Re: need info on gray rats please

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Posted by Richard Lambot on July 12, 2001 at 09:46:41:

In Reply to: need info on gray rats please posted by Lyn on July 12, 2001 at 04:44:32:

like all snakes, the temperment tends to vary so it is often misleading to categorically state that one type of snake is always calm or otherwise. Certainly some species are more aggressive than others but Grey Rat Snakes are not one of them and the one you describe sounds like a nice calm specimen. I have a female like that but my male is a bit more unpredictable as the previous owner seems to have conditioned him to equate any movement with food, although once he realises there is no food he is fairly docile and I've been conditioning him out of it. I did get him cheap as a result though as he didn't endear himself to casual buyers!

The grey and tan brown colouration is fairly common, my female is the same. Three feet is a tad on the small size so you can expect her to grow bigger but the largest I've ever seen was just shy of 5.5 feet but I haven't seen all that many as they are not indigenous here in the UK. She is definitely into adulthood at that size though. Mine are at about 4 to 4.5 feet at present.

Care is straightforward and much as for other snakes of the Elaphe obsoleta family. They ought to feed readily on defrosted rat pups at that size. You might want to start her on adult mice once she's fully settled as they will be easy for her to eat and digest but if all goes well something larger will be probably be a bit more suitable now.

They are great snakes. Good luck.

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: like all snakes, the temperment tends to vary so it is often misleading to categorically state that one type of snake is always calm or otherwise. Certainly some species are more aggressive than others but Grey Rat Snakes are not one of them and the one you describe sounds like a nice calm specimen. I have a female like that but my male is a bit more unpredictable as the previous owner seems to have conditioned him to equate any movement with food, although once he realises there is no food he is fairly docile and I've been conditioning him out of it. I did get him cheap as a result though as he didn't endear himself to casual buyers! : The grey and tan brown colouration is fairly common, my female is the same. Three feet is a tad on the small size so you can expect her to grow bigger but the largest I've ever seen was just shy of 5.5 feet but I haven't seen all that many as they are not indigenous here in the UK. She is definitely into adulthood at that size though. Mine are at about 4 to 4.5 feet at present. : Care is straightforward and much as for other snakes of the Elaphe obsoleta family. They ought to feed readily on defrosted rat pups at that size. You might want to start her on adult mice once she's fully settled as they will be easy for her to eat and digest but if all goes well something larger will be probably be a bit more suitable now. : They are great snakes. Good luck.

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