Re: Mandarin ratsnake care

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Posted by Mike H. on July 11, 2001 at 16:25:26:

In Reply to: Mandarin ratsnake care posted by Kat on July 11, 2001 at 15:50:33:

In my experience with Mandarins, they're not difficult at all. They like privacy, and they like cooler temps than most other colubrids, that's really about it. The stereo-type of them being fragile comes from the high mortality rate of wild caught imported Mandarins.

: I've been curious about this for a while, as I've heard mandarin rats are very hard to care for.

: My question is, in what ways are they hard to care for? I would eventually like to have a mandarin ratsnake, but I'd first like to know what makes them hard to care for. If there's some sort of snake-care techniques one has to master (IE: getting them to feed, getting them to not bite, etc.) I'd like to know, so that I can work my way up to the level by starting with easier to care for snakes. Or is it more a matter of providing the right environment or obtaining food they'll eat? Could someone give me an idea of what I'd be getting into with one of these? ATM all I have are cornsnakes (which are pretty much the easiest of the easy snakes to care for), so I've probably got a ways to go before I'm ready for a mandarin rat, but I'd like to know the level of experience and which areas of expertise are required in order to properly care for this beautiful species.

: I'm rambling a bit much, but ohwell... any information you could give would be appreciated.

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: In my experience with Mandarins, they're not difficult at all. They like privacy, and they like cooler temps than most other colubrids, that's really about it. The stereo-type of them being fragile comes from the high mortality rate of wild caught imported Mandarins. : : : I've been curious about this for a while, as I've heard mandarin rats are very hard to care for. : : My question is, in what ways are they hard to care for? I would eventually like to have a mandarin ratsnake, but I'd first like to know what makes them hard to care for. If there's some sort of snake-care techniques one has to master (IE: getting them to feed, getting them to not bite, etc.) I'd like to know, so that I can work my way up to the level by starting with easier to care for snakes. Or is it more a matter of providing the right environment or obtaining food they'll eat? Could someone give me an idea of what I'd be getting into with one of these? ATM all I have are cornsnakes (which are pretty much the easiest of the easy snakes to care for), so I've probably got a ways to go before I'm ready for a mandarin rat, but I'd like to know the level of experience and which areas of expertise are required in order to properly care for this beautiful species. : : I'm rambling a bit much, but ohwell... any information you could give would be appreciated.

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