Are all rat snakes aggressive?

This question is for all of you that have a rat snake species. There are several different kinds of rat snakes available but which ones would be recommended as a good first time rat snake keeper? I have been reading about the different ones and they all seem to be bitey and have attitudes...
Although there are some pretty ones, like the Chinese beauty and VBB, but all those ones able to tame and be handled? I also like the Mandarins (Sorry if I said that wrong). Just want everyone's feed back on their take on these amazing snake... Also if you have pictures PLEASE SHARE :)

No personal experience on them YET (will change in a month) but Russian Rat Snakes have the reputation of being the "friendliest" of snakes with a natural bold and curious nature that don't mind handling. Several members who have owned or currently own them have said nothing but excellent things about them, so hoping they chime in!

I had a grey rat snake for 17years for my 13th birthday and she was fine , don’t think I ever got nipped by her , except for being sexed wrong, We was told it was a Roland but ended up laying eggs most years So was a Roberta in the end lol
Things was a bit different in the 80’s keeping wise to nowadays


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

You need to consider the vast number of different kinds of rat snakes there are...some are far more feisty than others. I've known many kinds for over 3 decades
and bred some kinds too...still have 16 snakes, of which most are "rat snakes". I love their inquisitive nature, their beauty & activity, ease of care, & overall sizes.

You asked about Chinese Beauty rat snakes: in the past I kept & bred a few of those. They get quite large and are very active...more like a "racer" type snake,
so yes, they're going to be a real challenge to hold. I handled mine from the time they were hatchlings & I wouldn't call them mean at all...much depends on you.

If you want my opinion as to the most beautiful yet laid-back rat snakes, it's the Trans Pecos and Bairds rat snakes you might look into. TPs stay smaller, about
4', while the Bairds are more like 6' but just as docile. One of my Bairds lived to age 26, & both of these are fun to "meet & greet" people who are afraid of snakes.

If you want some screaming color (besides corn snakes), check out Everglades rat snakes. When you raise them from hatchlings, they make great pets, about 6' too.
Others in the same family- grey, black, yellow rat snakes are great pets as well, assuming you aren't dealing with wild caughts...that's why so many rat snake species
have a bad reputation in the first place- originally the pet-trade was selling terrified wild-caught specimens with attitudes & parasites. Go figure why that doesn't work?

Rat snakes, overall, are not "pet rocks" like BPs are...that's why I love them most. They are easy to feed, not too huge to handle, & they're full of personality.
I currently have 5 corn snakes, 3 Trans Pecos rat snakes (which eat f/t mice, btw, NOT rats! "rat snake" is the generic category name), 4 Florida rat snakes that
are likely a cross of yellow-gulf hammock-& a dash of Everglades? -they were captive bred & FL owner had to sell/move- the males are HUGE, about 7', while the
females are smaller, about 5', because every year they insist on laying over 2 dozen infertile eggs.

And I have one more rat snake, the only kind I wouldn't recommend: a Korean rat snake. I had wanted a Russian rat snake but found these, assumed they'd be
similar. They aren't. Super shy, flighty, can be nippy if you persist in holding...more like a racer, like a coachwhip, than a typical rat snake. They can be hard to
feed too, because of their shyness. Hope some are working with the breeding, they'd be attractive pets if mellower like the Russians have the reputation of being.
(they are dark green as adults, with yellow underneath)

Rat snakes do best with good ventilation and space to move, taller cages (glass tanks) with branches...and I like watching my snakes, so that works for me. If you
have no space & want to keep them in bins/racks, stick with beepers. Rat snakes have the intelligence to watch the world around them, don't take that away from
them...it helps them to "know" us & be calm about handling. I have mostly worked with U.S. species, so hopefully other members can add more about those
from other lands?

Thank you to everyone that replied so far. This is very good info I'm getting and helps alot ...:gj:

Anyone else wanna chime in on this topic!

Never kept a rat snake but I think one hundred flowers snake and Blue Beauty snake are gorgeous as far as temperament I could not say hope you find the prefect one for you oh and rhino rats are also pretty awesome ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

You need to consider the vast number of different kinds of rat snakes there are...some are far more feisty than others. I've known many kinds for over 3 decades
and bred some kinds too...still have 16 snakes, of which most are "rat snakes". I love their inquisitive nature, their beauty & activity, ease of care, & overall sizes.

You asked about Chinese Beauty rat snakes: in the past I kept & bred a few of those. They get quite large and are very active...more like a "racer" type snake,
so yes, they're going to be a real challenge to hold. I handled mine from the time they were hatchlings & I wouldn't call them mean at all...much depends on you.

