Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Not counting any morphs just the pure breads which rat snake do you find to be:

1. The most beautiful.

2. The most docile.

3. The least friendly.

4. The most willing feeder.

5. The most picky feeder.

6. The easiest to breed.

7. The toughest to breed.

Thanks for any feed back.
-----
Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

I'll assume by "ratsnake" you mean any of the genera discussed on this forum.

>>1. The most beautiful.

Gonyosoma oxycephala, green, of course.

>>2. The most docile.

Cornsnake, don't think I've ever been bit by one.

>>3. The least friendly.

Can I think about that one? My easy choice is G. oxycephala, but there's probably worse.

>>4. The most willing feeder.

Black Ratsnakes

>>5. The most picky feeder.

Mandarin Ratsnakes

>>6. The easiest to breed.

Cornsnakes, I'm convinced they are parthenogenic.

>>7. The toughest to breed.

Probably G. oxycephala, even the Germans have a tough time with them.

-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

>>1. The most beautiful.

Baird's Rats have a subtle beauty that is hard to rival.
Some of the Beauty Snakes are just that, beautiful, although I tend to think the Blue Beauties aren't.

>>2. The most docile.

Captive born Cornsnakes and Baird's rats are pretty hard to beat, although some of the smaller old world species (e.g. bilineata, dione) are pretty docile as well.
Russian rats are certainly worthy of contention in this list.

>>3. The least friendly.

Most Radiated Rats I have had the misfortune to interact with have been worthy of the title "antichrist".

>>4. The most willing feeder.

Obsoleta are hard to beat. The will eat five minutes after you catch them.

>>5. The most picky feeder.

I think the Hundred Flower Snake (mollendorfi) would have to win this title. Wild caught snakes simply don't eat. At least some mandarina will eat.

>>6. The easiest to breed.

Cornsnakes. If you can't breed corns, don't bother trying anything else.

>>7. The toughest to breed.

Aside from the few species that are practically unknown (perlacea, etc.) I think the Hundred Flower Snake would have to win again.
-----
Chris Harrison

Except for most beautiful
-----
Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

1. The most beautiful. Russian. Elaphe Schrencki

2. The most docile. Russian. Elaphe Schrencki

3. The least friendly. Stinking Godess. Elaphe Carinata

4. The most willing feeder. Grey. Obsoleta Spiloides

5. The most picky feeder. Korean. Elaphe Anomala

6. The easiest to breed. Corns

7. The toughest to breed. Korean. Elaphe Anomala

>>Not counting any morphs just the pure breads which rat snake do you find to be:
>>

I can't comment on anything other then the few North American species I have delt with, owned, captured or handled.

>>1. The most beautiful.
Take a wild guess....LOL. For me the Bairds rat snakes are the most beautiful. The color variences and subtleties as chris mentioned make them hard to beat.
>>
>>2. The most docile.
This would have to go to corn snakes with bairds rat snakes right there with them.
>>
>>3. The least friendly.
In my experience, which is fairly limited beyond black rats and bairdis, has been that the luecistic texas rat snakes have been the least friendly of the rats I have had contact with.
>>
>>4. The most willing feeder.
No doubt the Black Rat Snake. I had gone to get some mice for my snakes and on the way home, saw and caught a black rat. He actually ate a mouse before I traveled four more miles to my house. That's what I call a willing feeder.
>>
>>5. The most picky feeder.
Hmm.. Haven't really had much experience with a particular breed being picky. Just certain individuals. But like I mentioned earlier, my experience is limited.
Black rats,yellow rats, everglades, bairdis, corns and a very short stint with a friends luecistic Texas.
>>
>>6. The easiest to breed.
I would have to go with corns.
I hope Bairdis are as easy...LOL
>>
>>7. The toughest to breed.
wouldn't know!!
>>
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Ok, I'm going to base the answers on my (very) small collection of rat snakes.

1. The most beautiful.
No doubt, Bamboo Rat Snakes (Elaphe [Oreophis] porphyracea vaillanti). Japanese Rat Snakes (Elaphe [Euprepiophis] conspicillata) are a very close second.

2. The most docile.
My Persian Rat Snakes (Elaphe [Zamenis] persica).

3. The least friendly.
Believe or not, my yearling mandarins are little devils (I hope they change with age )

4. The most willing feeder.
Here also the mandarins and my newly acquired Central American "Green" Rat Snake (Senticolis triaspis mutabilis).

5. The most picky feeder.
Lately, my female prasina only wants to take either live mice or thawed pinkies, but the male and hatchlings eat anything you put in front of them (women... ).

