Ratsnakes and climbing...

Tigergenesis · 03-30-04, 07:57 PM

I've been under the impression that ratsnakes love to climb. I plan to get a corn, but would love to get some other rats as well. Only problem is, due to space I only plan on having one display tank for the corn. Any other snakes I get will be in a rack, and I feel guilty putting a snake that likes/needs to climb in a rack. That's why I've been planning on keeping sand boas, a rosy and hognose in my rack. But I thought I'd check and see if my thinking is correct: do all ratsnakes like to climb like I think? Are there any that are more terrestrial (or even burrowers)?

Thanks!

Katt · 03-30-04, 09:17 PM

If you're talking about north american rats, like yellows and glades, they're considered semi-fossorial/semi-arboreal, so they do climb. I find especially yellows climb a lot.

However, if you take the snake out a lot of climb about, you shouldn't have a problem.

snakehunter · 03-30-04, 09:21 PM

Black rats are primarily arboreal, only using the ground to find food, some burrow and nest in the ground, but i find 75-80 percent LOVE the trees

Jayson · 03-30-04, 09:54 PM

I have two everglades, one of them spends all of its time up in the branches the other spends most of its time on the ground.

Personally i like to give snakes climbing branches anyway, because many snakes will climb if given the chance and i think that it gives them a little extra needed exercise.

**Andy_G** · 03-30-04, 10:44 PM

Some like to climb, some don't, but none of them(at least the N.A.rats) necessarily NEED to climb in order for them to thrive. If you don't have the space go with the rack, but take them out fairly often so they get sufficient exercise.

Tigergenesis · 03-31-04, 07:25 AM

Thanks everyone! I take my snakes out daily (but sometimes every other day) so that should help.

Any recommendations on a species that would do well in a rack tub size of 20x14x6.5)?

I really love the Mexican Corns, Chinese Diones, Trinkets and Bamboo Rats.