How big should a 17 month old yellow rat snake be? - Page 2

CosmicOwl · 02-27-14, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poomwah

I told the breeder I was really concerned about the snakes size.
He assured me that it is indeed a 2012. And said:
"You definitely received the right snake. Yellow rat do run a bit small than black rats both in length and girth, but aside from that our snakes our not powerfed. They do well for us on a once a week to every ten day schedule. We seem to grow them up at similar rates that I observe in wild rat snakes in my field work down here"
a BIT ???? lol

I don't think that is true. Black rats can grow larger, but on average I think they are about the same size. At least I've run into plenty of 5-6 foot long yellow rats in the wild. Feeding a juvenile snake any less frequently than every 7 days does seem a bit skimpy. I doubt it will hurt the snake, but you could easily feed more without it being "power feeding".

**EL Ziggy** · 02-27-14, 12:39 PM

It is what it is now Poomwah. As long as the snake is healthy I'm sure you can get it up to size with proper feedings. Best wishes and keep us posted.

poomwah · 02-27-14, 12:39 PM

I agree Owl.
I'm trying not to be upset about this. But with the extra I paid to specifically get a larger snake, I feel like I got ripped off. I mean. Does this look like a 17 month old rat snake

was I wrong to expect her to be a lot bigger?

now if I can just get the darn thing to eat :[

CosmicOwl · 02-27-14, 12:47 PM

It's a bummer that you paid extra for a snake you thought would be bigger but I wouldn't worry if she is healthy. As long as you can get her feeding regularly, she'll do some growing.

poomwah · 02-27-14, 12:51 PM

thanks CosmicOwl. It helps to hear someone say it.
As far as feeding, any suggestions? I left her alone for a week before offering her food, and she showed no interest in it. Tried dangling the pinkie with forceps, she watched it, tongue flicked it, but didn't take it. I left it in her feeding container and she climbed out of the container. I wound up putting a lid on the feeding container and keeping here in that overnight. The next morning, she was curled up in the lid of the container and still hadn't eaten.
Her temps are good, she has plenty of hiding places, lots of substrate to burrow in.

sharthun · 02-27-14, 12:54 PM

Hey and Welcome! Nice looking snake, but I agree it looks small for a 2012. He should settle in and start feeding soon! Good luck and keep us posted!

LiL Zap · 02-27-14, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

All snakes grow differently anyways. Maybe you just have a small snake.

This is what I was thinking. Do you have a picture of her?

EDIT: Nevermind, I totally missed the picture lol. She looks good to me!

CosmicOwl · 02-27-14, 12:59 PM

Try feeding her in her enclosure.

poomwah · 02-27-14, 01:03 PM

thanks sharthun and zap. I'll get more pics after she settle's in, I didn't take many because I didn't want to bother her. here's the pic from the original ad

and here's a screen shot I took from her unboxing video

Owl, I do feed her inside her enclosure, but since she's on aspen, I put a small tub in there and put the food in that, that way I know she's not going to ingest any aspen. Then I put her in the tub with the food.
Think I should use something flatter... the lid to the tub perhaps, and put the food in there without letting her know its there and just wait and see if she finds it?

CosmicOwl · 02-27-14, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poomwah

thanks sharthun and zap. I'll get more pics after she settle's in, I didn't take many because I didn't want to bother her. here's the pic from the original ad

and here's a screen shot I took from her unboxing video

Owl, I do feed her inside her enclosure, but since she's on aspen, I put a small tub in there and put the food in that, that way I know she's not going to ingest any aspen. Then I put her in the tub with the food.
Think I should use something flatter... the lid to the tub perhaps, and put the food in there without letting her know its there and just wait and see if she finds it?

That setup actually seems fine. I'm not an expert, but I'd probably just keep offering her food. I think in most cases the snake will get hungry and eventually eat. If she keeps giving you problems, you could buy an anole from a pet shot(or catch a wild one if they inhabit your area) and scent the mouse with it.

It's interesting that you mention this breeder, because I was actually looking into them. If I ever consider buying from them, I'll definitely ask for pictures before hand.

Also, I love her angry little face in the second picture.

poomwah · 02-27-14, 01:48 PM

I can say first hand that the pictures they send don't look the same as the snake does in person. I also had requested length and weight but didn't get that info.

poomwah · 03-04-14, 02:37 AM

I've been trying to contact the breeder, but I get back an email saying they are out of the office. been like that for a bit now. But I notice they are still posting pictures on their facebook page. So my daughter sent them a message on facebook, they promptly replied telling her what they had for sale.
So, giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they can access facebook while out of the office but SOMEHOW can't access email, I don't know how that could be but lets say its possible.
So my wife emailed them , and they responded with information about what they had for sale.
But I get a message saying they are out of the office :\

poomwah · 03-04-14, 11:25 AM

I received an email (perhaps coincidence, but interesting that it wasn't until after I posted on a couple forums that other people were getting responses from him) from Daniel. He maintains that these snakes are NORMAL size for HIS colony and this is the way he's been breeding them for years.
So it comes down to, as we've established, his snakes are bred and kept substantially smaller than what most would be expected.
This obviously is his choice and right, and it obviously works for him. It is undeniable however, that something like that should have been openly discussed. If his snakes are noticably smaller than the average in the hobby, he should be telling that up front so the customer knows what to expect.
His "solution" was the typical, I can pay to ship the snake back and get a refund on my purchase price. So I'd be out 100 dollars and have nothing to show for it except the headaches and heartaches, and he'd have the animal to resell .
HOW on earth is that ethical? Had this important information been disclosed, I would NOT have bought the animal. Why am I the one to lose 100 dollars in this deal?

**EL Ziggy** · 03-04-14, 11:59 AM

Sounds like you've got to make the most of the situation now Poom. Returning the animal for a refund doesn't seem like it would be worth it. Do you sell the snake or keep it? That is the question. Best wishes buddy!

smy_749 · 03-04-14, 12:23 PM

Hi , Welcome to the reptile industry. I bought a pair of geckos, my male died after two weeks. I paid 1,500$. To some, thats not so bad. Its part of the hobby unfortunately not every animal purchase will be as expected.