Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If I was to get an American ratsnake that isn't a Bairds or TransPecos or cornsnake, and I wanted a good chance of it being calm as an adult, which one would you suggest?

(I asked the guy in a reptile store, and he said, "brooksi, lol."
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Mark

I think that most rat snakes if gotten as hatchlings, and handled regularly, will turn out to be ok as adults. There are those exceptions that start out as terrors and never change though. Or maybe my experience has been the exception. I have over 30 snakes, half of which are rat snakes, and I can hold every one of them without being bitten. Now there are a couple that I have to be wary of, but if I act and move the right way everything is fine. I guess I really didn't answer your question. Just find a species that you like and work with it, don't be affraid.
Emory's rats are good.

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Matt Kauffman

"Just find a species that you like and work with it, don't be afraid."

I agree!

I had a choice between a "safe" Baird's and a Tex Rat. I chose the Tex Rat and got quite a specimen with beautiful coloration.

I've had my 6-foot male for one month now. I handle daily, avoiding sudden movements & surprises. I'm very pleased with handling progress. He has musked lightly and tail rattled at times, like my Cal King, but has NEVER bitten.

(Which probably really upsets the pet store owner who sold him to me, who claimed that he was bitten twice just putting my snake into the bag! I think it's the same as with horses & big dogs. They sense your confidence or fear, and respond to you accordingly. Your mental state & mannerisms determine your success with them.)

And I guess the pictures of you with thick jacket, heavy gloves & nervous expression are indicative of your superior handling & reptilian communicative abilities?? You're holding a rat snake, man, not a 15' scrub python!!

I think the Great Plains Ratsnake would be the tamest of them all. I've kept and bred Black Ratsnakes for a number of years and found them to be tamer than Yellow, Texas, and Everglades Ratsnakes. I've never tried Grey Ratsnakes, but they are on my list of snakes that I'd like to work with.

Tim

Black Ratsnake that I found in Central Ohio last year:

Third Eye

black -yellow or- orange(glades)...all grow well and are usually calm.........

it all depends on the color YOU want.....

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......JY

'Glades. Or a Yellow. Once they settle down, should be excellent.
...Do yourself a favor, get a Baird's ANYWAY. You won't have to worry, or regret it! Of course, I'm not biased or anything like that. LOL

Matthew
"brooksi"??? ROFLMAO Figures

Yeah, hard to beat a killer Everglades in my opinion.

Although I do have many outstanding "high-yellow" South Florida brooksi "rats" as well..HAHAHAA!

Here is a girl I could always read the thoughts of..LOL!

These are one of my favorite corn morphs too. A nice hypo lavender.

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

That glades is richter and the leucy is hilarious...great stuff, even love the Brooks...incredible!
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Have a nice day

Website: SerpenTrack

LOL!!,.thanks Brad!

I thought it would be funny to add that leucistic doin her typical "bad-girl" behavior.

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Love those animals Doug. What's with the tude on that last one there? You just have a camera out taking his pics. It's not like your trying to pick him up or anything, LOL
The everglades is gorgeous as well as the florida king. Steve

Thanks for the kind words Steve!

LOL!,....yeah, she never quit with the evil, defensive "tude". I could always depend on her to be a real "BE-OTCH",...like many other females for that matter!!..LOL!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Doug, your hypo lavender corn looks alot like my male lavender. He was sold to me as a lavender, het for difused. Could he also be hypo? Here is a head shot.

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Kent

0.1 Hypomelanistic striped cornsnake
1.0 Lavender cornsnake
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase

Doug,

That is just Texas Rat for "Howdy ya'l1!"
LOL

Matthew

Before I read anyone else's reply I'm gonna say amel. black rat!I bred these guys back in the early 90's.My adult male was so laid back I could watch a movie while having him out the whole time and he would sit there with no problems!This is just my opinion tho.Really a good question! Take care! Jeff

Jeff is correct. I have seen and heard of more docile black and amel black rats than glades or yellows. However, as others have posted above, any should be fine if gotten at a young age and consistently worked with and handled properly.

I know the E. obsoleta animals have alway been tauted as being more aggressive as juvies than E. guttata. However, I have a few holdback corns this year that are STILL very defensive and not shy about striking out at all almost a year after hatching!! Granted, these guys arent handled very much at all except during maintenance and feeding activities. I think the old adage about corns being mucho docile is a bit overrated IMO!! Every WC and unhandled corn I ever encountered was just as happy to strike out and bite as any Texas rat I encountered in the wild too!!

