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Below a fellow Herper answered my question about a guess for age. He concludes that my 53-inch male Lindheimeri is likely about 4 years old.

I was told by the breeder "about 3 years old". The snake was quite slim when he arrived, but healthy & shiny.

Assuming that most Rats hatch at about 12-14 inches, with a slim, maintenance feeding routine common at pet stores, is 12 inches annual gain realistic, or faster? (I know that this can vary, just seeking general, educated guesses.)

How old would you guess a 53-inch Texas Rat to be? What hatch year?

(My guess is 2006 or 2007.)

Well, at that size I would venture to say it is an adult animal, definitely older than two years of age. However, once adult size is obtained and the animal is sexually mature, growth usually slows down considerably. The rush to pass on genetics has been achieved and most adult animals start slowing down with regards to food requirements. They certainly maintain weight with less feedings and non breeder females and males can probably do well on a 10-14 day food schedule. Also be aware that all Texas rats do not get to be six foot plus monsters, and 4 to 5 feet is probably the norm, especially with females. That is one problem with obtaining adult sized snakes and trying to quess ages. It can definitely be that size at three to four years of age, may not get much bigger or take quite a bit of time to get bigger. So, it could be 10 years of age, 15 years of age, or maybe only 2 years of age if fed right.

First let me say that I'm glad your new Texas Ratsnake is in your care now as you obviously take good care of your snakes.
The reason I'm glad it's in someone like your selfs care is because I just looked at the pictures you posted a link to and it appears to have been poorly taken care of by the photos.

A ratsnake with the body type texas rats have would not look nearly as thin or possibly sick if they were even fed every two weeks. With it's appearance I would guess it has rarely been fed at least for a few months (if it's not a recent wild caught snake)and could possibly have been kept in a dirty cage their for have something like a protozoa build up. With the appearance of the snake I would question anything the seller told you.

Obviously it's just my guess but due to the things I already said I would guess it is a minimum of 3 and most likely 4 or even older. I would not think that snake has had any real growth in a good while.

Again I'm glad it is now in your care. Please post somemore pics once you get some weight on him and he sheds a couple times. I think you might be amazed how nice he looks after 3 or 4 months in your care.

One more thing besides what others mentioned is I would also keep an eye out for holes in the ground when he is outside.

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Randy Whittington

Glad someone else thinks this snake looks like he was not taken care of. Let us know how he fattens up!

Given the available info, and figuring in that the snake was probably never fed very well prior, I would say it i probably a 2006 animal. But with an extremely poor feeding schedule, it could even realistically be a bit older than that.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks for the concern, but I already know to check for holes in the yard, and other caveats. (Along sidewalks are the worst danger; they are often hidden.) I scope out an area well before exercising. I know the yard well, so I know the safe areas.

I also constantly supervise when outside, and I only allow my snakes to crawl in areas where I can see them, where vegetation is not too tall, and on low shrubs & trees.

There are some ideal places near my front entryway, and in the back near the patio. Ground is clear for several yards around the exercise areas.

I'm intrigued that so many feel that the snake was not cared for well at the dealer. What specific signs seem to indicate this? Aside from poor photo quality that does not show color intensity well at all, the snake:

1. Is shiny & sleek.
2. Shows no signs of mites nor ticks, nor any physical damage.
3. Exhibits no unusual behavior.
4. Has eaten twice in 7 days.
5. Has slept out in the open 1-2 nights, as well as in hide spots.
6. Does not spend excessive time near water.

He is thin, I understand, but many breeders keep their animals lean.

He is also allegedly captive-bred. I asked about that specifically and even mentioned that I don't mind a wild-caught snake. The dealer said that my snake was captive-bred by them at their site.

Time will tell whether his behavior changes as he puts on weight and settles in more. He seems to feel very safe, and to not mind my handling at all. (More about that later.)

from the photos you provided, quality withstanding, I can see what appears to be a goodly portion of backbone showing, and a little loose skin near the ventrals on its' sides. Also of note, it could be bulked up to have that typical loaf of bread shape, imo. I've seen some skanky ones in the wild, full of parasites, both endo and ecto, with bad sheds stuck on, but yours does not show this. What we see could be from an excess of endos previously. I'm no expert, but I've also seen many more very stout, muscular wild specimens that would put this to shame. I have no doubt that it will thrive in your care. I'm just sayin'...not knowing the correct age leads at least me to believe you have an adult snake that could use a few great meals and a fecal done. After all, if you don't know exactly when it was born, where, any parent info, siblings to compare with, you get what you get. I will post some pics in a week or so when I bring the big girl up and a yearling I caught with her, same locality, so I know the where, I'll be guessing the when as well but the yearling will give you a good size reference for a male, at 1 1/2 years of age. we can speculate on growth sizes from there, and hopefully, I'll find some more this year when our spring springs! I'm in Corpus Christi, Texas at the southernmost edge of their range, but I typically find them in a 90 mile half radius to my north and west. I am in Nueces county, mine are from Calhoun county, roughly 90 miles north of me. They are the predominant large snake species of the area. I have measured a 77 inch female from Jackson county. They vary quite a bit in coloration, locality to locality.

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Todd Hughes

Could you please either contact me privately or post some photos of your locality snakes?

I'd be intrigued to see your specimens from Corpus Christi, and from nearby county counties.

As soon as I wake them up from brumation I'd be glad to.
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Todd Hughes

"I'm intrigued that so many feel that the snake was not cared for well at the dealer. What specific signs seem to indicate this?"

Maybe the protruding spine and the loose skin??

Don't get me wrong, I am glad YOU have the snake now, and is no longer where it was before. But there is no doubt it was VERY poorly cared for and fed prior to you owning it. I see snakes that look just like that in pet stores, and it is a cryin' shame, simple as that. If the snake had cuddly fur, and big brown eyes, the previous owner would be in jail, but they don't, so he ain't!

Good for you with getting it back in better health man!,...I wish more people did as you are doing.

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com