Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi

i am currently interested in purchasing a baby leucistic texas ratsnake. i would like to get one from a reputable breeder. i am going to the reptile show in maryland this january to seek one out. are there any other places i can go to find one?

also, i am interested in some basic care tips and advice from the experts. this is my first snake, so i want to do it right. i am no stranger to amphibians and reptiles though, as i keep quite a bunch of diffrent types.

rachel
African Clawed Frog Rescue and Adoption

sorry, i forgot to mention what i've got so far!

i plan on using a 30 long for housing. how long will this tank be sutible for a leucistic texas ratsnake? will i need to upgrade to a larger one eventually?

also, what is a good substrate to use? i've heard of using felt or astroturf type material for a liner is more sanitary then aspen bedding.

also, is an undertank heater a good idea? or is just a overhead basking bulb all that is needed?

thanks so much! and maybe (hopefully) i'll find one in the future!

rachel

ps. oh! how early can you determine the sex of the snake as a baby? if you handle them a lot, they wont get aggressive, right?
African Clawed Frog Rescue and Adoption

Your tank size will be just fine for the next three or so years. These snakes get to be about six feet long, and they like to climb. Aspen works well in the cage. It will help to keep down odors in the room. It is easy to spot clean, but you shouldn’t feed the snake in a cage with it. The snakes will swallow it as they eat their mouse. This can cause the snake to become impacted and can lead to the death of the snake. You can always keep a small ten gal. tank with paper on the bottom for feeding.

American rat snakes have differing temperaments. Some are much calmer then others. Try handling the snake before you buy it. If it will let you pick it up without tail rattling or musking, it should make a great pet.

One more thing to look for with leucistic rat snakes (Texas, etc.) Many of them have a "bug-eyed" look to them. I am told that it doesn't hurt the health of the snake, but many people don't like this look, and the snake will not out grow it.

Best of luck in finding the snake that you want.

thanks for the advice!

thats why i was so hesitant to order a snake from an online breeder or classified. i wanted to interact with the snake to check out its personality, so i figured a reptile show would be the place to do that.

what size aquarium would house the snake full grown? (i've also got a 55 gallon sitting in my basement) i have also heard to feed snakes in a brown paper bag or cardboard box, so they can't be disturbed. but if another aquarium is better, i will do that.

i've worked as an aquatics and reptile specalist for over 4 years now, but this is my first snake, and i want to make sure i do everything right. even with my job, i dont do much with the snakes anyways. (we've got a snake guy as well). but we have a super sweet black rat snake and thats how i just fell in love with them. we feed our snakes thawed rodents (prekilled), is this safer then live? how do you get a snake to accept prekilled food?

rachel

the selection of snakes is good, and you do have the ability to actually see your snake in person.

If you are going to be feeding in a paper bag or a cardboard box, you will have to put the entire thing into the regular cage, as a snake can easily get out of either of those. I use those plastic kritter keepers with the colored vented lids for a feeding tank that you can buy at either Petsmart or Petco. They are secure enough to hold a snake temporarily.

It is pretty easy to get regular ratsnakes to accept prekilled or frozen/thawed food. If the snake has been feeding on live (make sure you ask the breeder), you might have to wiggle it a bit in front of him, but make sure you use tongs, so he doesn't catch your fingers by mistake. After a few times of this, you can usually just dump the mouse into the feeding container. And you might not even need to do this at all.

The reasons that I like feeding frozen/thawed are that you can buy them in bulk at reptile shows usually and keep them in your freezer. No more running out to the pet shop and hoping that they have the correct size mouse and paying a premium price for it. But the best reason is that a dead mouse NEVER bit or killed a snake.
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sue