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Im looking into getting a new snake..i have been keeping corns for about 2 years now (currently have 2). Anyways im looking into getting either a yellow or everglades ratsnake. I was wondering what their temperment is compared to a corn. I figured i would come to the experts for my information. I eagerly await your responses

Well, they're certainly not corns. I as far as rats go, have 5 corns, 3 glades, and 2 black rats.

My corns are the calmest. One of my black rats is a baby, the other is nasty. No othe word for it. Just nasty. My glades... Well, they've got attitudes. Today they're fine, tomorrow they're not. For the most part, I can hold them as much as I want. They musk, and they'll bite if i just pick them up. I have a little tiny hook that I use for the black rats and the glades, but once they're in my hands, they're fine. They're always hungry. They eat twice what my corns do, and always want more. I can't say anything about yellows, but I think everglades would be a good step up from corns.
good luck!

>>Im looking into getting a new snake..i have been keeping corns for about 2 years now (currently have 2). Anyways im looking into getting either a yellow or everglades ratsnake. I was wondering what their temperment is compared to a corn. I figured i would come to the experts for my information. I eagerly await your responses

From my experience, Obsoleta are docile snakes. I have only seen two Rats with attitude. I was baby sitting 2 Texas Rats that hadn't been handled much for 2 years. With a couple months of regular handling, they calmed right down. All of my own Obsoleta have been pussy cats. They aren't quite as docile as Corns but not far from it. I currently have 5 Glades, 2 Bairds and 2 Black Rats. If I had to rank them, I'd say the Bairds are most skittish. That said, all of mine have been CB. Wild caught snakes can be a different story. They might take some effort to tame. I never tried it. With regular handling, they are very, easy and fascinating snakes. I love the way they like to climb and all of my enclosures have climbing branches.

One of my "corns" was sold to me as a normal corn. I had a hard time figuring out his morph so i posted his pic, and was informed that he contained some glades or yellow blood. He LOVES to climb lol i alwasy find him just sitting on the highest "perch" in his enclosure.

I agree. My glades are not corns in their attitude but not agressive either. They are more active and more interactive. They like to watch whats going on and very interested inwhat I do. If they feel threatened they can strike but it usually a bluff while I am clean their cage and moveing things to close to them. They are amazing display snakes and a favorite of mine.
Later Jason

>>From my experience, Obsoleta are docile snakes. I have only seen two Rats with attitude. I was baby sitting 2 Texas Rats that hadn't been handled much for 2 years. With a couple months of regular handling, they calmed right down. All of my own Obsoleta have been pussy cats. They aren't quite as docile as Corns but not far from it. I currently have 5 Glades, 2 Bairds and 2 Black Rats. If I had to rank them, I'd say the Bairds are most skittish. That said, all of mine have been CB. Wild caught snakes can be a different story. They might take some effort to tame. I never tried it. With regular handling, they are very, easy and fascinating snakes. I love the way they like to climb and all of my enclosures have climbing branches.

Well, we all obviously agree that corns are the most docile.
As most of you know I am a very big fan of bairds rat snakes but I also have a lot of experience with black rats.
I only have one at this time (wild caught) but a very nice snake for a wild caught. He bit me once when I first caught him but since then not a nip. He does "strike the pose" when I reach in his tank to pick him up but if I do so without hesitation he will not bite. I also have a yellow and an everglades. I just got rid of another everglades I had.
So I will just sum up my opinions of each.
Corn snakes...obviously the most docile as a species. Some can be testy but overall the most docile.
Bairds rat snakes...Bairds can be nervous and skittish, especially when young or when not handled on a regular basis. They can be a bit more prone to musking but even my most skittish male will not bite. He will try to get away and will musk sometimes but won't bite.
Bairds rat snakes tend to be a little more active then corns so I keep mine in display tanks as opposed to rack boxes.
With regular handling they are the rat snakes I trust second behind corns.

Black rats..My experience with black rats has all been wild caught. This can skew things a little but I will give my impressions.
Hatchlings can be quite defensive but will calm down for the most part. As with other species handling often is the key.
With a wild caught hatchling it is almost like captive bred.
They will tame down quite well.
I have also seen that the larger the snake, I catch in the wild, the quicker they seem to calm down. For some reason the larger specimens just seem to be a little more laid back.
Although I have had seemingly calm specimens that have been quite willing to take a bite if the mood hits them. But these are usually mild bites. No serious effort.
The 2 to 3 1/2 footers are usually the most defensive. They seem more willing to bite and take longer to tame and even longer to trust. They are most likely to let you handle them for a little while and decide they've had enough and bite, drawing blood. They take a little more patience. I had a couple that tamed enough to quit biting but I also had a couple that even after a year were just as calm as corns one day and the next day bite like hell.
I believe that captive bred black rats (and the growing number of black rat morphs) would make great pets and be well worth the time and money. They are third on my list behind corns and bairds rat snakes.
Yellow rats.. I only have one so my experience is limited.
It could be partially my fault for less handling time for him as opposed to my other snakes, but my yellow rat is strange. He won't really try very hard to escape when I pick him up. He will try but not very hard. He will sometimes half-heartedly musk but not often. The kicker though, is the fact that he would be just as calm as ever and without warning would turn and bite. The bites aren't usually full dig-in bites but he would draw blood on occaison. He hasn't done this for a while but that is probably due to the fact that I pick him up and set him in another container while I clean his out and then place him back in. I don't usually handle him for any length of time. The thing about it though, is with the other snakes there will be a little tension in their body or a little turn of the head, always some sign. With the yellow he wouldn't show signs he would just bite...lol. All and all though I think tameable and interesting enough to fall in behind the black rat on the list.
Everglades rat..I have one now and sold one about a month ago.
A lot of people talk about how calm their everglades are but that wasn't/isn't the case with mine. They are the most spastic of the rats I have delt with. Thrashing wildly nad biting repeatedly when handled. Musking with gusto. The one I just sold was a beauty and finally getting to the point that I could handle him without mush trouble it did take over a year to get him there. He would still get pretty nervous and defensive when handled but quyit trying to bite. I would say that in his case a little bit more regular handling would calm him down enough to be a good pet. The other one is a different story. He was a non-feeder and has kinks and I think he hats me for the months of force feeding it took me to get him eating on his ow. Which he does now with gusto. He has been here a little over a year and will still musk, squirm and bite every time I handle him.
So, I just don't handle him any more. Well, I do handle him every Sunday evening at feeding time and Wednesdays when I clean tanks I sometimes have to move him but I don't actually spend time handling him to keep him tame, like I do my other snakes.
Due to his kinks and history of non-feeding I will never be able to get rid of him so I will probably begin working with him to make him a calmer snake.
So due to my limited experience with the Everglades and the two I had been quite defensive I would put them last on my list behind corns, bairdis, black rats and yellow rats.
Now I will sum it up by saying that I beleive any of the ones listed above would make excellent pets, if purchased as captive bred hatchlings and raised with regular handling.

