How to Raise Wild Black Rat Snakes

Many people have irrational fears of snakes and seldom recall the vast benefits of having snakes around before attempting to kill them. One such snake that doesn't always get the respect it deserves is the black rat snake. Common to much of the eastern United States, the black rat snake feasts on populations of mice, rats and other vermin. Though highly beneficial in the wild, some enthusiasts also choose to keep this breed as a pet. Though choosing a captive-bred snake has its advantages, it is often cheaper to keep a wild-caught snake, if you know how to care for it properly.

Things You'll Need

  • Veterinarian access
  • Live food (mice, rats, moles, etc.)
  • Safety gloves for handling
  • Large aquarium or other enclosure
  • Newspapers
  • Water dish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Capture only healthy-looking specimens. Those who appear thin, lethargic, old or injured will be too difficult to care for as a beginner herpetologist (reptile enthusiast).

    • 2

      Keep each snake in a separate enclosure until they have been evaluated by a veterinarian. Each snake should have ground space equal to about six times it's coiled area. Each enclosure should be layered with newspaper at first to monitor for parasites and should include a water dish large enough for the entire snake to lay in. This water must be changed daily.

    • 3

      Each snake should evaluated by a veterinarian soon after capture to have your snakes checked for any internal or external parasites or injury.

    • 4

      Feed wild-caught snakes live food. It is often very difficult to get a wild-caught snake to eat dead food, so to avoid starvation make sure that you can bring yourself to feed the snake live mice, rats, moles and so on. The larger the snake, the larger the prey it will consume. Black rat snakes can reach up to eight-feet long and will require more heavy feedings to maintain its health. Hatchlings may be fed worms or nightcrawlers to start.

    • 5

      Handle your snakes often; this is the best way to tame them over time. Start with minimal handling after capture (they will be very stressed during this time) and gradually increase to handling several times a day after a few weeks. Always handle the snakes with protective gloves. Even though their bite is nonvenomous, they may still pierce skin.