oh, the irony

[i of the storm]

I haven't caught a snake in 20 years. I ordered two snakes from Scott Felzer and they are due to arrive tomorrow. While picking up my daughters from horseback riding tonight I notice two cats in the grass acting strange. I checked it out and rescue a baby (as well as I can guess) eastern milk snake, lacking any red really. Docile as can be, though from a bit of reading, I find out they don't do well in captivity generally and eaters of garters. I'll be releasing it tomorrow.

[enigma200316]

we want pics first..................:eek::D

[Odie]

Yes, we want pic's :D

[flakgunner]

hey,
where did you hear that they don't do well in captivey??they are excellant feeders,and early on will take thawed out pinkie's and fuzzie's,I can't recall every having a problem with caring for one,they may nip a little at first,but calm down quickly,they been known to go after other snakes,from time to time,but nothing like King snakes,however,and I've never had one that exceeded 4 ft.,personally,I prefer Rat Snakes,but overall,I've found King/Milk snakes a bit easier to care for

Joe

[adamanteus]

I must agree with Joe, I've always found Milks/Kings really easy to care for.:)

[flakgunner]

hey,if you could,take a pic!if it's not a Eastern milk,maybe it's a Fox Snake!!I got a little one,just turned one year old,good pics of mine in my,"photo albums",Iam pretty sure it's a she.looking for a mate!hint,hint,and if you didn't want it,hint,hint.we rarely see any of these around here now,just buckets full of Western Plains Gartersnakes in our backyard.

Joe

[i of the storm]

http://i7.tinypic.com/61vcbo5.jpg

[i of the storm]

http://i4.tinypic.com/4pos7eu.jpg

[i of the storm]

It was from some webpage that said they were hard too keep. I was really just trying to identify it. The 'Y' on the top of its head made me pick milk snake, though most pic i see of them have reddish spots on a brighter ground.

[flakgunner]

hey,

Fox Snake!!Fox Snake!!go to galleries,search my username.look at my little one year old!!rescued Aug.06,was 12" ,slow start,but when things kicked in ,she really took off,she's now close to 20" and is easily eating large thawed out fuzzie's,she'll be taking small mice real soon.
depending on where you live on whether it is a Eastern or Western,but their from the Rat Snake family.Little tuffier to care for than a Milksnake however,but they are super,and it could reach 5 Ft.!,but 4 Ft.is about average.

Joe

[enigma200316]

here's a pic of a baby milk snake .............

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/Picture_090.jpg

[i of the storm]

hmm, maybe it is a fox snake. Im in VA, so and eastern fox snake? The spots on top are pretty uniform. funny, though, two of them connect midway done its length. Ill hold on to it for another day, but we'll have our hands ful with our two new garters.

[flakgunner]

hey,
here this is easier,scroll down (page 2) and you'll find info threads i posted.good reading,good stuff,also note,as with most Ratsnakes.some color changing will occur,base color could darken,yellowish browns may appear around the head and neck,could lose the maroon colored saddles also.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/garter-snake-lounge/1578-happy-birthday.html

Joe

[i of the storm]

I would guess one wouldnt want to breed western with eastern.

[i of the storm]

the fox snake isnt suppose to be in Virginia.

[flakgunner]

hey,
east ,west doesn't matter much,no different than red rats breeding with yellow rats in Florida,gray rats breeding with black rats.we used to see Fox snakes around here ,and once in awhile a Eastern Milksnake,but siting now are getting scares,still west of us they see them,a little more often,All we have now Western Plains Gartersnakes(in the spring,by the hundreds)and once in a while a watersnake.

Joe

[flakgunner]

hey,and as i study your pics much closer!!I'am seeing something!your little guy has "H" patterned saddles,and Ratsnakes young change color,possible,Black Ratsnake.but it is a RatSnake,for sure

Joe

[enigma200316]

http://i4.tinypic.com/4pos7eu.jpg


I would have to say thats a Rat Snake, not a Milk Snake..........

[i of the storm]

northern water snake?

[i of the storm]

http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/islandcreekes/ecology/Reptiles/Black%20Rat%20Snake/juvblkratsnake1m1.jpg young rats snake is the winner, if the site this photo is from is correct.

[flakgunner]

hey,no!it's a Ratsnake!sometimes you just won't know ,until it grows up and changes color,I'am leaning more towards BlackRat,I believe Gray rats live a little farther west and south of you.

so far I found this.

Rat Snake (http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/elaobs.htm)

Joe

[Thamnophis]

The Western Foxsnake and the Eastern Foxsnake are two different species since some years.

Western Fox Snake = Pantherophis vulpinus
Eastern Fox Snake = Pantherophis gloydi

So you will create hybrids when you breed with east x west.

[flakgunner]

hey,

almost sure it's a young Black rat,I know by the coloring,its not a red rat,or yellow rat your to far north,same with Gray Rats,I can't think of any other Ratsnakes that may live in your area.

Rat Snake (http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/elaobs.htm)

they do okay in captivity ,if you acquire one young enough,and yours qualifies in that,we caught these in S.Illinois,full grown wild caught are a bit grumpy!!last show I went to some guy was selling 2 ft.ers but i went with another Yellow Rat instead,I tried to make him a package deal,but he wasn't ready for that yet,that may change at the next months show,because he also had a 4 ft. Gray Rat i was interested in,and with winter setting in,he'll need to move them fast,or spend more $ on feeding them himself,and the normal Ratsnakes aren't fast seller ether,everyone these days wants dam designer color's.another seller had a Florida Keys Ratsnake,Oh!I should have bought it!

Joe

[KITKAT]

I still vote for eastern milk snake. Wait and see...:rolleyes:

[GarterGuy]

Yeh, I'd have to get on the Ratsnake wagon.....I'd have to guess Pantherophis obsoleta obsoleta or Eastern Ratsnake (formerly Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta or Black Ratsnake)....from the colour I'd have to go with P.obsoleta and from the region it was found P.o.obsoleta. You find a lot of babies this time of year. They're all out spreading around after hatching a month or so ago.

Roy