Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do these make decent pets w.c.? or at least something relatively easy to care for?
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
0.0.1 Butter Corn "Butters" (South Park)
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

>>Do these make decent pets w.c.? or at least something relatively easy to care for?

No. Prairie Ringnecks are relatively unsatisfactory captives. They are small and prefer to eat other snakes. Rarely someone can get one of the larger ones to eat pinkies by scenting it with snakes.

They also dehydrate very easily.
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Chris Harrison
Central Texas

I was planning on feeding it more like...earthworms, slugs, and crickets.....
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
0.0.1 Butter Corn "Butters" (South Park)
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

...history...but I do (a little) about biology

The only reason I have an opine here, is Ive read Fitch's work w/ Kansas prairies w/ sample sizes, if I recall >1000 !!!

The trophic structure (food chain) Fitch described was soil-earthworm-ringneck & thus unbelievable densities.

Down Tejas way...the prairies are reported see CH below.. to act a bit more like southerns & regalis...a definite preference for the smaller smooth scaled snakes...

So if your prairies are from OK north...they might make very easy to maintain specimens...

Beers, RxR

Posted by: chrish at Wed Oct 19 19:08:11 2005 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

>>Do these make decent pets w.c.? or at least something relatively easy to care for?

No. Prairie Ringnecks are relatively unsatisfactory captives. They are small and prefer to eat other snakes. Rarely someone can get one of the larger ones to eat pinkies by scenting it with snakes.

They also dehydrate very easily.
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Chris Harrison
Central Texas

When maintaining a Garter Snake (there are two or so species that are worm specialists) on an earthworm diet it is recommended to use a calcium supplement. I would assume the same holds true for a worm fed Ring-Neck Snake.
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Randy Hallman

...the lower you go on the food chain (maybe???? this is why I feed ntrl foods...) the more problems sole food items seem to cause, & worms would appear to be especially good for feeding richly prior to feeding them off much like most of us try to do w/ our crickets ...

I'd even argue that arnyi from this area (south-central OK) probably consume a good deal of invertebrate prey. Correct me if I am wrong, but I assume Chris is talking about arid populations of arnyi that prefer snake prey, not necessarily southern pops?
I've yet to find Leptotyphlops and Sonora here, only a few Tantilla, only one Virginia, yet arnyi and dekayi are a standard (albeit in different habitats). It could easily be a lack of observation on my part, but I'm one who beleives that availability, not necessarily geographic location, dictates the predominant gut content.
Interesting! I've found arnyi within 50 yards of where I'm typing now, but I think I'm outta luck on finding another this year. Perhaps next spring I'll take the time to either dissect one, or keep it and see if it will eat an earthworm
Shane
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Shane's Herp Lifelist
http://www.geocities.com/shane77@sbcglobal.net/my_page.html

Prairie ringneck snakes are relatively easy to care for. The majority of specimens I have had were from Minnesota... And preferred salamanders. Some specimens would take worms, but those were the only prey items accepted.

I know specimens from KS will take snakes, even heard of a 13" arnyi taking down a neonate king!

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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
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