Reptile & Amphibian Forums

THis was identified as a Speckled Rattle snake by a local pet store. Please confirm and give me any help I will need to care for it. Also this is my first hottie, any advice?

Congrads to the guy/girl who identified by my verbal description alone. I am impressed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/03firebolt/100_0673_EDIT3_0070.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v512/03firebolt/100_0642_EDIT2_0042.jpg

there were some helpful posts from good folks below, read them.
It looks like a baby Panamint speck. Did you find it in the Panamint Valley area?
Keep it warm, but have a cool end to the enclosure, dont keep it in a ten gallon tank it is too small and wont allow a temp. gradient. mid 70's to high 80's, remember its a baby so no extremes.
Give it places to hide, small terra cotta pots work well, bust a piece off the lip of the pot to make an entrance (sand down any sharp edges>>>>>
offer it live fuzzies, switch to f/t fuzzies as soon as it will accept them.
Dont let it ingest any shavings, put the mouse on a piece of paper or put the snake in feeding container.
Good luck.

I found her on the north side of Vegas. Thanks for the advice.

Good luck, once they adapt to captivity they do well.
Cheers
Lateralis

....don't get bitten!

-AzAtrox

LOL, thats the most important part!)))
Cheers
Lat

I agree with Lateralis... it looks like a young panamint rattlesnake (C. m. stephensi). I have had a very difficult time getting the babies going the past few years I have bred them. I would certainly try live first. If that doesn't work, I would think about getting some local lizards to feed them: Coleonyx, Sceoloporus, Cnemidophorus.

As for setups, rocks and rock crevices are good for them. Keep them hot (or I should say, the opportunity to get hot) and also provide a small water dish. Best of luck!

Panamint Rattlesnake Caresheet

I read the care sheet that you provided (thank you) and I have a question regarding hibernation. Do they have to hibernate? Do I have to lower temps.? When should I do this? What temps.? How long?

Treat me like a newbie, I am.

They don't have to hibernate but it is usually a good thing as it is part of their natural cycle. This is usually begun in late fall and continued into early spring. Everyone does it differently and at different times. For example, last fall, I was moving and since I had to start my new job, my herps were being left alone at my house. They began hibernation in early October. Usually, I wait until mid-late November but circumstances changed that.

Here is a basic list of what I do:
1. cut off food 2 - 3 weeks before hibernation to remove all food from the digestive tract

2. slowly drop the temperature about 5 degrees a week or so until the desired temperature. Mine vary depending on my outside temps but is usually around 50 - 55 as the low that I get them to.

3. keep them down for two or three months and then bring them back doing the same thing in reverse.

Obviously, they are not fed during this time. They are given access to water and I try to keep them fairly dark with as little disturbance as possible. I check on them maybe once every two or three days but often it goes more like a week.

Um... that's about this gist of it for me. It has worked good for my guys and this looks like the third year in a row I will get babies from my panamints. Let me know if I can help further. Good luck!