Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I took this last night and you can really see the detail in it. Thought i'd share. He's about a year and a half old now.

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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)

Outstanding snake. The black rat that I sort of curate (I gave it to my girl, but I take care of it) is roughly that size, if not a bit smaller. Of course, I'm guessing on the scale in that pic. Anyway, my/my girl's snake has all but lost its pattern - there are only vague blotches left. Is your snake from a particular locale, where they keep some of their pattern, or are they just variable from snake to snake?

I believe locale has something to do with a black rat's final adult coloration. But it also seems to vary from snake to snake. Some are pitch black, while others will be very dark but with a slightly visible pattern. Crtoon's black rat is a bit like mine. I'm not sure what locale he is, but he is about 5 years old, and the pattern is still very visible up to the last 1/3 of the snake, which is completely black. I've had some people ask me if he is a black/gray intergrade. I've seen the parents (father is a little darker than mine, female is very black), and the breeder swears up and down there is no gray blood in them. Here's a couple pics of him.

I'm not too sure of his locale initially, I got him from Mike Joliff. He's about 23 inches right now...just measured him the other day using that snake measure program..its pretty cool. I don't really care if he goes solid black or not, I kind of like his pattern. In all the postings of our "Metallic" rat snakes (did that one for you, Jimmy), and all these other unusual ones, I figured a black would be a welcome (yet boring) change. lol.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)

Not boring at all. They are wonderful snakes I love Black Rats and it is amazing on just how variable they are. They can range from adults having very little black with heavy pattern all the way to just about solid jet black. Some will have red showing through the scales that are also very nice. I know the Kentucky locality Black rats can have less black with busy patterns. Check out Hotshots Ky Blackrat on his album, or the next time he post a pic.
Here's my 04 male blackrat from Dwight Good, who comes from solid jet black parents.

Steve

I'm not too sure of his locale initially, I got him from Mike Joliff. He's about 23 inches right now...just measured him the other day using that snake measure program..its pretty cool. I don't really care if he goes solid black or not, I kind of like his pattern. In all the postings of our "Metallic" rat snakes (did that one for you, Jimmy), and all these other unusual ones, I figured a black would be a welcome (yet boring) change. lol.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

I have to agree with Steve. Black rat snakes are awesome. I love the differenced between the locality animals and the variability of them within those locales!!
Here is my KY locale black rat. He is from Bullitt county and a little over 3 years old. He was right at 66" the last time I measured him and still growing!

And here is a pic of my MO locale black rat. He is from Saline county and a couple years old I would guess. He is turning jet black and has alot of red between his scales and on his belly. There are alot of the black rats in this area that have a heavy influence of red in them. And then some that have hardly any red. Just one of the many color traits of these snakes.

And here is another shot of him. I need to get him in some natural lighting and get some shots of him, as the camera flash exposes his pattern and makes it more visible than it actually is.

And here is a female from the same MO locale. She doesnt have near the red as the male. But it is still visible between her scales.

And another shot of her.....

Hope you enjoy the pics!!
Brian

>>Not boring at all. They are wonderful snakes I love Black Rats and it is amazing on just how variable they are. They can range from adults having very little black with heavy pattern all the way to just about solid jet black. Some will have red showing through the scales that are also very nice. I know the Kentucky locality Black rats can have less black with busy patterns. Check out Hotshots Ky Blackrat on his album, or the next time he post a pic.
>>Here's my 04 male blackrat from Dwight Good, who comes from solid jet black parents.
>>
>>Steve
>>
>>
>>
>>I'm not too sure of his locale initially, I got him from Mike Joliff. He's about 23 inches right now...just measured him the other day using that snake measure program..its pretty cool. I don't really care if he goes solid black or not, I kind of like his pattern. In all the postings of our "Metallic" rat snakes (did that one for you, Jimmy), and all these other unusual ones, I figured a black would be a welcome (yet boring) change. lol.
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>>The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin
>>
>>A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?
>>

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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

Awesome photos, everyone! Black rats are always a welcome friend.
This young lad from Frederick Co., Md was found basking on a shady country road in late June. Photographed and released on the spot.

I've seen adult black rats from nowhere near any intergrade zone that had a lot of pattern, some of them looking like the lindheimeri I grew up catching in central Texas. Most of the really black ones I've seen came from the more southern parts of the range.

I have seen very few in Central Va that had any patterning on them at all.Of the dozens I have seen and caught,there were two large females with some Juvie pattern left,and one young adult male with very faint reddish dorsal stripes.ALL the rest have been glossy black dorsum and mostly black venter

Bear

>>Here are a couple of pictures of a 5 ft Southeast Tennessee Black Rat

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Very nice pictures everyone...I love them, mine has a great personality!
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)

I have been in touch with George Miskimon in maryland.....he had some unique things to say.....(and is working on a couple projects that will be outstanding!!!!!!!((I have been added to that list also lol))

apparently the leucistic gene IS from the texas rat trait.....at least the ones he has hatched....some of the pure whites actually had scale counts and faces pointy like the texans.......

Also the licorice stick is a great story......how the first one was a wild caught female in 1986......etc. etc.

good lookin snake 'toon.....i have a couple '03 that are supposedly het. for real hypo.....that look similar but smaller

here is my rusty....(probably part lindeheim ((sp?)) but oh well i love her anyway.....(even thos she bit me yesterday while feeding)

keith

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