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#1467973
KCF370
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What kind is it? 
Hi! I found this site and I love it. My son and husband found this beautiful baby snake and do not know what it is. My husband after looking thought it was some sort of banded water snake but the guy at the local pet store said it was a rat snake. A description I guess would be ... brown with black or dark brown bands on back repeatedly starting small on the side and wide over the top going small again on the other side. The underside is a pale yellow like color with black scales scattered through out. We just know it’s not venomous due to another website giving great details to check for. Whatever it is it has a wonderful disposition we hold it a lot and it’s never acted like it was going to strike us. We caught him Monday, one concern is can he actually eat the pinkies we bought, the snake is so small. We try and try again with the food but like one of the guys said they will not starve themselves to death so I figure if it gets hungry enough it’ll eat. I just hope he tries with the pinkie instead of one of our fingers. Thanks so very much for your time and wealth of knowledge. I do have pictures but I don’t have a HTTP link to load them on this page. UGH! I guess email me and I’ll send the pics for someone to check out. Thanks!
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10/05/07 01:39am
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#1470236
Gottee guy
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Message To: KCF370 In reference to Message Id: 1467973
What kind is it?
you can post pics on this thread.i can’t tell by the description . also try to feed it small toads and minnows--water snakes rarely eat pinkies (if it is a water snake).it might be a banded water snake.
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10/07/07 10:00am
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#1473727
KCF370
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Message To: Gottee guy In reference to Message Id: 1470236
What kind is it?
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10/10/07 10:44am
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#1473776
KCF370
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Message To: KCF370 In reference to Message Id: 1473727
What kind is it?
The only thing we were able to get him to eat was 2 baby crickets my son & I caught in our yard. It is harder caring for something when you don’t know what it is. There is so much to consider; habitat, food, so much to figure out. Once we figure out what it is, there are so many more questions!
Thanks!
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10/10/07 11:31am
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#1473798
Dfarmer414
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Message To: KCF370 In reference to Message Id: 1473727
What kind is it?
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10/10/07 12:01pm
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#1474443
Gottee guy
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Message To: Dfarmer414 In reference to Message Id: 1473798
What kind is it?
im sure it is a water snake but maybe a banded water snake. it ate 2 crickets?try to feed it minnows,toads,and bluegill/sunfish. i’v never heard of a water snake tthat eats insects but good luck.
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10/10/07 09:13pm
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#1474525
Michael56
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Message To: KCF370 In reference to Message Id: 1467973
What kind is it?
You absolutely have a Banded water snake, a very sweet little one at that! It will like to be kept warm (more so because it’s a baby) which simply means it cannot hold heat with it’s tiny body. Tank temperature should be kept at about 75 degrees (ideal) with a 60 watt light left on for approximately 10-12 hours a day (extra heat). The lamp should be above the tank on a screen lid, for example. A branch or accessible platform should also be under the lamp so that the little one can adjust distance from the light (maintaining it’s own temp gradient). The tank bottom can be (Astro turf?), paper towel, newspaper, etc, etc. However you might avoid particulate materials that WILL stick to food. Any bowl or container that YOU would drink from will suffice as a water dish. This should be large enough for him/her to move about in and allow the snake to climb in and out of easily. A hide box (cardboard, flower pot bottom tray - plastic or clay, works fine as long as it can get in and out with a full stomach.
NOT, I say NOT recommended for the long term is goldfish (small for now) but absolutely fine for the time being ... if warm per above, the water snake WILL EAT. Further, it will eat a few small fish every 3 days slowing down or refusing food (sometimes) when going through a shed cycle. Options are guppies and the like and as mentioned in earlier posts, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed or my favorite, trout!
Water snakes will poop a lot (tiny bits) when fed a lot, so replace the paper or wash the "carpet" regularly.
Water snakes that are cared for are gentle, active and rewarding animals that basically never bite unless they think your fingers are food ... they LOVE food!! and this can usually be avoided by simply moving slowly when your hands are in the tank. If you do get nipped it will be by accident, the snake will be sorry and repent, it will be a scratch and should be washed with soap and water, period!
Personal references: raised children for thirty years, raised snakes for forty. The math is’nt exacting ’cause I’m not seventy yet!
Michael E.
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10/10/07 10:12pm
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#1474560
KCF370
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Message To: Michael56 In reference to Message Id: 1474525
What kind is it?
WOW! Thank you both so very much. It’s so great to finally know what it is. Thank you for all the extra advice as well. That will most certainly be helpful. It really is a wonderful add to our family. We hold him all the time and he has never opened his mouth to bite, we’ve never even seen his tongue. He has gone with us almost every where. My son has taken him to church 3 times now, I think, maybe two times. We are so thrilled, thank you once again!
Tina
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10/10/07 10:39pm
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#1474785
Dfarmer414
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Message To: Michael56 In reference to Message Id: 1474525
What kind is it?
Hello. Thanks for the info. We will be able to take care of the little guy (or girl) better now because of your insight. We appreciate it greatly. We will go to some stores and pick up some minnows and offer the fish to the snake. When we offer the fish, do we just put it in the cage flopping around or do you suggest putting the fish in a container of water, letting it swim around, and just let Camo (snake’s name) attack when he gets hungry?
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10/11/07 09:39am
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#1475529
Gottee guy
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Message To: Dfarmer414 In reference to Message Id: 1474785
What kind is it?
i prefer to put it in the water bowl or use tweesers but don’t let it flop around on the substrate
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10/11/07 09:30pm
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#1475664
Ace13
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Message To: Gottee guy In reference to Message Id: 1475529
What kind is it?
Read my caresheet on Broad-banded...they are in the same family and applys to them also
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10/11/07 10:55pm
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#1476830
Michael56
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Message To: Dfarmer414 In reference to Message Id: 1474785
What kind is it?
I would offer the fish in Camo’s water dish ... the movement will gain his attention. Further to this, he will be able to act/react in his own timing and comfort level. It is’nt uncommon to "offend" a new snake by offering a food item on forcepts/tweezers due to the un-natural movement and presence of your hand. This however will change quickly and ANYTHING that moves will be accepted or expected to be food!
Water snakes are’nt rocket scientists as neither are most pet keepers so be patient if he does’nt go for the fish right away. Although he can detect the presence of food very quickly, his response will be triggered by sight. Owners frequently place a water/feeding dish on the floor of the tank (which is just fine) but ... in nature, water is usually below ground level where the snake can see from above. It will take a while for the snake to determine that the fish is overhead in a bowl and worse, if the dish is clear, it could take forever for the snake to go up, over and in. By the way, the snake will never learn to overcome this hurdle. It will simply search until it exhausts all other avenues. Your Camo may also prefer to eat at night alone, for a while. This too will pass VERY quickly.
Of all the reptiles I’ve raised, water snakes are my joy. They are gentle, active, alert and responsive. They crawl, climb and swim and do all of this every day ... unlike some other snakes and some dogs that pretend to be stumps and only move if you set off a stick of dynamite under them!
Michael E.
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10/13/07 02:31am
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