Keeping a Ringneck snake as pet?

Praireboyfarmer · 07-02-15, 06:48 PM

I caught a ringneck snake a few months ago (April 27th at the very least) and I've gotten it to consistently eat Earthworms coated in calcium dust on a regular basis and it's pretty active. I don't handle it, as that stresses it out severely. I'm keeping it in a 2.5 - 3 gallon tank, I'm not exactly sure, which it can stretch fully across plus has about 5 inches of deep substrate consisting of 3 parts dirt that the gophers dug up (really soft stuff) to 1 part sand to burrow in, which is where it spends most of it's time. It holds moisture well.

The snake seems to be fine, but I've read a lot about how these snakes rarely did well in captivity. and while this one is eating, drinking, and seems to be doing great... I'm contemplating letting it go.

**Minkness** · 07-02-15, 07:01 PM

They are just a delicate thing. Someone on here has had one for like 3 ywars or something.

I say if it eats and you don't mind not seeing it alot, keep it.

that1guy · 07-02-15, 07:02 PM

If you want a snake as a pet I don't understand why you don't buy one instead of keep catching wild ones. This is the 2nd snake I've read about you catching to keep as a pet, unless I am confusing you for someone else. There are 100s of websites you can order both colubrids and pythons from for reasonably cheap prices.

Praireboyfarmer · 07-02-15, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by that1guy

If you want a snake as a pet I don't understand why you don't buy one instead of keep catching wild ones. This is the 2nd snake I've read about you catching to keep as a pet, unless I am confusing you for someone else. There are 100s of websites you can order both colubrids and pythons from for reasonably cheap prices.

I probably am the guy you are thinking of. The other got loose, I found him and released him. This ring neck was actually caught before that. I haven't caught, or attempted to catch any other reptile since then because... well as you said, there are better options. The only reason I kept the Ring Neck is because I had everything I needed readily on hand for him.

Don't worry. There won't be any other wild caughts for me.

**Minkness** · 07-02-15, 08:24 PM

Heads up, even if you order a ringneck onli6, it was wild caught. There is only like one pwrson ever who managed to get these to breed in captivity.

Sasha2 · 07-03-15, 09:10 AM

Ringnecks are everywhere here. You are almost guarantee'd to find one under every rock on the side of the road. Ive never tried to keep one, some are so tiny its amazing they can find anything to eat. Very cool little snakes.

There is nothing wrong with wild caughts, how do you think this hobby even exists.
Its the importers and harvesters that are causing the damage, not the occasional wild caught pet.

**Minkness** · 07-03-15, 12:32 PM

[Qhote]
There is nothing wrong with wild caughts, how do you think this hobby even exists.
Its the importers and harvesters that are causing the damage, not the occasional wild caught pet.[/QUOTE]

This ^^^^^

Albert Clark · 07-05-15, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasha2

Ringnecks are everywhere here. You are almost guarantee'd to find one under every rock on the side of the road. Ive never tried to keep one, some are so tiny its amazing they can find anything to eat. Very cool little snakes.

There is nothing wrong with wild caughts, how do you think this hobby even exists.
Its the importers and harvesters that are causing the damage, not the occasional wild caught pet.

Sorry, but that is not entirely true! What is wrong with wild caughts is that it throws off the eco system and the native environment where the animal resides. The balance of the flora and fauna gets disrupted as well. This is why there are laws in place to protect certain species. The market is flooded with enough captive born and bred animals to keep wild populations safe. On the same token wild caughts are usually hosts for a lot of opportunistic diseases that can infect and decimate captive populations. So yeah, Born free live free has several real considerations.

**Aaron_S** · 07-07-15, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sasha2

Ringnecks are everywhere here. You are almost guarantee'd to find one under every rock on the side of the road. Ive never tried to keep one, some are so tiny its amazing they can find anything to eat. Very cool little snakes.

There is nothing wrong with wild caughts, how do you think this hobby even exists.
Its the importers and harvesters that are causing the damage, not the occasional wild caught pet.

Sure that's how it all started. Doesn't mean we need to continue it with better means available. Evolution in the hobby. Things change.

We've gone past the need for wild caught pets.

EDIT:

I read more of the thread and have a few additional points to add.

1. It's not a black/white issue. It's a grey issue. There's pros and cons to both sides here and neither is 100% correct. There are species that I think are okay to keep because no one can figure out how to consistently breed them CBB. Then there's others that I see no merits in taking from the wild. Corn snakes for example.

