?'s from a new WC Rat Snake owner ...

[miamitj]

Hi everyone,

Long story short, I saved a Rat Snake from becoming food in a recent survival class in the everglades. Brought him home, setup a tank for him and he has been doing well. I have had him for two weeks now and he has eaten two small mice without an issue. So far all good with the exception that he hides all day, kinda expected considering he was wild caught. He is my first snake. Tank was setup right using one of the many guides available online.

Anyway, I'm guessing he is full of parasites. Do I treat him, and if so with what, or do I not fix what is not broken?

[Arpolis]

I am no expert with WC snakes and I hope someone chimes in here. I just recently got a WC rat snake myself. My thoughts are to keep him away from my other snakes and keep contact with him and the other snakes seperat. I don't even feed him the same days I feed my other snakes. Since he is your first you don't have to worry about all that. But if un-treated and un-known you should keep that practice in mind if you get a captive bred snake in the future. If you have a good reptile vet around it may be good to give him a call and see if they recommend anything. The vet in my neck of the woods doesn't seem to confident in wild snakes and gave me the if not broke don't fix it treatment.

[miamitj]

I figured I would add a link to a short video showing off the snake.

Also, a couple more questions:

1. looks to have a spot on his head, ideas?
2. Is he what they would call a "Miami Phase" ?

Video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTCoHb4PxmU

[Arpolis]

Very pretty snake you have there. Being brand new to the world of rat snakes and having only owned corns before I may be bad at identifying but I believe you have a Corn snake rather than a rat snake. The Eyes and pattern look more Corn to me.... :shrugs:

For your two questions: "


1. looks to have a spot on his head, ideas?
2. Is he what they would call a "Miami Phase" ?


1: Trying to see the spot on the head...... I must have bad eye sight but cant make out much. My Snow once had a dark spot on the skin and after about two sheds it went away. Just keep the tank clean & dont have the humidity too high. Does it look like a scar/cut/infection.... from your vantage point?

2: Miami phase Corn snakes have greatly reduced to no red & yellow pigments in the background or base coloring with more red coloring to the saddles. If the lighting is correct I think I see a descent amount of yellowing to the back ground color. If going by Phenotype "The looks" alone I may not call that a Miami phase; however I am a bit picky, but being caught in the everglades around miami I dont think it is a stretch to say that at all. It does have less reds, browns & yellows then the Classics I have owned & I think I prefer the looks of your snake.

[CKRON]

As far as wild snakes go look for ticks and messed up scales the ticks will get under the messed up scales. Also hydrogenperoxide from a drug store / walmart worked great for me on my wild caught snakes injuries. I read you can take a damp plain white paper towel, rest it in your hand and have the snake crawl through your clamped hand and check the paper towel for black specs = mites.

Also wild caught can have internal parasites, those can be checked for with a "fresh" poop sample by a herp vet.

As far as the type spot on the head???? Get some good clean pics up that were taken in natural light (we all want to see bigger better pics).

[miamitj]

It was kinda of a crappy video. Here is a better one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IvK1_BunHI

It looks more like a spot where he did not shed properly. I also need to correct the fact that I have only had him for just over a week. I gave him a small F/T mouse Wednesday and another today... Stool looked fine.

[miamitj]

As far as wild snakes go look for ticks and messed up scales the ticks will get under the messed up scales. Also hydrogenperoxide from a drug store / walmart worked great for me on my wild caught snakes injuries. I read you can take a damp plain white paper towel, rest it in your hand and have the snake crawl through your clamped hand and check the paper towel for black specs = mites.

Also wild caught can have internal parasites, those can be checked for with a "fresh" poop sample by a herp vet.

As far as the type spot on the head???? Get some good clean pics up that were taken in natural light (we all want to see bigger better pics).

It does not seem to have mites, scales look perfect. I'll check more thorough and get some better pics after a couple days and update this post. He just ate.

[miamitj]

Just keep the tank clean & dont have the humidity too high...

Snake came from the Swamp. Avg humidity here is well over 90%. There was also very little dry land where he came from. I'm more worried about keeping the humidity high enough to mimic his natural habitat.

[Arpolis]

Snake came from the Swamp. Avg humidity here is well over 90%. There was also very little dry land where he came from. I'm more worried about keeping the humidity high enough to mimic his natural habitat.

He looks good to me. CKRON had some great suggestions in looking for mites and such. For the humidity comment I jumped the gun and should have waited for the better vid. If a snake has scale rot or other Fungal type infections of the scales, you tone down the humidity and usually apply an antibiotic/de-fungal type cream, usually received from a vet. I am sure there are over the counter remedies for that but I have not had to try that much. This is just what I have gathered from this sight. Now seeing how that spot looks I think keeping the humidity as close to as where you received your snake is a good deal.

[chris68]

I wouldn't worry to much about mimicking his natural environment; he's NOT in one once you've put him in your care ;). Trying to keep a cage or aquarium setup at 90% humidity is an invitation for mold or a respiratory infection. Set him up like any good corn snake guide tells you. Nice find :*)

[tspuckler]

That's definitely a Corn Snake. Corn Snakes spend most of their time hiding. I would keep it just like any book on Corn Snakes says to. I've seen many, many, wild caught snakes, but never one with mites. There's no point in assuming that it has external parasites if you don't see any on the snake.

As far as internal parasites, some captive as well as wild snakes live with them and have no obvious ill effects. If it's eating well and seems healthy, I wouldn't be concerned. "Back in the day" before mass captive breeding, all snakes were wild caught and many of them did quite well without any de-parasitization.

I do not see the mark you're talking about, but it's not unusual for adult wild caught snakes to have old, healed injuries.

[Nanci]

Corn snakes pretty much hide all day. She sure has thick borders! Pretty snake!