Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't want to start a war or anything, but what is it that some of you so love about the Asian ratsnakes? Let me first say that my first captive bred snake was, of course, a cornsnake. That was 20 years ago, and now I satisfy my tastes for ratsnakes with subocs. I get a kick out of reading this forum and seeing how guys like Don Gallagher (spelling?) get so much joy out of bairdi, and how others enjoy black rats and lindheimri. I like these too, since I've encountered them in the wild and been able to see how captive breeding has developed some trully unique morphs. I just can't get enthusiastic about the Asians. My dad kept a red tailed rat a few years ago, and true to form it was one of the most vicious snakes I've ever met. Since then, I've heard that a lot of the Asians are similar in behavior. I've also heard that Blue Beautys have a siimilar disposition, which discourages me because this is really the only Asiatic species that appeals to me asthetically.
Sorry for rambling, but is it just a matter of taste, or am I missing something?

Nothing is wrong with the Asian rat snakes. I also like the Asians. Luckily we don’t have all the same love for one typical snake. Otherwise we would have lots of US snakes in our collections. I don’t think there is anything wrong about US snakes but my love goes to Asians. I had some bairdi’s and guttata’s, rossalleni but I liked the Asians more. Now I have :
Helena 1.1
Dione Korea 1.1, China 1.1, Russia 1.1
Climacophora 1.2
Prasina 1.1
Flavolineata 1.2
Situla Greece 1.2 (European)
Situla Croatia 2.1 (European)

Good luck with you snakes and for me it don’t matter which snakes we all keep. We have the interest for the serpents and that’s what I like.

Greeting from Holland,
Jan Pap

My own site

My Taiwan beauty has a very similar temperment to most American ratsnakes. I think it's wild caught beauties that you have to watch out for. And there are some others that are so darn pretty I don't care if they're mean.
-----
Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

North american Ratsnakes are great, they were my first herp obsession, especially Trans pecos. later on i developed a taste for the Exotic Asian varieties, starting with a cb trio of redtails, which were surprisingly calm, and not one bit like wild caughts.
I now have Ridleyi, rhyncophis, radiata and a few others, along with a Blonde phase pair of trans pecos.
I love em all, but must admit to having a soft spot for snappy
snakes, corns are too calm for my liking.
My radiata must be amongst the smartest and most alert snakes i have ever kept, they watch my every move, and have finally grown
out of their bite everything stage.
I think the single most important thing, is that we all have a passion for the different species, no matter where they come from.
Sorry to ramble.

I love the Asians. Although I have more NA species, Asians are what I plan on concentrating on. I like the fiestiness of them and most of their colors are phenomenal. I guess it is all just personnal taste. For example, I think ball pythons are hideous snakes but people tend to love them.
-----
1.0 snow corn snake '02
0.1 butter corn snake '02
0.1 anery motley corn snake '02
0.1 hi-red corn snake '02
0.1 CB KY locality corn snake '02
1.1 Texas Baird's rat snake '00
0.1 albino radiated rat snake '03
1.1 tri-color hognose snake '03
1.0 gray banded king snake '03
1.1 albino striped Cal king snake '01
1.1 black milk snake '01&'03

I love snakes in general, but ball pythons will never be in this house! I just don't like them. Couldn't tell you why exactly, just don't care for them. Here's a shot of my female leucistic texas rat.
Russell Keys
Keys Reptiles

Keys Retpiles

Well, my prides of my collection are probably my beauties, both Taiwan and Blues. And I also have radiata, climacaphora, helena, and G. oxcephala, and G. janseni. The asians have gorgeous "normal" patterning, and I too have a soft spot for a snake that's not afraid, but...it's not always the case with asians. My LTC female Blue beauty is a bit snappy, but my CB pair are calmer than some of my corns! My CB pair of Taiwans is split, the male being jumpier than the female. And my climacs...well,might as well be torqouise green cornsnakes.

I'll always have a soft spot for New World rats though too, epsecially P.obsoleta, and I'll admit it "WILD" form greenish intergrades. I like their more heavy bodied stature and feel of bruit strength! Plus you can find them in just about any color you desire anymore. The next few years will however undoubtably bring Trans pecos and green rats home.

I guess to sum this rambling mess up...Everyones open to have their own preferences, but once you get to learn certain snakes...get over fears of being bitten(I've been bitten by nearly any snake I can think of!), you see that all of them are wonderfull snakes by their own rights. Thats why my preference goes to the old world's beauty, intelligence, and spunkiness, buy I'll never be able to give up my old classics that I've grown to love for their variation, compatibility, and simplicity of keeping.

-----
Conrad
Too Fast Reptiles
www.toofastreptiles.bravehost.com

Everyone has different taste. Boas & pythons seem to be the rave for many people, but boids do very little for me. My passion is for colubrids, especially the North American species. My favorites are the getula Kingsnakes, and the North American Ratsnakes. Would I consider an Asian Ratsnake? Sure, Russian Ratsnakes are a species that would be very high on my list. Awsome snakes. Some of the other asians get larger then what I would want. If it grows larger then my Eastern King or Everglades Rat, it's getting a little too large for my taste.
Anyway, asian Rats are awsome snakes, but North American Rats and Kings are my love.