2. If the OP caught this snake, wants to keep it for awhile then go bananas. If it fuels your passion, again go bananas. However I think, since it's a delicate snake in captivity I would ultimately push to have it released. I know the OP is doing a fine job currently but why possibly sentence the snake to death purely on a "I want to have it" factor? That's selfishness at the highest level. I know the OP means well and they are doing well with THIS specimen but we don't know if long term it will be okay.

3. If the OP, or anyone for that matter, had more captive animals I'd be against any capture/keep/release idea. Reason being the snake could bring something into your home collection OR vice versa. The captive animals could possibly give something to the wild snake that it wasn't built to handle. It could kill the animal or worse be released and devastate the native population.

4. Zombies dude, zombies.

**Minkness** · 07-05-15, 10:27 AM

And yet so many animals you buy online aren't cbb yet. Croc skinks have a VERY limited cbb population. In fact, I only have heard of ONE guy and he only produces like 10 a year or something. Ringnecks are the same. People haven't successfully gotten any cbb yet. Not to mention that every so often it's a good idea to cross a cbb with a wc to help keep cbb genetics more diversified for the health and stability of the future cbb animals.

Poaching is bad, hadvesting is bad, but keeping a few wc isn't the end of the world. Disease and parasites will happen, even in cbb specimens. Just make sure to properly medicate and quarintine any animal brought in from the wild.

Albert Clark · 07-05-15, 11:53 AM

If 100 people collect 1 animal from the wild that's 100 wcs. If 1000 people collect 1 animal that is 1000 wc animals taken from their habitat and the numbers continue to grow. Cbb should be outcrossed with other cbb animals. There is enough diversity in the market to not disrupt the wild populations. To each their own, that is my take on it. Once again born free , live free!

**Minkness** · 07-05-15, 12:01 PM

And yet 1000 individuals taking 1 isn't as bad as 300 individuals capturing hundreds a piece.

Just saying.

This is obviously kne of those 'agree to disagree' moments.

Please, don't think I am someone who says 'heck yeah go herping and keep everything youbcatch!'. That's not the case. But when someone has something wild caught that even if purchased knline is wild caught anyway....there's no reason for that person not to just keep it.

Besides, alot of people like cbb for the pretty colors that don't happen in the wild anyway.

Jrich · 07-05-15, 01:27 PM

I've had a northern ring neck for about 3 years now. I keep him in a 10 gallon since he's about as long as his tank but not quite. I give him a lot of hides, even a hide right by his food dish where he eats his worms so he can dine in secrecy. Very secret animal. I notice he likes the cooler temps, mid 70's to mid 80's. I keep about 3 digital thermometers to monitor his tank and he usually hangs out on the cool side or in the middle of the gradient unless he's just eaten a meal. I don't handle him a lot and they are the masters of escaping anything. He really enjoys his humid hide too. Sometimes I'll put moss beneath his log and mist it from time to time. I try to keep the tank pretty complex so he can stay hidden but he comes out occasionally to see what's up. Best of luck, I've heard they can be hard keepers.

MDT · 07-05-15, 03:36 PM

interesting thoughts from a multi-species Thamnophis keeper. yep, they may have been captive bred for you, but their ancestors were wild caught at sometime. but i guess that doesn't count.

PBF, enjoy your ringnecked snake. i got started in the hobby with a lined snake (Tropidoclonion). wild caught. it set me down the path of herpetoculture and ultimately my course of study in undergrad. if it's eating and shedding, it's growing and doing well.
just be cool and don't grab every single snake you find.

everyone remembers Raymond Ditmars, right?

Albert Clark · 07-05-15, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDT

interesting thoughts from a multi-species Thamnophis keeper. yep, they may have been captive bred for you, but their ancestors were wild caught at sometime. but i guess that doesn't count.

PBF, enjoy your ringnecked snake. i got started in the hobby with a lined snake (Tropidoclonion). wild caught. it set me down the path of herpetoculture and ultimately my course of study in undergrad. if it's eating and shedding, it's growing and doing well.
just be cool and don't grab every single snake you find.

everyone remembers Raymond Ditmars, right?

We are not talking about ancestors sir! We are talking about collecting and taking from the wild and keeping them as pets today not 100 years ago.

Also none of my captives were ever w/c nor are they native to N.Y.C or N.Y.S where I live.