We found a big black rat snake in the yard the other day

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My son, Peter age 5, did great and called me to identify it - he knows not to go near a snake till I take a look at it first.

It was a 18 inch - 2 foot black rat snake (maybe a racer - very simular). I sent him in to get a bib jar and then I picked him up and put him in the jar and took him inside. I have a spare tank so I've set him up in there and he looks a little under nourished so I fed him a couple of pinkies (baby mice).

We're going to keep him for a while and see how he does. We also have a couple of other snakes (captive bred) a corn snake and a 4 lined rat snake. They are so cool!

We also see quite a lot of worm snakes in our yard, found a red bellied snake the other day, have seen a king snake and a much bigger black rat snake and of cause we have some copperheads.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), November 11, 2001

Answers

I like snakes, even played with them when I was a kid. My son loves them and when he was little he use to bring over his friends snake when his dad was at work. Well his dad is another story. LOL this last summer he (my husband) came in all proud and strutting like a rooster, said he killed a snake in the mulch pile. Wanted me to come out and look. When I got out there it was about a 6 to 8 inch garden snake. I just said oh wow I am glad I did not see it. Came in the house real fast and laughed my head off. He is so brave! (no I did not let him know)

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), November 11, 2001.

I consider a snake they perfect family pet. They don't shed fur to cling to your dark clothes, they don't cause asthma, they don't bay at the moon, you don't have to put them on the leash and take them out for a slither, and they only eat and poop once a week.

-- Mitzi Giles (Egiles2@prodigy.net), November 11, 2001.

I'm for anything that helps people to understand and appreciate snakes. That includes handling them and even keeping them for a brief period, for the purpose of observing and learning. But you will let him go free soon, right? Such an important lesson for the kids...that we must not try to make pets out of wild creatures.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), November 12, 2001.

Glad you appreciate snakes!!! But please let them free soon so that they can properly prepare for winter hibernation, as well as continuing to keep the copperheads and rattlers away from your house, as black snakes are mortal enemies of pit vipers and will kill all of them in their territory. Great ratters and mousers too, they do more good in their natural environment than in your "prison" in the house.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), November 12, 2001.

all I can say is YIKES..better you than me..I just am so terrified of snakes. Always have been.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), November 12, 2001.


Yes, we'll let him go. After all he's a wild snake, not captive bred and raised like my two pet snakes. We usually keep stuff for a couple of weeks and then let them go. So far this year we've had lots of toads and frogs, a marble salamander, various worm snakes etc.... and released them back into the wild after the kids get tired of watching them. The red bellied snake gets released tomorrow and we'll probably keep the black rat snake for another week or so.

-- anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), November 12, 2001.

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