Sneaky Snake

[Taceas]

Now most of you know that since I moved to the new house, my snakes and feeders have had to be housed in our polebarn. It's entirely too cold in the basement of the house now that we have central air and I don't have any sort of heated rack system so far.

The polebarn was a recent addition to the house before the previous owners sold it, and they never had a chance to electrify it properly. Meaning, if I have something I need to get done I had better do it during the evening hours when the afternoon sun pours in the western side.

I walked in this evening on a mission to go feed my snakes and feed the feeders. I noticed this morning on my way to work that they were out of blocks so I thought I'd get them squared away first off.

I look in to see how everyone is doing and to take inventory of the ones I need to feed off, remind you it's kind of dark in that corner. I sniff the cage on the end and notice I need to clean them out and when I look closer I see a weird shape. It looks like a black something or other in with the mice. I move aside for some light and lo and behold...I see this:

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/MiscSnakes/SneakySnake1.JPG

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/MiscSnakes/SneakySnake2.JPG

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/MiscSnakes/SneakySnake3.JPG

It looks like the poor thing gorged itself on a "few" mice. :eatsmiley:

Upon taking stock of that cage, I'm missing my adult breeder male, 1 small adult female I was raising up for a breeder, and a few newborn pinks (only 3 were left in the nest). I also found another young adult female dead, and severely contorted. Looked like the snake bit off more than it could reasonably swallow. And not only that..but he ate so much, he couldn't fit back out of the cage. :D

This sets me back a while for sure, that was my most productive colony...and here right at the height of hatchling season when I need newborn pinks the most. Blah.

I lost two snakes...an Okeetee and a High-Yellow Cream...and I find a bloomin' black rat snake. :rolleyes:

I guess maybe I should get rid of the rabbit-wire lid and buy a real wire screen lid, eh? How come the mice don't get out, but the snake comes in and eats what he wants?

http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/MiscSnakes/SneakySnake4.JPG

[rolph1414]

How did you lose the other snakes and exactly where did this snake enter???

[Alex Dew]

lol, IM guessing your letting the rat snake free again, right???

Alex

[Amanda E]

If it was me, I'd be keeping that one.

I wouldn't be willing to let a snake that ate my mice to just stroll off with a full belly. Nope, he would become a new pet. Of course, I've always wanted a black rat.

[Taceas]

LOL, I still have to chuckle as I watch the rat snake looking and acting miserable all stuffed. =P

Rolph, the other two snakes were lost from a faulty Sterilite tub. Somehow the lid doesn't fit on it like the others I have that are the same model#. I didn't think it could be the tub, and re-used the container after losing the first for the second snake. Dur. The container is now holding decorative items for the house in my basement.

Alex, nope. No free meals from me. Sneaky has a debt he has to re-pay first. What he re-pays me, I haven't a clue yet. But I'll let ya know later on when I think of something. =P

Amanda, I'm honestly thinking about keeping it. If I were to let it loose back around here, he knows where food is and will be back and only get more persistent about it. So that means I'd have to truck it a few miles away and let it loose.

He ate without paying the check...so now he has to work off the bill. >=)

I've never owned a black rat snake, but I'm guessing they're similar to corns in most respects. I've read that they can be aggressive during feeding times when they smell food, but other than that no one says anything about them other than they're a docile snake that is good for beginners. So we'll see.

But I'm gonna keep a hold of it till it either regurges or digests. It can barely wiggle and doesn't move all that well at the moment. And such a meal might spell death to a hungry hawk or owl.

[Krenna]

Oh wow, since you have moved it's been one thing after another. :)

I guess for just loosing 2 snake you got one back. Granted not the one you were expecting. That is just so interesting, I like the pictures.

Good luck with the new snake.

[Simon]

LOL!!!

Well I guess someone had nice free lunch buffet~~!!!

Awesome!

[Jicin]

*lol* That last pic is just hilarious. He's like 'I'm sorry mister. I didn't mean to, but i was so hungry and before i knew it....'

The pictures with the mice on them are priceless to.

[Missy]

omg! thats incredible.
black rat snakes are not any different to corns, they can be a tad agressive when feeding times are about, and they do have fangs, unlike corns. they grow to at least 6ft too. quite big and they are more powerful then corns too.good luck with him.
:-)

[Amanda E]

and they do have fangs, unlike corns.

OMG! Who told you that? Black rats don't have fangs. Their teeth are just like corns.

[CAV]

Amanda is correct, those two varieties are esentially the same.

[Missy]

no seriously amanda!

i always thought corns were the only species which dont have fangs. are you sure? for some reason ive always under that impression. will look that up though, would like to know. lol

[carol]

Hmm... lets see, say AAAAAAAH
Nope, no fangs.

[Aurora13]

that is a SWEET lookin snake! SUPER wicked!

[DAND]

Misty,

I don't know about there but here in Ohio they frown about the keeping of black rat snakes, even color morphs. It was I believe last June ('03) or so there was a bust (more like keystone cops) in Michigan, PA and Ohio dealing with a lot of locality snakes and turtles. I'd check your local herp society to see what the local laws are.

[Missy]

ooh wow! well you certainly do learn something new every day, haha, sorry for my misleading then. thats something i certainly didnt know, obviously. thanx for that!
:-) i stand corrected :-0

[carol]

I also forgot to mention that my corns are much more aggressive at feeding time than my black rats. However, I do only have one pair of them so maybe they are just mellow exceptions. Its a good rule of thumb though to expect any snake to be aggresive during feeding. :eats02: ;)