Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've never had a snake before but I'm thinking about getting a leucistic texas rat snake. There's one in particular I am looking at that is about 5 feet long and has blue eyes. I was wondering what people think of these snakes and what special information do I need before I buy it. What is the best cageing for it? Also, how does a leucistic occur in breeding? Not that I'm interested in breeding at all I just want a pet, but do you breed a leucistic to a leucistic to get more? How does it work?

Genetics in leucistic ratsnakes isn't very complicated. In short, leucism is a recessive trait therefore you need to breed leucistic to leucistic to get leucistic. However, an animal heterozygous for leucism often has a color quite different from normal specimens. For example, in Black Ratsnakes heterozygous animals ofter are quite reddish, these are also known as 'rusty' ratsnakes. Breeding rusty to rusty will give you offspring of which 25% will be leucistic. Breeding rusty to leucistic will give you 50% leucistic offspring. Breeding leucistic to normal or any other variant will give you 100% rusty.

Leucistic ratsnakes can be kept and bred just like their normal conspecifics.

Greetings,

Herman Bronsgeest.

They can be great beginner snakes, but if you are buying an adult I would make sure you get to handle it more than a couple of times to make sure you are not getting someone else's nasty problem snake. Many, if not most, Texas rats will calm down nicely with repeated handling. An adult that has not been regularly handled, however, might be quite a handful. Make sure that you get to handle him at nice warm room temps (some folks will pawn their problem snakes off on unsuspecting newbies by letting them handle them in a colder environment when the snake is lethargic).
If you trust the person you are buying from, and/or get to handle the snake enough to know it's OK, then go for it. A 5 foot snake should have a cage at least 2.5 feet in lengh. Other than that: water, hide(s), heat, substrate and you're in. Good luck. Duffy

If this is your first snake make darn sure it isnt agressive.I was put off of rat snakes for years because they all wanted to bleed me.
If you want to go all out get a 20 long with a screen top,not a clip on,but a sturdy metal mesh top.$30 .Then go with either shaved aspen or newpaper for substrate.$3.00 .Then get an undertank heat pad or a human heating pad from Wallyworld.$10 to$28.I use a waterbowl/hide dog dish from Wally world $2
Another option is sweater box with tight fitting lid.You will have to burn air holes in the side with a cheap soldering iron.You can use the same substrate/ waterbowl but can only use a human heating pad with it.This is the cheap route but it works great.
If you do go with the above 20 long make sure you have some books/something heavy to place on the top or your snake will escape....Paul