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Posted by Terry Cox on March 03, 2003 at 16:24:15:
In Reply to: Re: Mandarin Rats posted by Carl_A on February 28, 2003 at 08:59:56:
Nice post, Carl.
I guess you're right about not handling a lot. I only handle mine when I'm cleaning their cages too. I don't see them much either, except during the warmer seasons when they come out in the evening to look for food. I've had them eat right in front of me before. Right now they're brumating. They've been cooling since the beginning of December and I haven't seen them once. They may come out in the middle of the night for a drink. I believe adults can go four months easily. I rarely use sphagnum, but do mist occasionally. Thanks,
Terry
:Bob,
:There's a lot of this forum about Mandarin ratsnakes, just perform a search for them.
:Robyn at ProExotics has a nice care sheet for them. Best bet, start with a captive born. That $50 adult import looks like a good deal, but there's a reason why they're so cheap and captive bred babies are so expensive.
:Mine are very settled, but I don't bother them at all. They can be nervous, so I keep their enclosure partially covered. They don't require any additional heat, but do require some added humidity, so I keep a bowl of moist sphagnum in the cage. I find that if the snakes are in the sphagnum itself, they're right beneath it.
:Mine take frozen / thawed pinkes and fuzzies without a problem, I just leave them in the cage overnight and they're gone in the morning. Mine also go through reclusive / always out phases, won't see them for days at a time, then I'll see them wandering about for a few days.
:For me, they're a hands-off snake, I just let them do their thing and don't handle them at all, only when cleaning the cage. Others though will handle them, but they can stress very easily.
:All in all, a very beautiful, easy snake to care for, with a price tag that's higher than most are willing to pay. But with such increased interest, CB prices will drop consideerably in the next few years. My bet is 3 years and the market will be flooded with "affordable" Mandarins.
:Hope this helps Bob, and good luck.
:Carl
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