If you want my opinion as to the most beautiful yet laid-back rat snakes, it's the Trans Pecos and Bairds rat snakes you might look into. TPs stay smaller, about
4', while the Bairds are more like 6' but just as docile. One of my Bairds lived to age 26, & both of these are fun to "meet & greet" people who are afraid of snakes.

If you want some screaming color (besides corn snakes), check out Everglades rat snakes. When you raise them from hatchlings, they make great pets, about 6' too.
Others in the same family- grey, black, yellow rat snakes are great pets as well, assuming you aren't dealing with wild caughts...that's why so many rat snake species
have a bad reputation in the first place- originally the pet-trade was selling terrified wild-caught specimens with attitudes & parasites. Go figure why that doesn't work?

Rat snakes, overall, are not "pet rocks" like BPs are...that's why I love them most. They are easy to feed, not too huge to handle, & they're full of personality.
I currently have 5 corn snakes, 3 Trans Pecos rat snakes (which eat f/t mice, btw, NOT rats! "rat snake" is the generic category name), 4 Florida rat snakes that
are likely a cross of yellow-gulf hammock-& a dash of Everglades? -they were captive bred & FL owner had to sell/move- the males are HUGE, about 7', while the
females are smaller, about 5', because every year they insist on laying over 2 dozen infertile eggs.

And I have one more rat snake, the only kind I wouldn't recommend: a Korean rat snake. I had wanted a Russian rat snake but found these, assumed they'd be
similar. They aren't. Super shy, flighty, can be nippy if you persist in holding...more like a racer, like a coachwhip, than a typical rat snake. They can be hard to
feed too, because of their shyness. Hope some are working with the breeding, they'd be attractive pets if mellower like the Russians have the reputation of being.
(they are dark green as adults, with yellow underneath)

Rat snakes do best with good ventilation and space to move, taller cages (glass tanks) with branches...and I like watching my snakes, so that works for me. If you
have no space & want to keep them in bins/racks, stick with beepers. Rat snakes have the intelligence to watch the world around them, don't take that away from
them...it helps them to "know" us & be calm about handling. I have mostly worked with U.S. species, so hopefully other members can add more about those
from other lands?

---

Thanks for your reply... Read up on the Trans Pecos and would love to see one in person. I really think it would be hard to find them here (Toronto Canada) and shipping one would be $$$$.
I guess a girl can dream though!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by C.Marie

Never kept a rat snake but I think one hundred flowers snake and Blue Beauty snake are gorgeous as far as temperament I could not say hope you find the prefect one for you oh and rhino rats are also pretty awesome ;)

---

A quick note of caution about the "hundred flowers" (Moellendorf's) rat snake: read up on them first to make SURE your year-round temperatures are suitable, they
need to be cooler or they don't thrive. I was SO tempted when I saw one (many years ago) in a pet store...I love their faces (very similar to Trans Pecos) but decided
not to chance it after reading up on them. (I lived in the southwest desert att & I've never been one to keep my house super-chilled w/ A/C-)

The good thing about snakes is there are SO many kinds who will fit our own lives too. Researching first saves a lot of grief. I skipped the Moellendorf's but
found Trans Pecos. :D They're a desert species from areas in New Mexico & TX, named for proximity to Trans Pecos river.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jus1More

Thanks for your reply... Read up on the Trans Pecos and would love to see one in person. I really think it would be hard to find them here (Toronto Canada) and shipping one would be $$$$.
I guess a girl can dream though!!!

---

I bred these in the past, but the ones I now have came from a teacher in Maine who bred snakes & taught his classes of children all about them. If you like, I'll see if
I still have his contact information...maybe he's still breeding them? Mine are the "normal" ones but are het for the silver & blonde phases. I'm just no longer into
breeding any...(I want to keep them all! ;) They're too darn cute!)

Anyway, there are other sources too, these are more well-known than many years ago when I first got into them. My first one was a wild-caught from a pet store too
(I know, :( ) & even SHE turned into an amazingly friendly pet, in no time. (And they'd been teasing & mistreating her in the store, & her cage stunk! I hate to buy
anything from such places, it keeps them doing it again, but I couldn't leave her there!) She would actually carefully take food held between my fingers without biting me.

FYI- This was the guy (Doug Kranich) that I bought my Trans Pecos rat snakes from back in 2009.

http://arguably.bangordailynews.com/...heir-backyard/