Steve

If I'm reading your post correctly it sounds like you don't like the aggressiveness of the Asian ratsnakes. Well it happens that the aggressiveness is exactly what I like about the asians. I keep Gonyosoma exclusively and think they are just about the perfect snake. I wouldn't want one I could handle. I also like that their husbandry is a bit "tricky".

But with that said I think Bairdi are awesome animals. Perhaps my favorite NA ratsnake along with Everglades. If there were ever a ban on importation and if no Gonyosoma were being produced in captivity I would likely keep both species. For now I'll leave those to other enthusiasts and continue to focus on my Gonyosoma.

The only NA ratsnake I would consider keeping now is Senticollis. I've never even seen one alive much less kept one so there is some intrigue.

To say Asian Ratsnakes are aggressive is to paint with a very large brush - some species are bad tempered while often it's just a few high-strung individuals within the species that give the whole a bad name. Personally I wouldn't let rumors of bad temper keep me from owning any snake - unless it packed venom of course.

Beauty snakes are a lot more bluff than bite and even on those rare instances when an adult snake chooses to bite, they usually give plenty of advanced warning. Here's a pic of Chemosh, my 8.5 ft male Vietnamese Blue, putting me 'on notice' because the camera flash was ticking him off. When he gapes his mouth like that, I know to stop what I'm doing and give him a moment. After a few seconds, everything's fine between us again.

-----
Who is like Set...

1.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauties
2.0 Taiwan Beauties
2.3 Cave Beauties
0.1 Bull Snake
1.0.0 Argentine Blk & Wht Tegu
2.5 Box Turtles

I started out keeping what ever I could catch (black rats, garters, northern banded water snakes, ringnecks, eastern chain kings, rough greens, black racers etc...) and the first snake I ever bought was a black rat. I used to keep mainly N.A. rats (corns, blacks, yellows, greenish, everglades, greys and Texans)and their care is very similar from snake to snake. I'd read about these exotic snakes that no one really knew anything about. They'd occasionally come in to the local reptile dealer WC and nearly dead. We'd pull out the books and try to figure out what they were, if they were venomous and what they might eat. I always thought "What a shame no one knows how to care for those snakes, but they sure are pretty". I read everything I could find on them (which in the 80s wasn't much) and kept hoping someone would figure it out. As my N.A. rats aged and passed on, I started replacing them with more exotic snakes (Beauty snakes & Mandarins). There is a challenge to learning about their differences and they are beautiful. Thankfully, there is a lot more information out there about Asian rat snakes so I'm not having to learn all my lessons by trial and error. I still have a fondness for the American rat snakes, we've got some great snakes here. People like what they like and keep snakes for different reasons.
Lora

One of the neat things about Asians is that there's something for everyone. I happen to like small snakes that make great pets and are somewhat exotic. Here's a few "keepers" I've found...
Elaphe bimaculata, Chinese twin-spotted ratsnake...

Elaphe dione, var: Seoul City, South Korean Dione's ratsnake...

Oreophis porphyracea coxi, Thai bamboo ratsnake...

Euprepiophis conspicillata, Japanese forest ratsnake...

Euprepiophis mandarina, Chinese Mandarin ratsnake...

Zamenis situla, leopard ratsnake...

...and the list goes on. But we all have our personal favorites, as was mentioned several times. I personally think Asia has some of the best variety of any area of the earth for great pet snake species and genera.

Have you seen the latest edition of the European herp magazine, Reptilia, with three or four articles on Asian snakes in it? It is a hotbed of diversity, which is as good or better than anywhere on earth.

Nice answers everyone :O)

TC
-----
Ratsnake Haven: Elaphe dione, bimaculata, mandarina, conspicillata, porphyracea coxi, t. taeniura, situla, emoryi; Lampropeltis zonata, and mexicana.

So what is wrong with a snake that shows off an amazing defence posture and will strike. Isn't that what snakes are all about? I have to use a snake hook on 90% of my collection. Thats what keeps my fascination and respect!
Tom Weaver

I have had no problems whatsoever with my blue beauties - they quite literally have stolen my heart.

They can be nervous and highly strung, but I have had no problems whatsoever with handling them. Mine actually spend as much time roaming the house as in their enclosures. From what I have observed in mine, they are highly energetic snakes who like to move around a lot, and while moving, their necks are almost always in a perpetual s-bend as if they are going to strike. They look at everything like that.

I found that when dealing with these beautiful snakes, that giving them a moment or two to figure out what it is you are going to do with them (like moving them out of the tank to clean it), they will generally be ok with it. They are a handfull though, for a snake, blue beauties are pretty bright and they are extremely inquisitive. I have to say though, mine are VERY spoiled - it was hard not to spoil them.

If you want a snake that is a lot of fun, is highly inquisitive, and energetic, then don't go past the blue beauties. Though I know I am very biased, I have gotten a lot of pleasure keeping these snakes. They actually seem to respond to people rather well if given the chance - or perhaps its some odd effect I have.. Who knows, but mine have shown no real inclination to bite since we brought them home.