Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am building some cages and I am planning on putting some perches (or climbing branches) up in the cage for my black ratsnakes to climb over. What would be good sizes to use? Right now they're just yearlings, but these cages are so massive they should last them through the rest of their lives. I read somewhere that the width of the body is how big to make them...but then on my chondro Marcel (the breeder I am getting mine from) reccomended for the adult hes selling me 1.5 inch because they like slightly thinner perches...is the same true for ratsnakes? If so what would be good...one inch?
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-Chris

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 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

Hey Chris,
Since black rats are not true arboreal species I would not recommend using as small a size branches (or what ever you use)as you would use for species such as chondros. I think they would feel more secure climbing on ones of larger diameter. I dont mean large but about the size of their body or a little bigger. I'm sure they would make good use of them though. Randy W.

well...what size would be good for them, then? maybe 2 inch? Also would they want one with sticks that go down to the floor or just horizontal across the cage like the chondros? By the way, i'm going to use PVC pipe, and i'll torch it for a somewhat intersting look to it, and bend it so they can hold on easier.

Also, these cages are 2'x2'x4' and i was wondering about how long could my blue beauty (like 5 months or so) could stay in one of those?

Thanks,
Chris
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-Chris

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 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

Since it sounds like you're using PVC for branching I would recommend the 2 inch size, although even torched and roughed up it may not be sufficiently rough enough for rats to climb on effectively. Why not use fallen branches of a suitable size? I just go out to a local park or wherever and simply pick up branches of suitable size with bark, moss, etc. still on them. I pretreat everything with Provent-a-Mite to kill bug-type-pests and then they're good to go. If you're dead-set on the PVC branching go larger and use pieces that lean from the bottom of the cage up towards the sides. I wouldn't expect black rats to perch on the branches but they'll certainly climb on them. Your Blue Beauties are a different story though. They should climb and if you set up the branches properly with enough of them criss-crossing you may see them coiling up on the branches. Your cage size sounds adequate for a Blue up until maybe about a year and a half or so at which point it will likely be outgrowing your cage. My Taiwans are about 3 years old and at roughly 6 1/2 and 7 feet their 29x29x72 inch cages are more or less adequate. If they push past the 7 foot mark and continue to grow more I think that size will still work but I will likely need to add more perches and a couple more hidespots.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois

What kind of limbs would be good? I know pine/fir/etc. is a nono...(but what sucks is the large majority of the trees around here are pines lol). my black ratsnake seems to stay well over half the time on one of the dowels in the cage.
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-Chris

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 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)
1.0 Green Tree Python (Claudius)... coming soon

chris, black rats here in the NE generally live/and can be found in trees [and in their cavities] most of the time.....sometimes at dizzying heights! a yearling animal would need nothing more than some crossing sticks/twigs to climb and perch on. they are expert climbers and will happily and seriously utilize anything offered to clamber about on. they usually need more than a straight perch to coil up and lay out on though. pvc is not really a good choice for them, 2 or 3 intersecting small branches as high as you can get them is however. they'll love you for it and you'll really enjoy watching them use it.........

The first Black rat I found in AL was on a fishing trip. We stopped the boat to let a non-herper friend get out and whiz. As he was standing by the tree, his eyes locked on the branches and he started stammering my name. There was a nice Black Rat sitting in the branches just above eye level and 3 feet from his nose. Somehow he finished without mishap. I found many more Rats when I started to look up as much as down.

Living in Houston, I guess I should qualify that by saying I haven't caught but two black rats in my lifetime, but in both cases (once in Northern Oklahoma, the other in Southern Virginia) the snakes were climbing in trees.
Cheers!

all climb and perch.....i keep lower perches.....i have a plastic mangrove-like root in each cage.....they look great and natural and the black rats are always climbing.....sometimes you will see them hangin out on top for hours at a time.....

either way.....your black rats will use them.....dont expect it for a week or 2 after it get used to its new enclosure....after they will be a blast to watch

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.