Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have what will probably be a dumb question for y'all. I seen here and in several other forums and websites people talking about snakes in ratios, and I was just wondering what it means. Here's some examples: 1:1 rosy boas, 2:6 BRB, 2:0 Sinaloan Milksnake. I gather it has something to do with the quantity of snakes they are talking about? Please explain, TY!

Also, I wasn't completely honest when I listed my 'collection' in my first post. Actually, I guess I was because I don't consider this guy a part of my collection...yet.
About 3 weeks ago my daughter accidentally ran over a young copperhead with the lawnmower. She called me out, and luckily he was still alive and not too badly wounded. He got lucky I think, didn't come into too much contact with the blades but got run over by the wheels, crushing some ribs in the process. He also suffered a fairly deep gash to the top of his head onto his neck, and ended up losing about 2" off the end of his tail. For this we've been calling him 'Stumpy'. I fixed him up best I could, I had to remove the tail, it was just hanging, and I thouroughly cleaned and then stitched the wound on his head. He did not attempt to bit during any of this, he did thrash a little due to the burning of the betadine and the stitching, but otherwise he was and has been since a complete angel, I have come to love him. He has eaten 3 wild anoles and a couple of my own hopper mice the last 2 weeks, and he loves his water dish.

I was planning to release the snake a ways back from our house in the woods, but the whole family has come to love him, and curiously he seems to like being here. Although the wound on his head is healing well I think he may end up either losing one eye or at least going blind in it as it started looking cloudy a few days ago, and seems to be getting worse. He is not an old snake, actually I think he's quite young as he's only about 22" long. I'm pretty sure its a male, but I could be mistaken since half the tail is missing and I haven't attempted to probe yet...do they probe like most other snakes?

I do not have a venemous license, but I really don't think this guy will do well back in the wild. What do you people think I should do? he is a beautiful snake despite the scarring and disfigurement he has suffered, and I can't stand the thought of him getting killed & eaten, or not being able to hunt properly and dying of starvation out in the woods.
I am also afraid to turn him in to the animal authorities here because they aren't very nice, and I think they would euthenize him instead of helping him.
Any advice?
Thanks so much.

OK...as far as the "ratios" you are wondering about...what that means is this:

males.females.unsexed

So, if you see 1.1 California Kingsnakes that means 1 male and 1 female. If you see 0.1 California Kingsnakes, that means 1 female, no males. If you see 0.0.1 California Kingsnakes, that means 1 unsexed California Kingsnake.

As far as the Copperhead..not sure what to tell you there, except be very careful if it really is a Copperhead (by the way, you could post a pic and let us see it...). If you happen to get bitten and you are in a state where a license is required to keep venomous, you could end up being charged. A Copperhead is not likely to kill you but it ain't no fun.

Thank you for the explaination of the sex ratios...makes sense now that I look at it, and yes, I feel dumb.

As far as Stumpy goes, and yes, Sumpy IS indeed Agkistrodon contortrix, I did some digging around and found ut that we do not need permits for native species here in south Georgia, only for exotic venemous. That is a relief, as I didn't want to get in any trouble by keeping him around. I am aware of the venemous bite, doubly so as I have an 11 year old and a 12 year old in the house. They stay well enough away from him, they've been taught not to mess with these guys since they were old enough to comprehend. I'm sure once he gains his full health back (if he does) he will become much more snappy. Depending on how well he does we'll decide then whether to keep or release.

I wish I coud show some pictures of him and my other beauties, but my digicam is really cheap and the pics are always off color and grainy...I'll try anyway.
Thanks again.