6. The easiest to breed.
In my collection, the Ladder Rat Snakes (Elaphe [Rhinechis] scalaris) have never disappointed me.

7. The toughest to breed.
I have not bred my Transcaucasian Rat Snakes (Elaphe [Zamenis] hohenackeri) yet, but I've heard that they are pretty difficult to breed. I guess I'll find out next year...

Sacha

Natural Elaphe Collection (guess I have to change the title)

It would be great to have a captive breeding this coming season. The scalaris I got from you are doing great. No argument here that they are great eaters. Gregg Feaster had emailed me and mentioned on his website about getting a gray colored scalari. I hadn't heard of that color or where in their range they might inhabit.

Terry

Thanks Terry!

Well, one of your babies is actually from a gray colored animal. My French female is gray as you can see, and at 6 years her pattern still looks pretty good:

Here's a picture is of her as a juvenile:

Thanks,

Sacha

1. The most beautiful- Mandarin Rat snake

2. The most docile- Black Rat snake (even the wild ones I've handled calmed down pretty quickly)

3. The least friendly- WC Texas Rat snake (The one I kept never lost any of his defensive behaviours over 6 years.)

4. The most willing feeder- Taiwan Beauty snake

5. The most picky feeder- Leopard Rat snake or Mandarins (I've got a Leopard that still insists on live fuzzies after trying to switch to f/t for 8 months and of the 5 Mandarins I've had, only one eats anything, anytime.)

6. The easiest to breed- Corn snakes (will breed without cooling)

7. The toughest to breed- still waiting on this one with my Mandarins...

Just based on my limited experience... I've only kept 9 species of North American rat snakes and 3 Asian/European at this point.
Lora

Not counting any morphs just the pure breads which rat snake do you find to be:

1. The most beautiful.

I would have to say the Green rat snake, Elaphe triaspis. They are undoubtedly a very beautiful snake.

2. The most docile.

Well everyone seems to claim the corn is the most docile. BUT, I have came across corns out herping that are just as willing to bite as any racer!! So I would have to say that they are all pretty even in this category. There is always that one snake that will try and tear your arm off when you get it out of the enclosure!!!! LOL But the Elaphe on a general, are all pretty docile when handled and tamed down.

3. The least friendly.

I have never had the honor of holding a "nasty" Texas rat snake, and everyone always gives up this name when asked which of the rats are meanest. In all honesty, I think the Texas rat snake has been givin a bum rap. I have caught all kinds of rat snakes in the wild, and again, depending on the snakes personality, is the factor in which it will bite. I have caught black rats that would put on a show and not bite, and others that would bite like a racer. (Keep chewing until you put em down)! So with all due respect to the ratsnakes, I dont think a person can actually say which of the ssp is the least friendly.

4. The most willing feeder.

Now here is an interesting question! The most willing feeder!! Let me ask you a question. Have you ever had a rat snake turn down a food item??? LOL All of my rat snakes are garbage disposals when it comes to food!! They only turn it down when they are in the blue. Otherwise, its "game on" and dont let your fingers get in the way!! LOL

5. The most picky feeder.

Refer to question #4.

6. The easiest to breed.

Havent had the chance to do any breeding, so cant answer this one.

7. The toughest to breed.

Refer to question #6.

Thanks for any feed back.
-----
Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

-----

RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

MILKS
0.0.1 Eastern Milk snake "Cable" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Eastern/Red milk intergrade "Omega Red" (KY locale)
Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

1. Most beautiful: E.p. coxi with Mandarins a close second
2. Most docile: E.s. schrencki (Russian Rat) Have several - all great
3. Least friendly: E. carinata (King Rat) Body armor required
4. Most willing feeder: 95% of all North American species
5. Most picky feeder: E. mollendorfi (Hundred Flower Snake)
6. Easiest to breed: Gotta follow the crowd - Corns
7. Toughest to breed: G. oxycephala
-----
Last night I was laying in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, "Where the hell is my ceiling?"

Hi
Claus Ilsøe and I have agreed on the following:

1:A snake shoudn`t only be beautiful. It must also present itself to the viewers. To fill both staments we can think of the following: Elaphe frenata, Gonyosoma oxycephala and Elaphe carinata.
2. No doubt in our minds Schrencki
3. After some debat, we found that in our collections, we have one honest species. (It bites every time even after 21 years in captivity) Zamenis longissimus
4. We have 2: Pantherophis vulpinus gloydi and Elaphe schrencki
5. This one is easy. Zamenis hohenackeri. If we are lucky they will eat 3 months in a year.
6. Also easy Pantherophis obsoletus
7. This one is more difficult It depends on the stock you are working with. The ones that really have given us gray hairs are Centricolis triaspis mutabiles and Elaphe quatuorlineata

This was actually some interesting questions, that needed some thinking. Not many people has been working with many animals of all these species, and what can be easy for one is difficult for another.

