Kenshin, the black rat snake

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Posted by tigress on May 01, 2003 at 00:30:21:

In Reply to: Kenshin, the black rat snake posted by duffy on April 30, 2003 at 16:24:37:

:How long have you had Kenshin, and how old is he? Being able to

I've had him for a little more than a week now (well, actually enough to have fed him twice and he gets fed again tomorrow, so I guess more than just a little over a week). I am not sure how old he is, the breeder never answered that question (I think she got sick of the constant questions I had *grin*) but he is still very young, I would say hatchling except he seems too long to be a hatchling (or at least my mexican black kingsnake was nowhere near as long when I got him).

pick him up and hold him without him trying to bite is probably a very reasonable goal. As for the gloves: There was a brief period when I used gloves with my Texas Rat. Since she always calmed down within half a minute or so (after her initial attempt to maul me!), I would pick her up with one gloved hand, transfer

Well, that's what I'm doing now kinda. I'm picking him up with one gloved hand and having one hand ungloved (well I did that for the first time today). He definitely was calmer cause of the gloves, he was a little more freaked when the ungloved hand came hear him. So now I suppose I gotta get him used to me.

her to my ungloved hand as soon as she calmed down, take the glove off my other hand (using my mouth or even my foot!) and proceed to handle her, ungloved, for a period of time. This was just a few short months ago, and now she never bites me, although she sometimes opens her mouth like she's going to...and I always seem to EXPECT her to strike??!
:My Black Rats, on the other hand (one albino and one normal colored) are calm as calm can be. If they were any easier to
handle, they would be toys. They don't strike, don't try to run

Sounds like my mexican black kingsnake. He was pretty squirmy as a hatchling but never attacked at all, just tried to slither away (no musking either). This guy apparently is holding true so far to the rat snakes tend to be bitey at first.

or get away. My normal one will grab onto something in his cage if he can, and if he gets a good enough hold, I just let him "win" rather that have a big tug of war.
: Good luck with Kenshin. I bet he will be much easier to handle by later this year. Keep us posted. Duffy

I hope so. So far he's showing progress, I was really worried I'd have a mean snake at first, I'm beginning to actually see/hope that he might even be as docile (eventually anyways) as my kingsnake. I don't really particularly want an aggressive snake so I'm hoping that he calms down.

Alice

Follow Ups:

Kenshin, the black rat snake duffy 05/01/03 (1)
- Kenshin, the black rat snake tigress 05/01/03 (0)