The yellow rat snake, or chicken snake, is known to feed on domestic fowl (i.e. chickens) and their eggs. This practice is how they came to receive one of their common names, "chicken snake".
What do yellow rat snakes eat?
Yellow rat snakes have earned a solid reputation as one of the easiest snakes to feed. They will take a variety of rodents and birds that come in an appropriate size based on the maturity and overall size of the yellow rat snake itself. They enjoy hunting for their prey, and they also enjoy attacking it from ambush.
What are the easiest snakes to feed?
Yellow rat snakes have earned a solid reputation as one of the easiest snakes to feed. They will take a variety of rodents and birds that come in an appropriate size based on the maturity and overall size of the yellow rat snake itself.
What do you feed a baby rat snake?
Feed your rat snake on frozen-thawed mice or rats that are as wide as the broadest part of your snake’s body. Our complete rat snake care guide is applicable to most North American rat snakes in the genus Pantherophis.
What size rodent should I Feed my rat snake?
To determine the right size rodent for your rat snake, look at the broadest part of the snake’s body. Feed it a rodent that is the same width or slightly wider than your snake. After eating, there should be a slight but noticeable bulge in your snake’s stomach.
How do you take care of a yellow rat snake?
0:312:15Yellow Ratsnake - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey need a warm area of about 85 to 90 degrees a cool side an 8 year cooler. Give them a nice thickMoreThey need a warm area of about 85 to 90 degrees a cool side an 8 year cooler. Give them a nice thick layer substrate to burrow in your few sandy chips you can use shredded. Aspen.
Can you keep a yellow rat snake as a pet?
Yellow rat snakes, Elaphe obsolete quadrivittata, make fine pets – once they are accustomed to being handled and you get used to dealing with a snake that can, and will, bite. Yellow rat snakes with ordinary coloration usually are inexpensive and most often available from neighborhood pet shops.
What should I feed my rat snake?
Though hatchlings can sometimes present challenges, once they start eating, rat snakes are very easy to feed. Wild rat snakes consume birds, eggs, rodents and lizards, but captive grey rat snakes should be fed frozen-thawed rodents on a regular schedule.
Do yellow rat snakes bite?
Fortunately, this reptile is a non-venomous constrictor. As intimidating as the yellow rat snake might look, it is as harmless as a rope. But if cornered, it may deliver repeated painful bites in defense. Fortunately, this reptile is a non-venomous constrictor.
Do rat snakes need a heat lamp?
Rat snakes prefer cooler temperatures than some other snakes. But to stop them from hibernating you should keep their enclosure between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with a minimum temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Special reptile heat lights should be used to maintain these temperatures.
What do yellow snakes eat?
FEEDING HABITS: It feeds almost entirely upon warm-blooded prey, mostly mice, young rats, or small birds. Young snakes may eat lizards and frogs, particularly tree frogs. It constricts its prey in its strong coils and then swallows it whole.
What can you feed a snake besides mice?
While rats are a popular food source for some snakes, snakes will eat what's available to them.Insects. Smaller snakes, such as the garter snake, will eat a variety of insects, including crickets, cockroaches and insect larva, such as mealworms. ... Small Rodents. ... Eggs. ... Birds and Fish. ... Snakes and Lizards. ... Larger Mammals.
How long can rat snakes go without eating?
Can Snakes In the Wild Go Longer Without Eating Than Pet Snakes?Wild snake typesRegular feedingRat SnakeOnce in 7 to 10 daysWestern Diamondback RattlesnakeOnce in 2 to 3 weeksEastern Diamondback RattlesnakeOnce in 2 weeksWestern Diamondback RattlesnakeOnce in 2 to 3 weeks7 more rows
Do rat snakes eat worms?
Their diet depends on the species. Some eat warm-blooded prey (e.g., rodents, rabbits, birds), while others eat insects, amphibians (frogs or toads), eggs, other reptiles, fish, earthworms, or slugs. Snakes swallow their food whole.
