Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yesterday I found a young (small, but all black, so not quite juvenile?) black rat snake in front of my apartment. My girlfriend said she wanted it as a pet, so I caught it, and we went out and got an aquarium, clean, dry, substrate, and a basking lamp. I put a small box in the aquarium for it to hide in, and a plant in one corner, a water dish in another corner, and a couple of flat rocks in another. Other than that, it seems like we're doing everything right, insofar as what we've read on the internet. The problem is that it seems kind of violent, or angry. It has knocked the plant over several times, and even knocked the box over. At other times, though, it likes the box and hides in it. Also, when I went to fix the plant it had knocked over, it actually struck at me several times, not to mention that it watches us - wherever we go in the room, it stares at us. Is this normal for a snake under stress, or at this time of year? It's kind of getting cold here, so I figure maybe it was trying to find someplace to hibernate. Also, because it's small, my girl is comvinced that it'll eat a cricket she put in the aquarium. That won't happen, will it? I mean, I know it won't eat for a while until it gets over the stress of being caught, but it won't eat a cricket no matter what, will it?

>>Yesterday I found a young (small, but all black, so not quite juvenile?) black rat snake in front of my apartment. My girlfriend said she wanted it as a pet, so I caught it, and we went out and got an aquarium, clean, dry, substrate, and a basking lamp. I put a small box in the aquarium for it to hide in, and a plant in one corner, a water dish in another corner, and a couple of flat rocks in another. Other than that, it seems like we're doing everything right, insofar as what we've read on the internet. The problem is that it seems kind of violent, or angry. It has knocked the plant over several times, and even knocked the box over. At other times, though, it likes the box and hides in it. Also, when I went to fix the plant it had knocked over, it actually struck at me several times, not to mention that it watches us - wherever we go in the room, it stares at us. Is this normal for a snake under stress, or at this time of year? It's kind of getting cold here, so I figure maybe it was trying to find someplace to hibernate. Also, because it's small, my girl is comvinced that it'll eat a cricket she put in the aquarium. That won't happen, will it? I mean, I know it won't eat for a while until it gets over the stress of being caught, but it won't eat a cricket no matter what, will it?

Are you sure it isn't a young black racer.
Those things are spawn form hell....LOL
Much more active and defensive then juvenile black rats.
Can you post a picture?
Proper identification will be needed for us to give you the appropriate advise.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Well, I don't have a digital camera, but I can give you a URL to a pic that looks like a bigger version of what we have. http://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Vertebrata/Reptilia/images/JP80063_29.Black_rat_snake_head.640.jpg.html

It looks just like that. It has left over markings on its back, though they aren't very noticable at all. That's the only reason I'm not dead positive it's a black rat. It seems like it's too small (maybe 12-15 inches) to be all black, as opposed to that gray/black pattern. But, the thing is, when I found it, I touched its tail, and it coiled up in that defensive posture, like it was going to strike at me, and was shaking its tail, like it was trying to convince me it was a rattle snake or something. The first website I found said that black rats will do that, so that plus the way it looks has me pretty sure that it is.

I just found out that juvenile racers have gray/black patterns, too. Great.

>>Well, I don't have a digital camera, but I can give you a URL to a pic that looks like a bigger version of what we have. http://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Vertebrata/Reptilia/images/JP80063_29.Black_rat_snake_head.640.jpg.html
>>
>>It looks just like that. It has left over markings on its back, though they aren't very noticable at all. That's the only reason I'm not dead positive it's a black rat. It seems like it's too small (maybe 12-15 inches) to be all black, as opposed to that gray/black pattern. But, the thing is, when I found it, I touched its tail, and it coiled up in that defensive posture, like it was going to strike at me, and was shaking its tail, like it was trying to convince me it was a rattle snake or something. The first website I found said that black rats will do that, so that plus the way it looks has me pretty sure that it is.
>>
>>I just found out that juvenile racers have gray/black patterns, too. Great.

12 to 15 inches does seem a little small for a black rat to be solid black but I guess it could happen.
I did catch a black racer, once, that was probably about 20 inches that had already lost it's juvenile markings and was solid black. The belly on the racer almost had a blue sheen to it as if the outer layer was translucent covering a blue belly underneath. Also no markings on the belly.
The rat snake's belly will tend to be actually white with some belly markings.
I will look to see if I can find some comparrison pics.
If it is a juvenile rat then it should calm down over time.
If it is a black racer I seriously doubt it will ever calm down.
I doubt either would take a cricket, though.
I am about 99% sure a rat snake, that size, wouldn't but only about 90% sure about a racer.
I would rather encounter a cotton mouth then a nasty @$$ black racer...lol
I can look at a black rat and know it is a black rat or a racer and know it is a racer but I am just at a loss right now as to how to convey the differences.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Well, insofar as the belly markings, the snake I found has a white/yellow belly with black markings on it at almost regular intervals of space.

So, even though it's that small, we should get some (dead) mice for it? Or pinkies?

>>Well, insofar as the belly markings, the snake I found has a white/yellow belly with black markings on it at almost regular intervals of space.
>>
>>So, even though it's that small, we should get some (dead) mice for it? Or pinkies?

belly sounds like black rat.
Good, it should calm down with regular handling.
I would start with pinkies.
Just give it a few days to a week to get acclimated before feeding it.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

You should. No matter what it is, a cricket is a very unlikely food. If it won't take a pink then try a lizard (racers are far moreinclined to feed on those but a juv ratsnake will as well.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Juvenile eastern yellowbellied racers eat crickets, so wouldn't a black racer do the same? Just wondering.

Never seen a black racer accept one. I will have to try that on my baby blue racer to see if it will (of course he is a pig for lizards).

Either way, it is not a preferable food being far less nutritious than a lizard (or better) a pink.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."