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes
Available

Yeah.. Most of the black rats I find are moslty non-aggressive though, except the ones in the 2- 3 foot range like you stated.. and the ones that are 6-7 foot are usually very docile here...Yellows in my opinion are just evil lol.. and i have never had a tame one... The everglades I got from you Jimmy was a aggressive for a couple of days, but with regular handling the snake calmed down.. And is now accpeting mice straight out of my hands, and want even try to bite...I also have a some black rats i caught yesterday i found 12 05 babies on the side of my house lol.. they never did try to bite to much...

>>Yeah.. Most of the black rats I find are moslty non-aggressive though, except the ones in the 2- 3 foot range like you stated.. and the ones that are 6-7 foot are usually very docile here...Yellows in my opinion are just evil lol.. and i have never had a tame one... The everglades I got from you Jimmy was a aggressive for a couple of days, but with regular handling the snake calmed down.. And is now accpeting mice straight out of my hands, and want even try to bite...I also have a some black rats i caught yesterday i found 12 05 babies on the side of my house lol.. they never did try to bite to much...

I'm glad "Gator" is settling in good at your house.
I just didn't spend the time with him that I should have.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes
Available

Yeah.. he is doin great! I understand, you have so many snakes already and all and know you have all the babies lol... If you ever find any good deals on a female give me a hollar.. i think he will be ready to breed next year or maybe 2007 not sure...

Just like any other animal. I personally have experience with just about all of the NA obsoletus and find them all pretty much the same as far as attitude goes. Some can be very aggressive while others can be as docile as any cornsnake!! With normal handling almost all obsoletus will make a great pet. Of course there is always that one exception to the rule, but most of the time they are the W/C that are pretty aggressive.

Ill bet you one thing though, you get either the glades or the yellow, and you will have the other within 6 months!!! LOL

Might want to check out the greenish and grey rats as well!! Both very nice looking snakes!

>>Im looking into getting a new snake..i have been keeping corns for about 2 years now (currently have 2). Anyways im looking into getting either a yellow or everglades ratsnake. I was wondering what their temperment is compared to a corn. I figured i would come to the experts for my information. I eagerly await your responses

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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath" (KY locale)
0.0.1 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
0.0.1 Great plains rat snake (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Well thank you very much for all the information.looks like i have a tough decision ahead of me lol. I guess ill just have to buy both

Well today i walked into my local reptile pet shop to get some feeder mice. I guess i had to much money with me because i walked out with a 3 y/o male everglades ratsnake. His name is stanly and he is very well behaved from my experience so far. Once he gets settled in i will get some pictures up.

Thanks again for all your help.

Generally, if they are captive bred snakes, they might be a bit nippy when young, but with gentle handling, they should calm down as they mature. They're pretty good snakes, but as one of your other responses said, it all depends on the snakes personality, but most rat snakes are fairly easy to come by. Good luck.

Out of the snakes i have had and caught in the wild.. this is my ranking for most docile to aggressive.. corn snakes,everglades rat snake,bairdi rat snake,gray rat snake,black rat snake, then last yellow rat snake...

My corn is very docile but is not very active. I'll spot her at night once in awhile but other then that she spends all day in her hide box and may poke her head out and look around. She is very easy to handle and doesn't musk or bite.She is about 3 1/2 foot adult female.

My male yellow rat on the other hand can have an additude sometimes. Got him last year from Terry Parks and he was only about 12-13 inches long in May 2004. He was very skittish when I got him and would musk and thrash around alot when handled. Now he is 46 inches long(I know he grew fast as I did not hibernate him)but he can still hve an additude problem. He has NEVER bitten me.. not once but he has musked me once in awhile when he seems to be in a bad mood. You can't hold this guy for longer then 10 mins or he gets very flighty and starts to thrash around.... Then other times he is very tame and calm and will just sit in my hand... He is more active then the corn snake but still prefers the comforts of his hide box,but can be seen climbing his tree and testing the screen on his cage.

My cali king is the most active snake I have,coming out both night and day and just being active,climbing on branches, or just wandering around his cage.The only time he goes in the hide box is when he is ready to shed other wise he sleeps on top of his hide or pretty much any where he feels comfortable. He is also very easy to handle .. Think about a corn snake temperment but a little more active.
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Reptiles
0.1 Anery Motley Corn
1.0 Yellow rat snake
1.0 Banded Cali King
1.1 Green Anole
0.1 Painted Turtle