Best wishes
Søe Pedersen
http://reptilia.dk

and Claus Ilsøe
http://ratsnakes.dk

this sure is a lot of fun. Foreman, my compliments on your excellent choice of posts. Now that the breeding and most of the feeding season is over, it's fun to chew the fat with our fellow elaphophiles.

Regards
John

1. (beautiful) In the eye of the beholder of course but a really bright yellow mandarin is a work of art in my book.
2. (docile) I agree on schrencki. That is one mellow snake. And it's not sluggish, just curious and good natured.
3. (hostile) This one's tougher. For every example of a vicious o. obsoleta, o. lindheimeri, gloydi, vulpina, mandarina, longissima you've met there's probably an example of that species that's relatively calm. I'll say lindheimeri just on average. Funny thing is the orange-phase stock I'm working with are pretty mellow.
4. (good feeder) Also tough. Certain snakes only eat at certain points in the year. But if they eat well during those periods then I guess they're good eaters. For me my o. lindheimeri are veritable garbage pails all year long.
5. (bad feeder) In my experience subocularis can be fussy. And wild caught mandarins can be finicky. Foxsnakes can be finicky at certain times of the year. But I take that to mean I shouldn't be trying to feed them then.
6. (good breeders) Well I guess corn snakes must be the easiest, but they're not alone. O. lindheimeri and schrencki are easy too. Foxsnakes aren't hard but just have a couple of special requirements.
7. (bad breeders) I'll leave this to the guys who've worked on the really challenging species (hohenackeri, moellendorfi, etc.)

Well, considering my interests and the new "break up" of the genus former genus "Elaphe", I am considering anything that has a common name "ratsnake" to be a ratsnake, and hereby answer these poll questions as such.

1. The most beautiful.
A very tight race here...Blues are my snake of choice, but close behind are coxi, moellendorfi, and Zaocys carinatus.

2. The most docile.
I'm gonna get some flak here, but blue beauties are the most docile snakes in my collection...even over my corns!

3. The least friendly.
Experience give this to members of Gonyosoma, however reports are that Zaocys can be straight ugly!

4. The most willing feeder.
Spilotes pullatus! These things will eat an rodent, any time, and at speeds that may only be rivaled by cribos and indigos.

5. The most picky feeder.
To agree with what Chris said, WC Gonys are very tough to get going!

6. The easiest to breed.
Well, since house snakes aren't considered "ratsnakes" I will go with their "ratsnake" conterpart, radiata. Though the beauties I've worked with are high on the list too...what's easier than a snake that needs to temperature adjustment?

7. The toughest to breed.
The only two species of "ratsnakes" that I'm working with that have stumped me so far are Gonys and Spilotes, though I've actually had more luck with Gonys that Spilotes. Hopefully next season will change both of those and I can list something I've never worked with!

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

Ok...bonus...that picture is of course not a ratsnake, was scrolling down the message page and flip through my photos by accident just before pushin "reply"...lol Can anyone name this "ratsnake" lol...I'll tell you why I'm saying that in my next post!
-----
Conrad
Too Fast Reptiles
www.toofastreptiles.bravehost.com

looks similar to my water snakes i have kept in wisconsin Northern waters...(of the genus nerodia?).....banded with heavy keeled scales.....i am probably wrong.....but the face and also has that appearance.....

was an attempt lol

keith
-----
I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.

Nerodia fasciata to be exact. Was just wondering if someone could make a fair guess since I made the error...lol Good job.
-----
Conrad
Too Fast Reptiles
www.toofastreptiles.bravehost.com

that is a tough list of questions.....
I have worked with plenty of rats.....but i would have to say for beauty....a shiny black rat is hard to beat

i would place fox with black as most docile (never caught a fox that ever tried to bite....)

least friendly....egyption rats.....they would strike as many times as baby black rats even after 3 years of handling

willing feeder?.....corns by far also my black rats pound anyting

picky?.....never encountered a species too picky

breeding.....all i have bred is black rats....they are more eager to breed than i am

toughest?......again the egyptians.....had them 3 years and did everyhting i could....not a single egg

i havent worked with very many species....so my post is limited to .....corns, fox, black, egyptions, bulls,(just gettin some bairdis) ......i guess thats it.....most of my experience is from wild caught. Never got into breeding til recently. Learned hatching techniques from hatching fox snakes wild caught gravid females (most babies released)near my house in central wis.

keith
-----
I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side -- I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.