getting a black ratsnake

I am sooooo excited!!!! I was going to have to wait till the 23rd to get this snake, but things changed and now I should be getting him either sometime this week or next week...im waiting to hear back from the guy on when he can meet up with me. I am getting a baby black ratsnake with 20 gal tank and supplies for $20. Pretty good deal I think considering the tank is worth more than that itself. I have owned ball pythons, cornsnakes, and kingsnakes before, so I do have some experience with snakes. I can't wait to get my new little baby. Now I gotta think of a name for it.

Congrats Heidi, black rat care is as "user friendly" as a corn snakes is :*)

well i got him today. (assuming its a him, lol) He is very small and tries to bite all the time. I of course have never been bit by a snake and am alittle jumpy, lol. He cant get ahold of me to hurt me though, so I just have to keep reminding myself of that and work with him now to calm him down, before he can get ahold of me. He's a cute and very active. My son has named him Trex.

You might try just holding your hand in the tank away from him and perhaps he could get used to your presence that way.

thanks, i'll try that....i have an old shirt im getting ready to throw away, so maybe i'll wear it for a day or two so it smells like me then give it to him....then he can get used to my smell.

I would set him up and leave him alone for a week. Then offer him food on the 7th or 8th day. If he eats then leave him alone for another 3 days, then start handling. If he doesn't eat leave him alone for another week then offer food again. You really want him to settle in and start to eat before you get carried away with handling.

Black rats tend to be very easy snakes to acclimate so you shouldn't have a problem. But it is good to get in the habit of leaving a snake alone until it feeds. Once he's feeding he may calm down alot, and with gentle handling they almost always turn into calm, confident, gentle giants....well at least a giant in the world of colubrids.

he is doing great so far. he peeks out of his hide a lot and sometimes comes out and investigates the cage. I got his cage with him when I got him, so he didn't have to get used to a whole new setup or anything. The last time he ate was last monday, so he may be starting to get hungry too. I can't wait till he is all settled in and I can start handling him.

well i popped Trex today....Trex is now known as Princess.

I love when that happens! Well, is Princess eating yet? Also, I wouldn't rule out the fact that Princess may still Trex just yet!! Some times a pop won't tell you too much depending on the age of the snake - probing is the best way to be 100% sure if you can get it done. As far as the attitude, that will go away with a few good handeling sessions. The most important thing is to ensure that he/she is comfortable in his/her new surroundings - the best indicator will be wether or not it feeds. Provide a hide or two and keep the room it's in trafic free for a few more days to make sure the baby gets settled in. It sounds like your doing good so far.. Just keep us posted! As a note, I have raised about 50 black rats to adult hood and there was only 1 that never settled down and by that I mean she bit me once or twice in her life... Blue

I tried to feed her today. She is refusing to eat. I will have to let her settle in a few more days and try again I guess.