Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm getting a pair of young black rats from a pet shop. Probably a local breeder in Austin, TX. The babies are black and grey (absolutely no other color so far), about 10", and their tail ends are darker than the foreparts. I have a few questions, and hopefully these are answerable.
1- How likely is a blind purchase going to grow up solid black?
2- Does anyone know anyone who breeds these in Austin?
3- IS there any way to choose (between hatchlings) which ones will be more solid black?
4- Is there any real purpose in getting a sexual pair? (Breeding black rats certainly doesn't seem to be a money maker)
If not, would a pair of females over males be the better choice?

-Jack
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

I believe the amount of black would be influenced by which locale the snakes originated from.And yes,there is no $ in breeding them.I gave away my last het. albino to a friend today.

The best way to tell is to look at the parents. Black Rat Snakes get darker as they get older and larger. I have two 03's, one is from PA and the other from NC. Both still show some pattern, but it decreases with each shed. Mine are both great snakes. They are very calm for obsoleta and I couldn't be more pleased with them.

As far as reproduction goes, don't use closely related snakes (brother and sister). Get an unrelated pair. Inbreeding is not a good thing and is very unnecessary with wild types (natural colorings).

Best of luck with your Black Rats, they are great snakes.

Rick