Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking about getting a leucistic texas ratsnake. I have been doing some reading but i have a few questions. I have been reading that they seem to be very aggressive.

1) Are they more aggressive then other rat snakes?
2) Do they redily take frozen thawted foods?
3) What is their growth : age ration?
4) What cage sizes will i need throughtout the snakes life? Starting to final tank.
5) Are there any TOP of the line breeders of which to purchase my rat snake from?

I currently have a ball python which i have had for about 8 months so i am fairly new with snakes.

Thanks
Joseph

>>1) Are they more aggressive then other rat snakes?
Define other rat snakes. Texas rats do have a bit of a temper compared to a black or gray rat snake, however it's nothing that they can't get "tamed" out of. YOu may have a little more work as a neonate on calming them down, but they're just as easy to handle as adults. Or so i've been told, my texas rat is still a neonate.

>>2) Do they redily take frozen thawted foods?
yes

>>4) What cage sizes will i need throughtout the snakes life? Starting to final tank.
Starting i'd keep in a large kritter keeper/reptile ranch, as an adult i'd keep in a 55 gallon tank. my adult will be in a 4'x2'x2' enclosure.
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-Chris

0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat
1.0 Black Rat
0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
1.0 Green Tree Python
0.1 Texas Bairds Rat

The educated are the few. The uneducated are the masses.

North American Rat / Corn Snake Care Sheet

I agree with most of what has been said. I have normal Texans, and they are no more aggressive then any of my other obsoleti. In case you are wondering, I keep Blacks, Grays, Yellows, Texans, Everglades, and a Gulf Hammock. Some are tamer then others, but if you start with a young snake, and handle it gently and often, the vast majority of obsoleti treated such become reasonably tame.

So, get a young one, and handle it before you buy it. If it doesn't try to bite you off the bat, the chances are it will tame down over time.

I have one and she is very calm. Every now and then she is in a pissy mood and will strike but not very often you can usually just leave them alone for a few minutes and they'll be normal again. Mine is a yearling about 8 months old. She is maybe 1 3/4 feet but hey reach anywhere from 4' to 6' rarely exceeding 6'. You can keep smaller ones 4-5' in a 20 gallon long aquarium. Im gonna put mine in one when she outgorws here cage shes in now. Just handle them often and gently and they get used to you. in fact i have peeled bits of dead skin off of her head with my fingers and she didn't care in the least! Overall great snakes just get one when it's young and tame it well. Also look out for "Bug" Eyed snakes when you buy one. Check out the classifieds here you may find one.
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-Doug Daly

"Aren't you two a little old to be drinking illegally?"

0.1.0 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta lindheimerii)
1.1.0 Sand Frogs (Breviceps rosei) [if i can convince my mom !]