Care Sheet for Rat SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.22 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 10/01/2003 |
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: | Black rat snakes, yellow rat snakes, texas rat snakes and most other U.S.A native rat snakes. |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Most females are larger than the male are. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Rat snakes are very prone to blisters if kept in too moist of conditions. I use aspen bedding but you could keep them on cypress mulch, news paper, paper towls, never house reptiles on pine or ceder as it has a toxic oil that i secreats and will kill you reptile. It may take years thow to kill them but it is a very slow death. |
Lighting and UVB: | Rat snakes do not need any UVB-UVA lighting. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Tempratures in the high 70’s and low 80’s work great. Regular house hold humidity works well. |
Heating and Equipment: | I use heat tape but you could also use under tank heating pads, and heat lamps. NO HOT ROCK’S they get too hot!!!! |
Caging Provided: | I use large sweater boxes and glass aquariums. Adults would be comfortable in a 29 gallon tall since they are aborial. Juviniles should be kept in smaller cages as they need to feel secure. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | I feed my rat snakes a diet of nothing but mice and rats. They will also eat birds, lizards and possible other snakes. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | None |
Maintenance: | These are very low maintenance animals. You should spot clean every day. |
Some Words on this Species: | Most rat snakes are a little nippy when they are young and mellow out as they age. I can handle most of my rat snakes with much of a problem. |
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