>>If I was to get an American ratsnake that isn't a Bairds or TransPecos or cornsnake, and I wanted a good chance of it being calm as an adult, which one would you suggest?
>>
>>(I asked the guy in a reptile store, and he said, "brooksi, lol."
>>-----
>>Mark
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Mark

>>>>If I was to get an American ratsnake that isn't a Bairds or TransPecos or cornsnake, and I wanted a good chance of it being calm as an adult, which one would you suggest?
>>>>
>>>>(I asked the guy in a reptile store, and he said, "brooksi, lol."
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>>>>Mark
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>>Mark

I would go with emoryi if not bairdi.
but Everglade like the one Doug posted are pretty darn nice.
I've ad yellow, black greyad everglades...My everglades, although a little terror up until around 3 ft, tamed down wonderfully and never worried me as an adult. I wish I would have kept that one. I got rid of his clutch mates as hatchlings but that adult was cool.
Had a couple of yellows, one of which I had into adult hood. Damn thing would be fine and then out of the blue would just turn around and bite the piss out of me. I could handle him every day for a week and then just BOOM. Pretty yellow rat but glad I got rid of him.
I've had lots of black rats and they were usually most defensive when getting them out of their enclosures. Once they were out they were usually ok..but there were a few I've had that were like the yellow. Trick you into thinking everything was fine, let you handle them for a few minutes and then just out of the blue, bam, bite me.
Never had my bairdis bite me except out of my own ignorance at feeding time.
Same with my emoryis. They seem a little more "tense" as juvies but as adults they've been basically more like corns.

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

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Wow!!! Please forgive my ignorance but, what the heck is this thing?

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Have a nice day

Website: SerpenTrack

>>Wow!!! Please forgive my ignorance but, what the heck is this thing?
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>>Have a nice day
>>
>>Website: SerpenTrack

That is Gator....my old everglades rat snake.
That picture was taken by the guy I gave him to, about a year after he got him. That was probably about three years ago.
I think he gave him away or sold him but hopefully he is out there somewhere producing more like him.
I still kick myself for getting rid of that one.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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>>
>>That is Gator....my old everglades rat snake.
>>That picture was taken by the guy I gave him to, about a year after he got him. That was probably about three years ago.
>>I think he gave him away or sold him but hopefully he is out there somewhere producing more like him.
>>I still kick myself for getting rid of that one.

oops you can see by the date stamp that the picture was taken almost four years ago. He was approximately two at that time. I got him, his clutch mates, the yellow from above and a butter corn from a friend who does recue work in Florida. They were all non-feeders.
Two of the evrglades were kinked...one died, the other kinked one basically out grew its kinks and I gave it away when it was about 6 months old. Looked almost as good as gator.
The butter was kinked pretty bad but I got her eating and have kept her as a pet. She is doing fine but can't stretch out in a staright line. The yellow was in great condition and really never gave me a problem feeding. Sometimes shipping will spark an eating response...don't know why but sometimes it does. The yellow turned out to be a very nice looking yellow rat but we just didn't get along...lol
here's a picture of the everglades while he was still here

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

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I have a black rat and Gray Rat. Both are very docile. I think black rats in general are of a docile nature. I handle quite a few black rats in the field and more othen then not they don't bite if handled gently. Emory rats are a good choice.
Now if you want one of the calmest rats on the planet, I highly recommend a Russian Ratsnake. Yea I know, you said American Rat, but I thought I'd throw that in there anyway. My Russian Rat is one of my favorites. Steve

I have to agree with you on that Steve! My Russians are very laid back and growing fast!I noticed just a few minutes ago they are both starting to get some yellow around their neck area.
Jeff

I'll have to check mine more and see if I can see any yellow. Jeff, did yours go off feed last year? Mine stopped eating, so I put him in brumation and just brought him up in early March. He's eating like a champ now. Steve

My pr. did the same thing!And like you said,they are eating like pigs now!Their digestion rate/metabolism is crazy!The male likes hopper mice and the female likes pink rats.Are you planning to go to the Richmond show on the 28th.?If so,maybe I'll see ya' there. Take care! Jeff

I should be at the show Jeff. You have a table or just looking around? Steve

I'll just be browsing. I may pick up a book or something tho! Take care! Jeff