Can rat snakes be kept as pets?
Rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta) are closely related to corn snakes, and share many of the characteristics that make the corn snake a good pet. A rat snake is a good pet because it is active during the daytime hours when you are, has a docile temperament, and is easy and safe to handle.
How long does a yellow snake live?
However, the wild yellow rat snakes have an average life span of 10 to 15 years on proper feed, while the ones on captive can live above 20 years.
Are yellow snakes harmless?
The vibrancy of yellow coloring is often associated with dangerous animals, like the banded krait. However, there are also many other dazzling yellow snakes that are nonvenomous and completely harmless to humans, like Australia's jungle carpet python.
Would a rat snake make a good pet?
Rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta) are closely related to corn snakes, and share many of the characteristics that make the corn snake a good pet. A rat snake is a good pet because it is active during the daytime hours when you are, has a docile temperament, and is easy and safe to handle.
Are rat snakes good for beginners?
The rat snake is one of the most popular types of pet snake in America. They are great for beginners due to their docile personality and simple care needs.
What happens if a rat snake bites you?
Most snake bites can cause pain and swelling around the bite. Those that are venomous may also cause fever, a headache, convulsions, and numbness. However, these symptoms can also occur due to intense fear following the bite. Bites can cause an allergic reaction in some people, which may include anaphylaxis.
What snake is best for beginners?
The 9 Best Pet Snakes for BeginnersCorn Snake – Pantherophis guttata. ... 2. California Kingsnake –Lampropeltis getula californiae. ... Garter Snake – Thamnophis spp. ... Rosy Boa – Charina trivirgata. ... Ball Python – Python regius. ... Kenyan Sand Boas – Eryx colubrinus. ... Ringneck Snakes – Diadophis punctatus. ... Brown Snakes – Storeria dekayi.More items...•
What is the best bedding for a yellow rat snake?
There are a number of substrate suits for your pet snake. Aspen shaving is one of the most popular options. Coconut fiber is natural and chemical free bedding for your snake. Newspapers are fairly reliable for snakes. Must avoid cedar and pine bedding as they are toxic to snakes.
How long should a vivarium be for a yellow rat snake?
As Yellow rat snakes are large in size, the vivarium should be at least 860mm (34″) long. To live happily, they require a comparable quantity of room. A suitable length of vivarium is required to allow for the establishment of a temperature gradient. The enclosure should be warm at one end and cool at the other, with enough distance between them for the temperature to drop.
Why do rat snakes regurgitate?
Despite the fact that rat snakes can swallow huge prey, they can regurgitate a hefty meal due to temperature changes or fear. The largest meal you serve your snake should not be larger than its head diameter.
What is the best enclosure for a yellow stripe rat snake?
The enclosure for yellow stripe rat snakes is a wooden vivarium. This is because wood is a good heat insulator, therefore a wooden vivarium will make it easier to maintain the critical habitat temperatures. Glass terrariums, for example, are significantly too efficient in releasing heat. To allow air to move in and out of the cage, the wooden vivarium should have adequate ventilation.
How long do yellow rat snakes live?
A yellow rat snake can live for 17 to 20 years in captivity.
What is a yellow rat snake?
Yellow rat snakes are attractive animals that come in a range of colours and experience significant colour changes as they age. In the wild, they are a powerful constrictor that can easily overcome its prey of rodents and the rare bird.
Can a yellow rat snake bite?
Even domesticated yellow rat snakes can bite at feeding time, so be cautious while approaching them. Avoid offering live food to your snake as a live rodent can hurt or even kill your snake. It is best to feed the snake’s deceased prey.
What Do Rat Snakes Eat?
While Rat snakes will eat almost anything that is small enough to catch, rat snakes mainly feed on rodents, amphibians, fish, birds, eggs and other small mammals ; and do have a food preference according to their sub-species and location.
