Care Sheet for Rat SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.88 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 04/27/2004 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Rat Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Tommy |
Years Experience: | 10 to 15 Years |
Species: | All North American Rat Snakes |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Most Rat Snakes |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Have an experienced herper sex it with a prob. |
Mostly Active During: | Both |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Rat snake if kept to wet can get blister and rat snakes that are kept to dry tend to have poor sheds. I hate to use news paper because it looks crapy and does not hold humidity well. I love cypress because it hold humidity well but if kept to wet will cause blisters. You can dry your cypress by putting a light over it for a day or two. After you have your cypress mulch dried you can put it in the cage. I then mist the cage daily. BUT beware cypress is only for those who have time to clean it. If you do not have the time or experience to clean it right then use news paper or paper towl and still mist daily or provide a humidity box. A humidity box is justy a humid hide box. You can use a plastic box with wet moss,paper towl or cypress mulch and put it over or under the heating sorce. |
Lighting and UVB: | There is no uva/uvb lighting required but they my benifet from it anyhow. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | A temp of 85’f on the warm end and a temp of 75’f on the cool end is ok. There should be a basking area of around 88-90’f. Rat snakes should have around 65% humidity. |
Heating and Equipment: | I use heating tape and or heat pads. If you use lights you should use low wattages like a 25-40 watt light bulb with a under tank heater for the most warmth. If you use high watt light bulbs you will dry out the snake. |
Caging Provided: | A cage of at least 20 gallons should be used for snakes of up to 4ft and 30 gallons for snakes up to 6ft and so on. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | I feed mine mice and small rats. Some people feed them day old chicks and eggs. If you feed baby chick you should by them frozen or kill and freaze them your self. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | None needed. Gravid snakes may benifet from calcium vitamins thow. |
Maintenance: | They are low to med in maintenance. You should do daily spot cleanings and weekly cleanings. |
Some Words on this Species: | These snakes are semi arboreal. And enjoy climbing on or in branches.
Rat snakes are amoung my favorite snakes of all time. |
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