Trans-Pecos Rat Snakes Arizona

[Bogertophis]

I am thankful for this information. I just bought a smaller glass tank to put the male inside last night but haven't set it up yet. This weekend is my cleaning weekend lol.. strip it all down and clean it and put the basics in for now.

I keep getting conflicting info and I'm pretty sure its a personal biased thing but do you put your snakes in other tanks to feed them? Some people say yes you have to or else the snake will always think your hand means food and will bite you.. others says no as long as you feed with tongs and keep your hands clean and don't come at them from above your be ok. I'm asking you because you've had these snakes

For future reference- please never come home with a snake (*unless it's a dire rescue, which you shouldn't be doing yet anyway) until you have their tank (or enclosure) set up and tested for proper temperatures. It can take days or a week+ for temps. to stabilize, & putting a new snake thru all the adjustments adds to their stress & may cause them not to eat. A tank that's furnished will take time to bring everything up in warmth, & you can easily miss it when it gets too hot for the occupant. Excessive heat (& nowhere to get away from it) can cause permanent neurological damage in snakes, & death. All heating devices should be controlled by thermostats, & double checked regularly, especially at first. It takes time to get this right for the safety of your snakes.

For all new snakes- minimize cage changes. They have enough stress already, even if you can't see it.

Never move snakes out of their homes to feed them. Shy snakes will be too stressed to eat, & bold-hungry ones will be nailing you, both coming & going! The bad advice about feeding in another container has been around forever & refuses to die. Another thing- handling a nervous snake that just ate may also cause it to regurgitate the meal it just ate. So don't do that.

Get a 12" giant tweezer- type feeding tongs- they're very handy, & keeps the prey scent off you & on the prey, where it belongs. Snakes go after motion, scent, & warmth (if they have heat-sensing pits). They learn our scent & do NOT wish to bite us- most bites are very avoidable. When my rat snakes are expecting food but it's just me, I often just blow air gently across my hand in their direction so they get my scent. When you do that, you'll see them realize & back off. If not, there's other ways to "change the channel", like a mist of water, or giving them your empty sleeve to sniff.

Sooner or later you'll get a few nips- trust me, you'll survive. Try not to fling the snake- they get far more injured than we do. But mostly, by paying attention to their body language, you can prevent or avoid all bites. Swooping down on any snake like a predator is never a good idea...let them see you coming & identify your self by scent- anything less is just rude & you deserve a bite!

One more thing, while I'm thinking about it: Never keep Trans Pecos rat snakes in "enclosures" (not in tubs or plastic terrariums favored by BP-keepers). They NEED fresh circulating air, so glass tanks & screen tops are perfect- they're desert snakes & need lower humidity for best health. Snakes don't all need the same things-