Found a Rat Snake...I think?

[Mauser KAR98K]

I have found, and am keeping, a very juvenile rat snake(?) in my old Okeetee's original small aquarium. Thing is, I'm not sure what it is? It has the color pattern on the head and bottom side of a rat snake (very similar to my Cliff--Okeetee corn snake), but his color pattern on his back side is throwing me off.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29467239@N04/7025397181/]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6219/7025397181_eea7f3bdf7_b.jpg

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29467239@N04/6879303628/]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6239/6879303628_22e8a9fa7f_b.jpg

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29467239@N04/6879307228/]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6879307228_5ae7d03914_b.jpg

What do I feed him/her? I'm worried it is too small to feed pinkies, but I could be wrong. I got my Corn roughly a half inch or slightly more longer than this little fella.

Has a black tongue.

Thanks.

[infernalis]

If the belly is just plain cream colored, you in fact have a fully grown adult Storeria Dekayi snake (Dekay Brown snake)

These little snakes are specialist feeders that only eat garden slugs, snails and earth worms.

Judging by the looks, it's also a female, so most likely (Considering the time of year) pregnant. (Gravid) The more I look at your pictures, I di very firmly believe she is gravid.

They deliver live babies, and trust me the babies are super tiny and nearly impossible to feed.

Honestly, I do think the best possible thing to do would be to release her so she can have her babies.

http://www.thamfriends.com/MPFG/images/1apenny.jpg

[Mauser KAR98K]

Done. Thanks. Had no idea.

[infernalis]

About 8 years ago I picked up one in the spring, we kept her and were extremely caught off guard by how tiny the babies were.

about half of them didn't make it, we did manage to find ity bitty slugs in the back yard and feed them.

I won't be repeating that any time soon.

[Mauser KAR98K]

Knowing is half the battle, as they say. Thanks for the ID of "her". Probably saved me a giant headache, heartache and a long guilt trip.

But now I want to find a grey rat snake. Go figure.

[Lankyrob]

Kudos for the release :)

[Snakefood]

you did the right thing!!! Do grey rat snakes live in your area??

[Skumbo]

Done. Thanks. Had no idea.

Its ok! At least you went about it responsibly, asked on the forum.. and avoided any hard to the snake! If only more people could be like you. Also infertalis for being a snakelopedia :P

[Snakefood]

snakelopedia

love it!!

[infernalis]

Not really a snakelopedia, my old screen name was Dekaybrown, I own Storeria.com and I have bred this species in captivity.

It's a fun yet difficult snake to work with, keeping the babies alive is not for everyone.

I found myself out in the yard every single morning hunting for little baby slugs the size of boogers, and scraping them off blades of grass with a toothpick.

[Snakefood]

snakelopedia

It fits you Wayne!! and not just with Dekay's either!!

[kernel]

Not really a snakelopedia, my old screen name was Dekaybrown, I own Storeria.com and I have bred this species in captivity.

It's a fun yet difficult snake to work with, keeping the babies alive is not for everyone.

I found myself out in the yard every single morning hunting for little baby slugs the size of boogers, and scraping them off blades of grass with a toothpick.

It's not for me lol.

[a153fish]

Not really a snakelopedia, my old screen name was Dekaybrown, I own Storeria.com and I have bred this species in captivity.

It's a fun yet difficult snake to work with, keeping the babies alive is not for everyone.

I found myself out in the yard every single morning hunting for little baby slugs the size of boogers, and scraping them off blades of grass with a toothpick.

I had some that would eat earthworms before. That's much easier than finding slugs. However you are correct on the babies being too small, lol. I had one give birth once, and I let all the babies go right away. There's no way I was gonna search for tiny earthworms. If someone breed worms maybe they could do it?

Hey Doc, there is something about that picture that doesn't say Dekay to me? Could it be some other small earth snake like a short tail or something? It would help if we knew what part of the country he found it.

Wayne, I love your avatar by the way. I just started watching House recently, and I am becoming a huge fan, even if I am late getting on board. Sorry for the "Doc" reference, I couldn't help it, lol. Whenever I read your posts, I see that picture doing the talking, it's great!