Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone,

Yesterday at my door, a shipment of herps containing 1 cb baby Northern black racer, a Florida worm lizard, a peacock day gecko and a green treefrog arrived. The baby racer is very snappy. he can actually fling himself the length of his entire body through the air, before he tries to bite hard, hold on and chew. I only got bit twice so far, but he is really little, so it doesn't hurt much.
I changed the set-up when I saw how small he was... he is now in an al-glass 2.5-gallon aquarium with cage clips on the lid, a shallow, large water dish, upside-down deli cup with a hole cut in the side for a hidebox, stuffed with shredded paper towels, a small rock on the basking end, a small branch, section of cardboard tube for an extra hide, and I am using a few inches of shredded aspen as a substrate, with heat provided above on the end of the hidebox, from a basking bulb.
Does anyone here have any tips on how to calm the snake down? I know that these snakes are VERY defensive by nature, but are there any tricks that you might have to help it mellow down a little bit? I will put in a small cricket in there later today. He actually seems to be adjusting pretty well... this will be quite an experience! Thanks.
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
0.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.0 scarlet kingsnake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
0.1 Southern ringneck snakes
1.0 Florida scarletsnake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.0.1 Northern brown snake
0.0.1 Smooth earth snake
0.0.2 Western worm snakes
"And tons of garters and ribbons are being born in the reptile room this very minute..."

With snakes of any kind, feeding time is the most constructive or destructive time for developing their temperment. Don't make the mistake of just throwing the food in, take the snake out and handle him for a few minutes and then feed him. This way he will positively associate being handled with being fed without instantly getting hungry when he sees your hand or sees the cage openning.

Thanks. That is definately what I will do. I also plan to use long feeding tongs at feeding time. I took him out three times today, and I have no clue what happened. He transformed from pitbull to poodle within one day. Just this morning he was throwing himself forward into my hand, biting away. When I handled him the second time, there was some tail rattling, and just one strike. The third time, about four hours later, I handled him quite a long time, actually walking around the room with him in my hands, and he didn't even try to get away. There was not even a tail rattle. He is taming down really quickly. He isn't even pulling back into his hidebox, or striking at the glass like he was yesterday. I think he is off to a great start.
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
0.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.0 scarlet kingsnake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
0.1 Southern ringneck snakes
1.0 Florida scarletsnake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.0.1 Northern brown snake
0.0.1 Smooth earth snake
0.0.2 Western worm snakes
"And tons of garters and ribbons are being born in the reptile room this very minute..."

I know it sounds terrible but I noticed your note about having lots of ribbons and garters being born. You should freeze any that don't make it because they may be a good food item for your racer if he refuses to eat.

Hi,

Sorry, but I have been meaning to update my signature... none of them did make it, and that was a long time ago. Bittersweet news though... My big female smooth earth snake dropped eight "live" young the other day. I was excited, because captive-bred smooth earth snakes are virtually unheard of, and the species is rare to begin with... but none of them made it. I did freeze the bodies. They are about 2-3 inches long each. If worse comes to worst... my black racer is now one of the friendliest snakes in my collection. It is really calming down now, and I believe that it may soon feel more inclined to eat.
First I will try small to medium crickets.
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
0.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.0 scarlet kingsnake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
0.1 Southern ringneck snakes
1.0 Florida scarletsnake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.0.1 Northern brown snake
0.0.1 Smooth earth snake
0.0.2 Western worm snakes
"And tons of garters and ribbons are being born in the reptile room this very minute..."