Care Sheet for Rat SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 0 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/14/2007 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Rat Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Caliherper |
Years Experience: | 5 to 10 Years |
Species: | Mandarin Ratsnakes (Elaphe mandarina) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | None |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males have thicker tails, and are longer in length, females are shorter in length and have longer but thinner tails. To be sure of the sex, get your snake probed by a pro. |
Mostly Active During: | Both |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Soil, Cypress Mulch, newspaper, paper towels, or Aspen bedding, all can work well, small, large water dish, separate hide spot with moistened sphagnum moss. make sure the sphagnum moss is misted at all times. Provide a large bowl at all times filled with chlorine free water, for drinking and soaking. |
Lighting and UVB: | Use 50 watt black light for the night, and 25-30 watt spot lamp UV for the day. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Temperatures for the day is around 72-85 degrees F.
At the night, the temperatures should be around 70-80 degrees F. Humidity must be high from 60-80%, never allow humidity to drop lower than 50%. |
Heating and Equipment: | Use heat tape or pads to warm hatchlings with no lighting or UV. |
Caging Provided: | Hatchlings can be house in plastic shoe boxes, but adults must be provided in a 20-30 gallon tank. Tight hide spot, and a separate hide spot with moistened sphagnum moss to interlock humidity, deli cups with a small cut opening will do fine. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Feed one appropriately sized mouse once a week. Typically feed live pinkies overnight to start. Do not handle for 24 hours after feeding.
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Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | None |
Maintenance: | Most Mandarin babies stress fairly easily. Slow and steady is the trick with these snakes. |
Some Words on this Species: | These are excellent pets that are calm, docile, and long lived for about 15-20 years, but they do cost quite pricey. They are not common in pet stores and are new to the pet trade. They are grey, with yellow diamond patterns, they also grow to a reasonable size of 3-4 feet in length. The last is that they are a great beginner pet I have owned, but don’t fall into a regular price budget, up to $250!! |
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