some snakes survive just fine in the wild like this but they do even better in captivity! As long as its eating I wouldn't worry.

Van

hi.. there isnt any scarring near the eye or anything.. it was like this when we found it.. it has shed bout 3 times already and each time i look at that eye and it appears the same.. it still has the ability to move it that eye but i dont think it can see out of that eye because if i move my finger around near that eye it doesnt move but if i do the same thing on the other side he will move.. maybe it is a birth defect.. glad we saved him.. thanks for the information

Hello, this looks more like the "greenish" rat snake phase -integrade between Yellow Rats and Black Rats. He looks like he has the olive color and the stripes showing. Nice looking snake! I used to find them in Charleston, SC