How many rodents can a rat snake eat?
A medium-sized rat snake can eat up to 9 pounds of rodents per year (that’s around 200 mice!)
How do rat snakes kill their prey?
Rat snakes kill their prey by constriction, meaning they coil around their chosen meal and squeeze them to death so they can swallow them whole afterwards; they do this thanks to their ligament-connected mandible that allows them to rotate and open wider than any other animal.
What color are rat snakes?
Yellow Rat snakes have a black tongue and a skin color that varies from North to South. Northern species have a greener color; central ones go from olive to orange; and the southern species are bright yellow. Hatchlings are dark-colored, but their skin tones also get lighter depending on their location.
What are the black and yellow snakes called?
Wild black, grey, yellow and Texas rat snakes are commonly found living amongst barns, and while they are most likely out for rodents, people call them chicken snakes; but this nickname is actually given because they usually hang around chicken coops searching for chicken eggs- which they love to eat.
What kind of frogs do snakes catch?
The yellow rat snake is famous for her fondness for the Cuban tree frog, a green-grayish kind of frog that is considered an invasive pest in Florida.
Where do black rat snakes live?
Black Rat snakes, also known as Eastern or pilot snakes, prefer to live in high-altitude regions such as sea levels and mountains, preferably on rocky areas and farmlands, but we can also find them in suburban areas.
What do snakes eat?
It feeds almost entirely upon warm-blooded prey, mostly mice, young rats, or small birds. Young snakes may eat lizards and frogs, particularly tree frogs. It constricts its prey in its strong coils and then swallows it whole.
Where do yellow rat snakes live?
Coastal North and South Carolina, southward throughout peninsular Florida. Yellow rat snakes from the southern tip of their range tend to be more golden butter yellow overall and have lots of yellow highlights on the belly and under the chin, compared to the tannish, straw yellow-colored yellow rat snakes from central and northern Florida.
What are some interesting facts about yellow rat snakes?
>> Yellow rate snakes are known to interbreed with the black rat snake. Such intergraded specimens may have a much darker greenish background. >> Rat snakes are relatively slow moving and will most often “freeze” when first encountering danger. This is why so many are killed on roadways.
How many eggs do snakes lay?
Eggs are laid in damp ground, under rocks, in leaves, or in rotten logs, and their incubation is left to the heat of the sun. The clutch consists of 5 to 3 smooth-shelled, creamy white eggs, which are 11/4 inches in length and 7/8 inches in diameter. A freshly hatched snake is about 12 inches in length and it is gray with squarish blotches, which tend to send out line-like extensions from the corners. It remains well blotched until almost a yard long. Above this length, blotches fade and the bands become more evident.
What do yellow snakes eat?
The yellow rat snake, or chicken snake, is known to feed on domestic fowl (i.e. chickens) and their eggs.
Why are yellow rat snakes important?
Yellow rat snakes are also valuable in their role of curbing rodent populations, especially those near human settlement and agricultural settings. Because rodents often live in barns and garages, this is where most humans encounter them. Unfortunately, many snake species suffer from habitat destruction and alteration.
What is a yellow rat snake?
This practice is how they came to receive one of their common names, "chicken snake". Like pythons and boas, rat snakes are constrictors, which suffocate their prey. Yellow rat snakes spend much time underground prowling through rodent burrows. Truly arboreal, yellow rat snakes will commonly climb trees to reach and devour birds and their eggs.
How high do yellow rat snakes climb?
Truly arboreal, yellow rat snakes will commonly climb trees to reach and devour birds and their eggs. The snake is known to climb to heights of 60 feet search for prey in trees.
Housing
Yellow stripe rat snakes require a wooden vivarium as their enclosure. This is because wood is an excellent insulator of heat and so a wooden vivarium will make it easier to control the crucial temperatures required inside the habitat. Other enclosures such as glass terrariums are far too efficient at releasing heat.
