Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found a beautiful Northern/Midland juvenile yesterday, and was looking for more info. It looks like people here have had success raising them if handled to improve their temperament...This one struck the small twig I used to help catch him but has not stuck me when handled, uh, by hand.

Apparently these guys are known for musking and a bad temper, but this one's pretty decent, though very quick.

Info and suggestions for keeping vs. releasing, etc?

Big pic...

Thanks!

~M

They are easy to keep... a glass terrarium with a weighted and vented plastic top and a light, a rubbing branch, a dog dish of water, a snake-friendly litter of some kind, maybe a golden pothos plant if you want some greenery, a heat rock in the winter... and they are easy to feed if you have access to a shop that sells bait for fishermen, specifically minnows.

I have a large 38-inch-long female Northern (who was pregnant when we caught her and had 41 babies that we let go at a nearby nature preserve) and to feed her I put a half dozen minnows (they are the size called "bass minnows" in bait shops), along with the water that they came in, into a large plastic pretzel container that I bought at a BJ's Warehouse food store. I put the snake in, snap on the top so she doesn't get out, and leave her alone. She doesn't suffocate because she will hunt down and eat all 6 minnows in less than 5 minutes. Then I take her out and put her back in her cage.

That way, her living space is kept neat for living, and her eating space is kept simple for eating.

She would eat like this every day, if I let her; she has a heck of an appetite. But I generally feed her every week or two.

Good luck with yours. With feeding and handling they become quite docile very soon, though they always retain their speed.

One more thing... with fish as a diet, they stay very healthy but their feces really stinks!

Thanks guys! I've got him/her in a 10g with 1/2 rock 1/2 open water, a rub rock, screen top, light and a ceramic heat lamp.
Seems pretty happy so far, and is very easy to handle. Still has never struck besides the stick when initially caught. Likes to climb up into the groove between the top of the tank and the lid, lol! I'll try to get a couple better pics for you...

Thanks again!

Here's a couple more, in his/her tank...

http://www.artandautomotiveclassic.com/Snake-02.JPG

http://www.artandautomotiveclassic.com/Snake-03.JPG

...And one more...

.

that is a northern water snake a midlad ussally has darker bands, and not white ones plusa midland has a double row of cresent shaped markings on the center of its belly. northers are pretty nice though, specialy compared to florida greens,lol