I found a ball python in my yard!

Ok, sorry i wish i did. Anyway i did find a green rat snake i believe im from Wisconsin. I'd really like to keep it i've always wanted to try my hand in something wild caught. What do i feed it it is so small. It might be able to eat a 1 day old mouse pinky, maybe. If not i have roaches for my bearded dragon should i try that. Or should i catch some wild crickets no one around me uses pesticide, i live in the country. Any suggestions?

Okay first off, why did you post this in the BP section?


Anyways, You didnt even say what size it was. "really small" doesnt help in the slightest as to give a mental picture on the size of the little fella, so be as descriptive as possible with your questions and hopefully you will get descriptive answers.


So, all in all, whats the roundabout length/girth of it?

Ok first off chill out. Sorry i wasted 1 minute of your time. Second i posted in in the ball python section because not many people go on the other sections. And nevermind i think i can figure it out myself. Just wanted to share and get others opinions. Its about the size of a thin pencil and about nine inches. Ill feed it a 1 day old alive pinkie in a week once it settles in and see what happens.

Thanks for the help buddy!

I doubt its a green rat snake since they are native to Arizona/Mexico area. No rat snake eats insects. If you can't ID it then let it go.

Dang! I'm gonna go make me some popcorn.

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Originally Posted by eel88

Ok first off chill out. Sorry i wasted 1 minute of your time. Second i posted in in the ball python section because not many people go on the other sections. And nevermind i think i can figure it out myself. Just wanted to share and get others opinions. Its about the size of a thin pencil and about nine inches. Ill feed it a 1 day old alive pinkie in a week once it settles in and see what happens.

Thanks for the help buddy!

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Your the one that needs to chill out. Nobody can tell tone or pitch in text, so just back off on that area.

I was trying to be helpful, but with the information (or lack of, rather) given, i was unable to help. This thread is going to be moved anyways, thats what happens when you post the wrong thread in the wrong section, as with any other messageboard.

I'm just saying you should save the mods some trouble by posting in the appropriate section.

I would have gladly helped if i had the information needed, seeing as i've had numerous amounts of rat snakes, two of which being green rats. So cool it, chief.

I wouldn't really suggest trying to keep a snake you found in your yard...I don't have any experience with it myself but I would be worried about internal/external parasites to start with. You would need to find out proper care requirements for a green rat snake, set up a fitting enclosure and get it to the vet for a fecal test and treat it for any parasite load it has. In addition to that, you may have problems feeding it, as it's wild and the mouse pinkies you offer may not be its normal food source. That, and the stress of suddenly being captive might cause it to be reluctant to feed. Some states also have laws against capturing/keeping local species so you should check into that as well.

Taking all those things into consideration, I would be reluctant to try and keep it...

I love forums!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Wisconsins rat snake.............link.........http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/...ckratsnake.htm


Smooth green snake(grass snake)-http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/reptile/smoothgreensnake.htm

That is what it is......

So i will feed it insects like i thought at first since not a pinky.

And Since it will be in the basement completely away from any other of my animals i think it will be fine.

Im sorry for posting it here..................Im out.

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Originally Posted by eel88

I love forums!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Wisconsins rat snake.............link.........http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/...ckratsnake.htm


Smooth green snake(grass snake)-http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/reptile/smoothgreensnake.htm

That is what it is......

So i will feed it insects like i thought at first since not a pinky.

And Since it will be in the basement completely away from any other of my animals i think it will be fine.

Im sorry for posting it here..................Im out.

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How did you confuse a smooth green snake for a rat snake?

Anyways, insects are fine. We feed ours crickets, and she loves them just fine.



***EDIT***

Looks like the thread got moved.

My friend, Jaime had a smooth green snake--beautiful little thing. He wouldn't eat crickets for her, but she eventually got him eating worms.

She bought hers at PetCo (so I'm sure it was wild caught) and it had mite problems... it ended up dying after a mite infestation that she didn't treat in time. Again, I would caution you about parasites (both internal and external).

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Originally Posted by AzureN1ght

My friend, Jaime had a smooth green snake--beautiful little thing. He wouldn't eat crickets for her, but she eventually got him eating worms.

She bought hers at PetCo (so I'm sure it was wild caught) and it had mite problems... it ended up dying after a mite infestation that she didn't treat in time. Again, I would caution you about parasites (both internal and external).

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I've never heard of anything at Petco being wild caught, its usually the little mom and pop pet stores that have w/c.


Anyways, as far as keeping it; i think the poster should just return it to the wild and buy a C/B instead. It will save the poster and the snake some trouble.

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

Dang! I'm gonna go make me some popcorn.

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:popcorn: LOL! We can share!!! LOL!

I always loved a good online fight! :sabduel:

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Originally Posted by Jonny2184

:popcorn: LOL! We can share!!! LOL!

I always loved a good online fight! :sabduel:

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Theres not a lot of it here. heh. Well it would be interesting. :rolleye2:


IMHO, I dislike false titles like these. It really gets under my skin. :colbert: But thats just me. :mad:

ME TOO krazy!! besides, if its that snake and thats where the poster is from, its a protected snake so you cant keep it anyway..

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Originally Posted by AshleyB

ME TOO krazy!! besides, if its that snake and thats where the poster is from, its a protected snake so you cant keep it anyway..

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Smooth greens aren't protected. It's legal to collect them but I suggest you let it go. It would be too big of a hassle in my opinion.

How does this thred annoy me, let me count the ways? :taz:

1. False title, I sure wish when the mod moved it that they also had changed the title to something like, found a green snake or something like that. False titles BLOW.

2. The poster is told once again OVER AND OVER return the snake to the wild. I am soooooooo ever loving tired of this dogma that all WC snakes are bad and should never be taken in. A green snake is about as common as an anole and the care is about the same. There are umteen billion of them crawling all over the US. Sure it should not be exposed to any other snakes or herps but other that that SO WHAT. I have kept my share of WC snakes and as long as you are not a dim whit and as long as the animal is not protected so what, big deal get OVER IT already.

3. Posted in the BP section orginaly. Why, because the OP'er was afraid he would not get an answer on this board. Bud if you would have just posted the reality here in the colubrid forum in the first place most of the bashing you took would never have happened.

That said to the OP'er, if that green snake eats for you enjoy it, they are great pets and very very hard to find captive bred. They do need to eat often, gut loaded crickets are best, give climbing branches and a basking light. Keep temps on the high end about mid 80s and you will be good. A full UV light may be helpful as well. Just know this is not a snake you feed once every 7-14 days, they need to be fed like an anole or other lizard, daily.

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Originally Posted by eel88

Ok, sorry i wish i did. Anyway i did find a green rat snake i believe im from Wisconsin. I'd really like to keep it i've always wanted to try my hand in something wild caught. What do i feed it it is so small. It might be able to eat a 1 day old mouse pinky, maybe. If not i have roaches for my bearded dragon should i try that. Or should i catch some wild crickets no one around me uses pesticide, i live in the country. Any suggestions?

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If it's small (BTW what is it's size?) either it's a baby Green Rat Snake or a Smooth Green Snake (SGS). If it's a SGS feed it crickets and other invertabrates b/c that's what they eat in the wild. They usually don't accept mice.