Heating
During the day, yellow stripe rat snakes require a warm basking area . This is achieved by using a clear spot bulb at one end of the vivarium. To accomplish the required basking temperature of 85 o F- 90 o F we use one 40w basking light in a 3ft enclosure.
Decoration
Yellow stripe rat snakes should be kept on a dry substrate to make sure the humidity doesn't rise in the enclosure. Whilst any loose substrate has the potential to be accidentally swallowed, we have found this to not be a problem with coarse beech woodchips and that is what we keep our rat snakes on. It is also very easy to clean.
Diet & Water
As hatchlings, rat snakes should be fed weekly on defrosted pinky mice, as the snake grows the food size should be increased until the snake is taking large mice or even jumbos. Adult rat snakes can be fed once every two weeks as they can become overweight if fed weekly.
Breeding
If you keep a male and female together, they may breed. You do not need to do anything to encourage this, providing they are healthy and the conditions are good, it will happen naturally. You need to consider whether you want this to happen. What will you do with the babies if you incubate the eggs?
Video
This is our 'How to set up a Corn Snake, King Snake & Milk Snake vivarium' video. We uploaded it to Youtube in 2010 and so far it has over 77,000 views!
What do you need to bring a rat snake home?
Before you bring your new rat snake home, you’ll have to set up its vivarium (enclosure). Snake vivariums are typically made out of glass or plastic, but wooden vivariums with glass panels are also popular. Your rat snake’s vivarium will need a source of heat, a water dish, one or two hides, and some substrate.
What are the requirements for a rat snake?
Rat snakes have specific requirements in terms of space, temperature, humidity and cleanliness. Housing a rat snake in inadequate conditions can cause stress and health problems.
How Big Do Rat Snakes Get?
Rat snakes are medium-sized, slim-bodied snakes. Every species is different, but most rat snakes reach 4 to 5.5 feet in length as adults. Some larger species can reach 6 feet or more. But even at their full size, rat snakes rarely reach more than 900g in weight.
What Are the Different Types of Rat Snakes?
The term “rat snake” can be used to describe hundreds of different species across the globe. Rodents are the preferred food of most snakes, so it’s not surprising that so many have earned this nickname.
Why do rat snakes grow bigger?
Typically, male rat snakes grow slightly bigger than females. This is likely because male rat snakes engage in combat during the mating season. According to Animal Behaviour, larger males are more likely to win the right to mate. Like most snakes, rat snakes continue growing throughout their lives.
What is the most common pet snake?
The rat snakes most commonly kept as pets in the U.S. belong to the genus Pantherophis. This genus contains 10 species and dozens of subspecies, including rat snakes and fox snakes. Here are the most popular pet rat snakes. Common Name. Scientific Name.
How to keep a rat snake warm?
Include at least one hide, a water bowl, and some substrate (e.g. aspen). Use a heat lamp and thermostat to keep the vivarium between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Feed your rat snake on frozen-thawed mice or rats that are as wide as the broadest part of your snake’s body.
Temperament
Rat Snakes are similar to Corn Snakes and tend to have very non - aggressive personalities. They're generally very calm when being handled but can emit a musky odor when stressed.
Habitat & Temperature
Ambient temperature of 75 - 85 degrees F. Basking area temperature of 90 degrees F.
Where To Purchase?
Rat Snakes can be purchased at any reputable online retailer or at your local reptile retail location.
Feeder Sizing
Rat Snakes can generally eat 1 - 1.5x the widest part of there body. However if your feeding 1.5x it's girth it's recommended that you make your feedings less frequent.
Feeding Frozen Vs Feeding Live
Feeding a Rat Snake live rodents can be dangerous and is not recommended. Captive bred snakes specifically don't gain the instincts that they normally do in the wild and are much more susceptible to injury. If you leave live rodents in an enclosure with a snake that isn't hungry it may even get eaten by the rodents themselves.