From: pholland@iastate.edu (Paul J Hollander)
Subject: Re: Black ratsnakes
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 16:51:05 GMT

In article <1groefINN7h@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> bw116@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeffery Blaine Byers) writes:
>
>Anyone know what black ratsnakes generally eat in the wild?  I have
>one that was store-bought.  She eats mice with no problem.  But I have
>another that was caught just before it got cold, and so far I haven't
>been able to get him to eat.  He's perfectly healthy, very strong, and 
>exhibits a lot of energy, exploring his surroundings constantly.  It may
>well be that he knows he should be hibernating, and so is refusing to eat,
>but I'd like to know what else I might try besides rats and mice.

Without having my references handy, I'd say the eat mice, rats, various other
small mammals, birds, and eggs.  IMHO, he's not eating because he thinks he
should be hibernating, just as you suspect.

>   I know they're tree climbers, and I assume they'll eat birds, but it's
>a bit hard to get ahold of live birds.  Anyone know if baby chicks (they're
>fairly inexpensive and easy to come by) will be "bird enough," or will it
>not smell right?  How about eggs - I know some snakes eat eggs, so I
>was wondering if it might possibly eat fresh chicken eggs.

Baby chicks should be "bird enough."  I've had various snakes eat them.
However, a prolonged diet of baby chicks is likely to produce loose, smelly
droppings.  I'd get the snake over to mice as soon as possible.  As to eggs,
I'd be rather doubtful about store bought eggs having enough of the right
smell to them.  An egg fresh out of the nest would be better, if you know
someone who raises chickens.  However, snakes are funny.  Bullsnakes are
supposed to be great egg eaters, but I've tried at least half a dozen with
eggs out of the nest without getting them eating any.  And I've always wanted
to see a bullsnake eat an egg.  8^(

>   If I haven't gotten him to take food by spring, he'll be set free, of
>course.  But if I do, I'm wondering how old black ratsnakes need to be in
>order to breed...  The one that as storebought will, I believe, be about
>2 years old this spring (she's about 3.2 feet long).  The other will be
>maybe 3 or 4 years old (he's a bit over 4 feet, and about 1.5 inches thick
>at his thickest point).  If he keeps well in captivity, I'd like to try
>my hand at breeding them as soon as she's old enough.

IMHO, your age estimates are right.

IMHO, the bigger snake is old and large enough to breed in spring '93.  The 
smaller needs another year.  Breeding black rats is certainly possible.  There
are at least 4 mutants being bred in captivity (Leucistic, xanthic, 2 different
forms of albino, and possibly others).

>   BTW, yes, I've checked herp books for these answers.  Unfortunately,
>the ratsnake doesn't have a whole lot of specific info in written form
>in any of the books I've found.  There's a TON of info, literally, about
>boas, and about 1/2 that amount of info on pythons in all the books I've
>found.  Most ophidian concentration is on those brightly colored types,
>which is fine, but I can't find info specific to what I need.

From what I have heard, black ratsnakes require about the same conditions
as corn snakes.  Remember that they are different species of the genus
_Elaphe_, so they are likely to be similar.  Corns require a day/night light
cycle varying with the season and a day night temperature cycle.  A winter 
cooling period is helpful.

Paul Hollander    pholland@iastate.edu
Behold the tortoise: he makes no progress unless he sticks his neck out.




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