Texas rat snake pets have been on my mind lately…So I thought I would delve in into the underbelly on a fact-finding journey and reptile animal research to unearth key information and facts about this spectacular diurnal reptilia.
So what is so cool about the Texas rat snake or Eastern black rat snake? Texas rat snakes interests folks who like their agility and ease of care compared to some of the other pet snake breeds.
These grey rat snakes are adorable and docile as they age, yet a bit fiery in their juvenile stages who will bite when disturbed. Rat snakes are nonvenomous snake breeds who are also easy to domesticate as a pet.
They’re unique in nature and hard to distinguish between Texas rat snakes from the other closely related rat breeds because of their scales, bright eyes, and grey-whitish patterned stomachs.
Not only are these creatures eye-catching and exotic looking, but they also make great companions because of their life-expectancy, calm personalities, and easy-to-care-for nature.
Texas Rat Snake Behaviour
On face value, Texas rat snakes will look timid, however Understanding the Texas rat pet snakes behavior as they age and how they sustain life in their wild habitat is an essential part of any good snake pet selection process.
In fact, many pet snake owners who have succeeded in keeping wild rat snakes as domesticated pets, they understand two key components like how they regulate their body temperatures when they are on the cool side and when in their snake’s basking area.
Because they’re so crucial for your snake’s health and wellbeing, it’s vital that you understand how life in the wild for your pet snake looks like, that way you can try as much as possible to replicate their habitat inside your home.
In recent years, Texas rat snake has become one of the most popular pet snakes which is widely found across America, especially in North Florida, Texas, New England, in the wild of Nebraska and throughout the east. And this is all down to the fact that rat snakes tend to be easy to care for.
Thanks to their diet Texas rat snakes can pretty much eat anything frozen as long as they are within their type of food that they enjoy eating In their wild habitat settings
Rate Snake Diet: What do Texas rat snakes eat?
Rattlesnakes diet predominantly consist of rodents Chipmunks lizards and when they are desperate they sometimes couldn’t resolve to climb up the trees in search for bird eggs.
In other areas across America, rat snakes have also been known as chicken snakes as they tend to also feed on larger birds and chicken eggs.
Texas rat snakes in captivity will eat anything especially for juvenile rat snakes who will predominantly they feed on mice or rodents. up&up
Texas Rat Snake’s Life in the Wild
The lifespan of Rat snakes will vary when they are in captivity as they can leave anywhere between 10 to 15 years in captivity, however, the majority of Texas rat snakes will not live (beyond 10 years) long in the wild.
Naturally, snakes are not to be considered as social creatures like dogs and cats. While there may be some snake type of species that seem to be extremely docile and tolerant…they do not like to be petted and you should never mistake their tolerance to being touched and tossed around as being social.
Notable exceptions can be made for albino corn snakes and garter snakes as being socially polite. But, it must be noted that the majority of all domesticated snakes are predisposed to being lone pets snake who will enjoy spending each day and night alone than being petted.
Texas rat snakes in their wild habitat, they will go hunting alone, and will also hibernate alone when in their season.
Their food diet also is unique and varied, but Texas rat snake predominantly feeds on rats, frogs and other small reptilia creatures they can find. They are preferred for petting as they are docile, nonpoisonous snake species that enjoy a varied range of color-pattern and as they are not known to be aggressive unless when they feel threatened.
There’s always this fright or flight syndrome that seem to be associated where humans and snakes come face to face. No wonder that black snake is always mistaken for Texas rat snakes which will only bite humans when they feel threatened.
Though Texas rat snakes are docile in nature, they can bite…however, when confronted in the wild, rat snakes first Instinct is to free. And because they are excellent swimmers, rat snakes will certainly swim away at every given opportunity.
Can you keep a rat snake as a pet?
Yes! You can keep a rat snake as a pet they are so docile and easy to care for snake type that anyone can easily keep them as a pet. Naturally, rat snakes are a diurnal type of snakes that are sometimes mistaken for poisonous rattlesnakes.
Truth is that the only reason why rat snakes ( which belongs to a growing species of snakes) are becoming so popular as pets after the corn snake is due to their temperament which is docile when they are kept as pets.
As I said, black rat snakes are easy to care for as a pet snake, and if you accidentally confront them in their natural habitat, they won’t pounce on you. Instead, their first instinct is that they would find a way to flee. Because they are excellent at swimming that’s what they will do when they perceive you to be a threat to their presence.
But if you want to keep them as a pet they’re so docile and not high maintenance you can easily care for them.