Re: SnakeBytes Black Leucistic Rat
I have two Texas lucy rats..."Zephyr" and "Zukhora"...I've had Zephyr since he was a hatchling, and he's now 7. Zukhora is just an estimate at 5-8 years. I've had sevral lucy rats, and yes, they are very different than bps. Much more active, and have a much higher metab than balls.Temperaments can differ greatly from individual to individual...I've had both friendly(kids could hold) and nasty (bites everything that moves). Also much more tolerant of cool temps. I'm hoping my pair produces a fertile clutch this year...I need to build up my breeding group of these guys!
Re: SnakeBytes Black Leucistic Rat
As mentioned, black rats are kept as typical north american colubrids, and are a very hardy species.
My experience with black rats is limited, but the couple of individuals in captivity I've handled had a wide range of personality, from calm to racy and pleasant to pissy. One of them seemed to change temperments on a daily basis.
All of the wild ratsnakes I've encountered were biters.
Re: SnakeBytes Black Leucistic Rat
I just got my first leuci Texas rat this past weekend. They really do have pretty much the same requirements as corns, except they need a lot more room as adults. I have a hatchling in a 20 gal long, and he's probably going to need an upgrade when he gets to 2 - 2.5 ft.
As for temperaments, they are really varied. I've heard of some sweethearts and some nasties, but it seems that the general consensus is that they're very feisty and aggressive as hatchlings and calm down with age and regular handling.