Questions and photos on a White-sided rat snake

[Mindibun]

I promised myself I wouldn't buy anything at Daytona, but then I found something that I'd been wanting for quite some time. Luckily for me I brought my best friend along to buy it for my birthday. I kept my promise and didn't buy myself any snakes. Sneaky sneaky

First some photos:





He's got the most perfect pattern. I love how he's not striped on his back, but has more of a pixellated pattern. Even better is that he hasn't bitten or musked me (yet ). He's just a tad squirmy.

Now for the questions.

I'm keeping him about the same way as my milk snake. He's in a 15q tub with a piece of driftwood, some fake plants, a water bowl wide enough to keep the humidity at 50%+, and his bedding is Carefresh. The temps are right at 77F (breeder said they keep them between 74-80). He'll be getting one frozen mouse pink every 7 days. Is there anything I should be doing differently? I know most people recommend a high temp and a low temp, but I've read mixed ideas on this and thought I'd give it a try without.

Lemme know what you think.

[python.princess]

Awesome! I saw some of these at Sewerfest and fell in love!

[Patrick Long]

Damn, that thing is wicked!!!!

[Mindibun]

Yeah, I tend to fall for the more "unusual" snakes. I think it's ironic that I have a black milk and a white-sided rat. They're my yin and yang. -lol-

[MPenn]

Sounds to me like you have all the essentials covered.
I know what you mean, when I first saw some, I had to have them! I have been producing them for the last two years now.

[Ballpython2]

Sounds to me like you have all the essentials covered.
I know what you mean, when I first saw some, I had to have them! I have been producing them for the last two years now.

are these related to corn snakes? cause corn snakes are also in the rat snake family...I'm confused.

[MPenn]

are these related to corn snakes? cause corn snakes are also in the rat snake family...I'm confused.

Yes, they are related. They are both rat snakes but different species. Corns are Pantherophis guttatus and the black rats are Pantherophis obsoleta obsoleta.