young rat snake???

Re: RE: young rat snake???

A couple things about your viv...

-Where is the log from? Hopefully from the pet store... you don't want anything from outside, unless it has been properly sterilized (search forum for this if you need). Otherwise you expose them to disease, parasites, etc.

-If you are using unfiltered tap water be sure to use reptile water conditioner to remove chlorine/ammonia, etc.

-Definitely get rid of that fir bark ASAP! As stated before, this can be quite poisonous to snakes. Get ride of that stuff immediately, even if it means using paper towel or newspaper as a substrate temporarily. And be sure to clean the tank thoroughly after you remove the fir. The preferred substrate for corns/rat snakes is aspen shavings.

-Also be careful when using moss... it can retain too much moisture, which can have 2 negative side effects = too high of humidity (humidity should stay between 40-60%), and an increased potential for mold/bacteria growth.

-I noticed you said you are getting an under tank heat pad, which is definitely a necessity. Just be sure to monitor all temps closely (and often, especially at first), using an accurate (digital) thermometer or temp gun (no analog or flat stick-on crap!). Your UTH will likely need to be put on a dimmer or some other sort of current or temp control. Those things tend to get hot as helll

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

He likes his tp roll and is up at the front glass watching us throughout the day. He's getting better about not being scared of our hands on the glass or inside his tank. I think he's getting the idea that we're not going to hurt him.
The log is not from outside. I realize that the fir bark can really aid in the harboring of mites and the like. I would never put outside materials with him or any of my animals The water is definitely treated, having 8 inch long newts I go through gallons of treated water quite quickly And about the moss, there isn't really very much in there, just enough to fluff the bark up a bit. I thank you all for taking care of us.

ohh and about his color,
he's not a year old, probably about 8 months old or so. Wouldn't he not have his stripes and yellow color yet?? Does anyone know at what age young rat snakes will get their adult pattern?? Like I said earlier, his parents are green, red, or yellow. He can't be a gray- well i take that back, I guess if he has a gray ancestor....

Hey, guys, is it possible that rat snakes can mix patterns? or will they always be either a red rat/corn, green, yellow, gray or black?? He is getting very bright yellow on his underside, the same color as his potential father including a few spots on his head....

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

I'll try to get a picture of his potential parents up here

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

No They do not change patterns. If he is blotched when he is little he will be the same when he is big though it might fade some. Since a corn is a red rat. I Think he is probably a corn/yellow rat. And he just has the corn pattern with some yellow coloring to him.Also the pine is just bad. It puts off fumes so get it out of there.
~Samuel

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

It's fir, but yeah It's gone So he won't change like black rats do (being gray with black pattern and then all black with some trace of the pattern still barely visible) ????

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

hey guys, lemme know if this is reputable:



"Yellow Rat Snakes: Yellow rat snakes are pretty animals that have a variety of colorations and undergo considerable age-related color changes. Hatchlings do not look like the adults. They are dark, with a ground color of gray. They have prominent dorsal blotches, about 40 of them running from nape to tailtip. Like the adults, there is a geographical north to south change from a dark to a light color. The tongue is black and the iris of the eye is usually similar to the body in color.
Adult yellow rat snakes lose the blotches and develop stripes." from http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/choosing-...nake/page1.aspx


confused!!

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

gah, really confused...are these websites correct????????

"Adult Yellow Rat Snakes are distinguished by 4 dark stripes against a lighter background of yellow. Young rat snakes are strongly blotched against a gray background and could be easily mistaken for a different subspecies." from http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/yrat.htm

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

oooo look what i found!! is this correct as well?????????? I'm excited because at least we may have an idea at what age he'll be his "normal" color if the websites are correct about color change.

"Hatchlings measure 7 to 12 inches in length; some species are colored differently than adults (dark gray with dark blotches), attaining their adult coloration at about 3 years of age." from http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/jeffc...g/ratsnake.html

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

Well i have found that they change colors ie. light orange to dark red. But i have never heard that rat snakes will completely change from the saddles/blotches to long lines. Hang on a sec and i will check my best herp book.

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

Well I'll be danged.
You learn something new every day.
The young yellow rat snakes are blotched with very light strips!
Here is a photo.



So with this new bit of evidence i would say it is a yellow/corn. :wink:

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

hey they photo didn't work

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

Oh let me try it again,

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

http://www.educationcentral.org/sandalwood...lowratsnake.htm

hey rat snake enthusiasts! Check this link out! I'm so excited! It pictures a juvie rat snake (under a year-like mine) and it looks just like mine!!! then it shows a photo of an adult yellow rat snake and the page says that the adult picture is of the same snake (juvie) pictured below it, only about a year later! So my baby rat may very well look like that this time next year! hey guys, check out this picture and lemme know what you think. I can really see yellow coming in on his face and neck...also his eyes are getting some yellow/pink in them.

http://www.geocities.com/scoequinesabre/05.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/scoequinesabre/02.JPG

 

RE: Re: RE: young rat snake???

Well I think you've figured it out Good job!