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With my Leucistic texas rat...

A) I never see her at her water bowl drinking or anything.

B) She defecates about 3 times per feeding, how often do they do it when they are full grown?

Thanks For your help!

PS-She always stays in her hide, if i hang like a stick or a piece of wood on the other side of the cage will she come out and climb on it so you can see her more?

Thanks
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-Doug Daly

"Grow Up"

0.1.0 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake

A) That's not a question But I assume you're wondering if she is drinking. I've only caught one corn drinking before in all the years I've owned snakes but never lost one to dehydration. I don't know how to explain it except maybe they don't drink often or tend to drink when we're not watching. Personally, I thaw my rodents in water and feed them while they're still wet. The water is warm like a rodent would normally be, but I assume it also helps to keep my snakes hydrated. This could be why mine don't drink as much.

B) My "true rats" (bairds, black) aren't adults yet but the corns that I've raised to adulthood all poop less now. Any young snake will have a faster metabolism and probably go more (assuming it's fed enough).

C) Depends on the individual. One of my bairds is always buried under aspen, the other is almost always in plain sight. My black rat likes to hide in his plant. Giving it a variety of cage furniture may help, but it may just be shy. It should only get bolder as it gets older and grows accustomed to you watching it though.

I hope that helped-just my experience.

Remember that these snakes are nocturnal. they usually do their business after dark (whenever you turn out the light). That includes pooping and drinking. they prefer eating in the dark as well.
If you want to see your snake drink, take the water bowl out for a couple of days. When you put it back in, it should drink. I don't recommend this, however. I'd just take it for granted that the snake is drinking if its still alive.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

Well I don't see my guy much but I have seen it drink a number of times. I do sit there for hours at a time I must warn you. I think its really cool how they drink so I guess one of the few times I see him at least he was doing something cool. Some days I see it 2x but usually I catch him about once a week and it is always right after I have cleaned his cage and change the water. He glides around the cage, drinks a little, glides some more then back to a hide he goes for I'd say 2 days. Never saw him soak in it though but he does go in the humid hide once in awhile but usually just to nose around then he goes out. I put it in just after he shed so it hasn't gotten to be of full use just yet.

My snake poops about 3 days after it eats and at times it can be quite messy (straight down to the newspaper at the bottom of the cage) and I wonder how all that could come from a small thing. Be careful what you wish for