Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here are my Russians enjoying their first meal of 2012 after a long winter's nap:

Third Eye

Awesome!!
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Conserving reptiles by helping to protect habitat...
www.ratsnakehaven.com
www.scenicsantaritas.org

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice!
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Carl

Just got him late January after a 20-year search for the Right snake for me to keep, based on behavior & traits.

I prefer alert, active, curious, good feeding.

My hatchling was more fun his first 3 days than my Everglades has been in 3 months (generally also tru of other Rat Snakes I've kept).

He loves to be out, baskss on the front, highest branches, and is CONSTANTLY active, even late at night. He handles like a dream.

He prefers:
live food over cooked (I boiled his FT pinkies too long once)
fish tank water over clean, distilled water

He is so alert & intelligent (almost scary) that it is more like raising a small child than a snake. He's actually that engaging.

So far, he's a Wonder. Will post photos later when available.

1.0 Amur Rat Snake (Elaphe schrencki)
1.0 Everglades Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus rossalleni)

>>Just got him late January after a 20-year search for the Right snake for me to keep, based on behavior & traits.
>>
>>I prefer alert, active, curious, good feeding.
>>
>>My hatchling was more fun his first 3 days than my Everglades has been in 3 months (generally also tru of other Rat Snakes I've kept).
>>
>>He loves to be out, baskss on the front, highest branches, and is CONSTANTLY active, even late at night. He handles like a dream.
>>
>>He prefers:
>>live food over cooked (I boiled his FT pinkies too long once)
>>fish tank water over clean, distilled water
>>
>>He is so alert & intelligent (almost scary) that it is more like raising a small child than a snake. He's actually that engaging.
>>
>>So far, he's a Wonder. Will post photos later when available.
>>

why would you boil his f/t pinkies?
you just put them in warm tap water until they thaw.
Or even just sit them out at room temperature for a little while. It doesn't take pinkies very long to thaw.
No microwave, no boiling, no cooking
does this fish tank water have fish in it?
you could be introducing him to harmful bacteria using dirty fish tank water.
You can used bottled water or even tap water but you shouldn't use distilled water. I don't remember exactly what the problem is with distilled water at this moment but I do know I've read it can be harmful. I will look that up. If you are worried about chlorine in the tap water you can put the water in a container and let it sit for 24 hours or more. The chlorine will dissipate after 24 hours.
otherwise good luck with your russian, it sounds like a good snake.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes...No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
Draybars Snakes

You made many assumptions, I regard the reply as a waste of time.
Next time, tactfully, find out facts before you feel the need to berate someone online

1. He began drinking fish tank water on his own, did not have time to stop him, as sometimes happens. (If fishes can survive in it, likely okay for reptiles.)

2. Was an accident overboiling pinkies, I was warming them, made mistake, took too long.

PETTY things. Hopefully you'll get over it.

Ameron I don't see what Jimmy posted to be made on assumptions at all. When I read your post those were the two things that immediatly caught my attention . It seems to me that his response to your post was based on exactly what you wrote.
You were abviously the one that responded in an irritated way so you must be the one that needs to "get over it".
As you have done other times over the last few years, you choose to ignore and insult someone with much more experience that is trying to help you. It seems you would rather do things your way, no matter how inappropriate they seem, rather than taking good advice.

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Randy Whittington

>>Ameron I don't see what Jimmy posted to be made on assumptions at all. When I read your post those were the two things that immediatly caught my attention . It seems to me that his response to your post was based on exactly what you wrote.
>>You were abviously the one that responded in an irritated way so you must be the one that needs to "get over it".
>>As you have done other times over the last few years, you choose to ignore and insult someone with much more experience that is trying to help you. It seems you would rather do things your way, no matter how inappropriate they seem, rather than taking good advice.
>>
>>-----
>>Randy Whittington

thanks Randy...hey what I know, huh?
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Corn snakes and rat snakes...No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
Draybars Snakes

>>You made many assumptions, I regard the reply as a waste of time.
>>Next time, tactfully, find out facts before you feel the need to berate someone online
>>
>>1. He began drinking fish tank water on his own, did not have time to stop him, as sometimes happens. (If fishes can survive in it, likely okay for reptiles.)
>>
>>2. Was an accident overboiling pinkies, I was warming them, made mistake, took too long.
>>
>>PETTY things. Hopefully you'll get over it.

just a couple of points and you can rest assured I am way over it
and you

Your exact words

"He prefers:
live food over cooked (I boiled his FT pinkies too long once)
fish tank water over clean, distilled water"

I did not make any assumptions. I read your post and responded to your statements. "He prefers" ..plural...more then once. That's OK, I'm obviously a dumb ass. good luck but don't blame the breeder when your snake dies.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes...No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
Draybars Snakes

Very nice, Tim!
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-Toby Brock
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research