Got a rat snake!

[Quibble]

I got this serpent from someone on craigs list. He didnt know the gender, and from looking at his pics it was kept in what looked like a 10 gal aquarium. As soon as I got it home it drank out of the water bowl for 10 minutes! So, IMO it wasnt kept in very good conditions. But its in good hands now. I dont know if im going to keep it or not, seeing as how I have no experience in rat snakes, and its living in one of my 55 gal aquariums which I had planned to keep garters in, and I'm getting them soon I hope... So if anyone really wants it let me know and we'll work something out!

http://www.freewebs.com/dyslexicsuntie/ratsnake/DSC00223.JPG
That chair smells like Nicky, and it doesnt like cats AT ALL! I had a smelly mess to clean up, lol.
http://www.freewebs.com/dyslexicsuntie/ratsnake/DSC00224.JPG
The only injuries I could find.
http://www.freewebs.com/dyslexicsuntie/ratsnake/DSC00230.JPG
http://www.freewebs.com/dyslexicsuntie/ratsnake/DSC00231.JPG
Can you tell if its male or female?
http://www.freewebs.com/dyslexicsuntie/ratsnake/DSC00232.JPG
Looks like a bit of dirt on the eye cap.
http://www.freewebs.com/dyslexicsuntie/ratsnake/DSC00237.JPG
Full body pic.

This guy/girl deserves a good loving home with space to move around in. No agression what so ever, but musks when it sees or smells cats. I was told it eats a mouse every friday.

[Quibble]

I hope those pics worked, I copied and pasted the thread I posted at thamfriends.

[tspuckler]

That's a Grey Rat Snake. They like to climb, so you might want to add some branches to his (it looks like a male) cage. I once caught one in Okeefenokee Swamp and it was in a tree.

It looks like the snake's got a nice good home. Rat snakes are rodent eaters - I'm sure you can find some care sheets on them. You can keep Greys in the same manner as Black Rat Snakes and Yellow Rat Snakes. Greys don't seem to be terribly popular, but I like them!

Good luck!

Tim

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I will agree with gray ratsnake, although you can never be 100% sure because so many people are cross breeding rat snake species all the time and getting things that look like that snake there. The picture of the side of the snake's tail indicates to me that it is a female.... even female ratsnakes tend to have thick looking, long tails. my female black rat has a tail that at first glance you would say male... until you see the male's tail that is!!! A male rat snake's tail generally sticks out like a sore thumb. It is VERY bulgy and masculine and there is no bulge at all there in your picture, it actually caves in a bit so I will say you have a female rat snake and I'd even be willing to put money on it!! :D

Give her plenty of places to hide and climb and she will be happy!

[gregmonsta]

Lovely ratsnake ... ;) definately slap some branches in the enclosure ... they get quite a good size too :D

[Brewster320]

Thats a good looking grey rat. I can't really judge the snakes size from the pictures but a mouse every friday seems like kind of a small meal. I think a small rat would be a better meal for a rat snake. But then again I can't tell.

Even though these guys can become very large snakes (balck rats have been know to reach 8ft with grey rats being not to far behind, they are among the largest native snakes to north America.) they do not need as much room as you would think. They are no where near as active as a garter and my rat snake and corns(which are also rat snakes) spend most of the day hiding. When they are out though they do enjoy to climb. They are generally pretty mellow as adult also, although some rat snakes do have there moments. Good luck with this guy!