Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Guys,

I am picking up my first adult Leucistic black rat tomorrow. She seems fine and fairly docile from the little I have handled her.

This is the first black rat I have kept however, I do have 2 yellow hybrids and a Grey at the moment, are blacks and greys about the same temperament usually ? As long as she is no more temperamental than my Anomala demoness I guess we should get on fine.

Are leucistic snakes generally the same all the time or do they get irritable if held too much, light too bright, wrong time of the month, etc etc ?? Any pointers would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks,

Steve

Most of the differences between the ratsnakes you currently have and your new LBR will be more individual differences rather than species or morph. In other words, expect about the same as you would from your other rats, within normal range of ratsnake behaviors. Good luck. Duffy

Steve -
The obsoleta group have a wide range of temperaments. Generally they are nippy as babies and juveniles but calm down and can be great pets. If the one you are getting seemed fine and fairly docile when you handled her a little, then she is probably fine. Outside of my yellow rat snakes and Texas rat snakes, the other obsoleta generally are nervous and active when you first pick them up (if at all) and then calm down as you handle them. My yellow rats and Texas rats seem to like to still turn their head back around and peck at my arm or hand even after I've held them for awhile. I think its just to let me know they still would rather be let down. Good luck with your new addition. She sounds like she will be a nice snake for your collection.

Terry Parks

>>Hi Guys,
>>
>>I am picking up my first adult Leucistic black rat tomorrow. She seems fine and fairly docile from the little I have handled her.
>>
>>This is the first black rat I have kept however, I do have 2 yellow hybrids and a Grey at the moment, are blacks and greys about the same temperament usually ? As long as she is no more temperamental than my Anomala demoness I guess we should get on fine.
>>
>>Are leucistic snakes generally the same all the time or do they get irritable if held too much, light too bright, wrong time of the month, etc etc ?? Any pointers would be gratefully recieved.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>> Steve

Many thanks guys... I got her home this morning and she is a total babe Very calm, very friendly and apparently has an incredible feeding response when she smells food ( although I havent seen it yet ) I am told she opens her mouth and marauds around the tank like a great white shark until she finds something edible.

She is around 6 feet long and her head is HUGE !! Didn't really realise it until I got her back here... the other thing I never realised is how THIN she is... her spine looks as though it is ready to burst through. I really don't know how I never noticed it before.

Last thing... She is 'almost' pure white but has an extremely faint pattern. Is it more likely she is actually an albino ( She was free so I am not actually worried ) or do Leucistics have the remnants of a pattern ? Most of the albino pictures I have seen have very prominant yellow patterns which she has none of... we are talking slightly 'off white' pattern and pink eyes.

Thanks for any help here,

Steve.

Leucism occurs when the animal does synthesise pigment, but doesn't display it into the skin for whatever genetic reason. Typically, leucistic snakes are solid white (sometimes with a few orange carotinoid spots) and blue eyes. The pigmented eyes are key - though leucy tx rats have had albinism bred into them, the only real way to tell the albino leucy tx rats from the leucy tx is the eye colour (pink vs blue)
Because your snake has pink eyes, and albinism is far better established in black rats than albinism, I'd suspect your black rat is an albino. Just remember, there's two forms of albinism in these guys...
My male black rat is also prone to waving his mouth around until he hits food. I think it's hilarous to see.
Alex

Many thanx Alex... I had really concluded that she is indeed an albino, I really wanted it confirmed by somebody who knows about these things !!!

I fed her for the first time this evening... sure enough, mouth open and lets see what I hit... lol

What gets me is the size of her. The head and mouth are at least three or four times the size of my grey rat !!! When she has fattened up she is going to be massive.

Steve.