Mandarin Ratsnakes

[bistrobob85]

Hey guys! I just wanted to know if some of you had some... I was wondering what's the price of a mature male ( or the price of a baby... ). I am eventually going to get a ten months old female and i would like a couple of tips since they are supposed to be pretty difficult snakes... I know i must not bring them over 26-27 degrees and provide a ''moisture box'', what else should i know except they are very nervous???

[Simon]

Well I had them before and yup...they're a bit difficult...but not as difficult as some of the other asian rats that I have had in the past....

This is what I would do for WC ones. Instead of using a moisture box I would recommand using moss as the basic substrates for these. They tend to like it a bit more humid. Don' provide too much heat for them as cool temps is better. I feed them once every 2 weeks, as I think that most asian rats have a weak stomach and need to digest over a bit longer of a time. And I would feed them small meals. 2 fuzzies is the most that I would feed them. They get stressed up pretty easily, so if possible don't disturb them too much and put in as many hide boxes as possible.

Now for CB ones they're a bit different. As always, CB are way more easier to keep than WC ones....but even so I would at least provide a mositure box for them if not kept on moss to provide the mositure.

They're really not that hard to keep if you compare the mandarins with the chinese bamboo rat, thai bamboo rat, and the 100 flower rats...especially if they're WC....and out of all I would say 100 flower is the hardest to keep alive.....not to mention to breed...

shoot me other questions if you need help~
but I am sure that there are other experienced keepers with mandarins out there that can also help you out~

Is yours a WC or CB?
Good luck and hope to see pictures of yours soon~!

[lolaophidia]

I've got a few Mandarins and they vary in temperament. My wild caught adult male is a tail rattling, musking, nervous snake. The good news is that since he's a bit agressive- he eats. I feed him small rat pups and fuzzies or hoppers and I'm amazed that he actually accepts frozen thawed prey on a regular basis. He definitely requires a moist, cool environment and hides 90% of the time. I leave him be, other than feeding and cage cleaning and it works out. I would not suggest wild caught Mandarins as a pet snake since they rarely survive, much less thrive.

My adult captive bred male is a perfect snake. Eats anything, very docile and easy to handle. He also doesn't have the same issues with humidity that the wild caught snake has. He'll soak as needed and sheds in one piece. I paid quite a bit for him (in my opinion) because of his age, appearance (he's very pale with a lot of yellow), and health. His mate is smaller and will bite. I don't handle her as much because she can be thrown off of feeding if she's disturbed. She has more of a red background color and is pretty in a different way. Here's her pic
http://photos.herphost.com/albums/userpics/02F%20Mandarin2.JPG

I keep my Mandarins unheated, at around 70% F and with 60-80% humidity in their tubs. As far as prices- it varies based on size, age, pattern and sex (females tend to be more expensive). The lowest price I've paid for a captive bred was 250.00 US for a small yearling snake of uncertain sex (probed deeper on one side) that never thrived. Average price for captive bred hatchlings is around 350.00-500.00 US. Adults- if they're proven- 700.00-900.00 US depending on coloration, locality, and health.

Good luck with your Mandarin. Basic rules as Simon stated previously- keep them cool, keep them moist, feed small prey items (don't over feed), and don't bother them too much and they'll do well.
Here's a link to a care sheet from the breeder I got some of my snakes from.
mandarin care sheet (http://www.easternindigo.com/mandarincaresheet.html)

[thunder]

the head pattern on that female is awesome!

[bistrobob85]

thanks a lot for your answers guys! The care sheet you sent was pretty useful! The snakes i am going to purchase are all CBs ( I WILL NEVER BUY WC AGAIN! ), i have already found the female and i'll be looking for a male in the near future. Since im in Canada, i guess the price for a yearling male would be near 350-400$... You can be sure ill post the pics when ill have her! Im just glad i can keep her at room temperature in my room... my floor temperature is about 70 degrees, which doesnt seem so bad! I will put her in a 30 gallons tank with a tiny heat pad ( 5 gallon tank heat pad ) with tons of hide spots! Hurray, i'm going to have my first asian snake!!!