Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got my 1.4 black rats today. They are very very cool! Here's a picture of one of them. They are much different from my corns.

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~Sasheena

Are they a different type of black rat? They're not like any of the normals I've ever seen?

Cute little booger! What're you naming this lot?

And btw, 'Sasheena?' What does it mean? I could swear I've run across it on lists of middle-eastern names for dancers (I belly-dance).

Just curious. It's a cool name.

--Naamah (that's my dance name)

Thanks! They are all "Possible hets" for Brindle, Whitesided, and albino. Which means that when I breed them I'm guaranteed to get gorgeous normal black rats, and MAYBE some surprises. I have them together for the moment, but plan on separating them by spring if not earlier. The male is Romulus, and the females are Electra, Maia, Merope, Soraya (names of the stars in the Pleiades (sp)).

They love to hang out on the branches I provided them. Four of them clumped on a branch them PLOP... they fell into the water dish below. SERIOIUSLY cute critters.

As to my name, my parents put it together from sounds they liked. My siblings and my parents all have "normal" names. I am just blessed with a unique one.

>>Cute little booger! What're you naming this lot?
>>
>>And btw, 'Sasheena?' What does it mean? I could swear I've run across it on lists of middle-eastern names for dancers (I belly-dance).
>>
>>Just curious. It's a cool name.
>>
>>--Naamah (that's my dance name)

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~Sasheena

Mine were cute, too. Now they're still cute, and twice as unpleasant because they've grown. I don't know what it is, but mine hatched from eggs brought to a teacher friend of mine, so they were bred and laid in the wild, and I think that's why they're so spastic.

Yours, I hope, will be more tractable.

I looked -- I was thinking of Shaheena -- 'falconess'. Score one for dyslexia, or me being tired.

I note a definite mythological trend in your names. I name mine pretty much along the same lines. Any particular method behind your madness? I'm just really into snakes in mythology -- call it a hobby.

--Naamah

>>Yours, I hope, will be more tractable.

I've gotten used to being bit by little noodle sized hatchlings. My Blotched king hatchlings like to show the world that they are the toughest snakes on the face of the planet. They are SO Cute! (I'll attach a picture of Yertyl, looking "bad"

I was actually surprised when I got this shipment of snakes in. A few of them snapped at me, but no teeth connected. They seem fairly content and docile. I did handle them some last night, as I had to pull them out of their communal cage (all other considerations aside, pulling five snakes out of a well decorated enclosure, just so you can feed them separately is a PAIN. Individual cages coming up soon!) None of them snapped at me and they all chowed down like champs.

They LOVE to hang out in their branches. I think I went to the trouble off adding hides sort of for nothing. None of them want to "hide".

>>I note a definite mythological trend in your names. I name mine pretty much along the same lines. Any particular method behind your madness? I'm just really into snakes in mythology -- call it a hobby.

Especially when I have snakes (or mice) with the same look I tend to give them names that are all related. Stars and Mythology and Chess are three of the main "themes". Of course I had a vivid dream about a jungle carpet python, so we bought one and I named her dreamer.

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~Sasheena

Looks like you have a nice breeding project for the future. I can't wait to see what pops out of their eggs in a couple years. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I read furuther in the thread and see you already realize it's a chore to separate them each time for feeding. Wait until they get about 5 feet long or more. LOL. Good luck with them. Black rat snakes like to climb branches and things you put in the enclosure. Keep in mind it puts them closer to the top edge and escape. There's several on this forum who have experinced that. Here's a pic of one of the deckert's rat snakes I used to have until this year.

Terry Parks

>>I read furuther in the thread and see you already realize it's a chore to separate them each time for feeding.

Yes, I know now it won't be long that I'll keep them together. Too much a pain to separate them for feeding.

>>Black rat snakes like to climb branches and things you put in the enclosure. Keep in mind it puts them closer to the top edge and escape.

Yeah, when I was first removing them from their shipping containers, I thought "I'll leave the lid off until I get them all in." The first one dissuaded me of THAT! I'm glad I have a lot of branches in their cage though. They ignore all the strategic hide spots I gave them and all clump up on the branches. Luckily it's a reptile cage with a locking lid, so I just have to be SUPER vigilant to make sure it is always locked!

I'm sure I'll post here a lot as I get to know these guys. They are very personable.
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~Sasheena