I love working with the Eastern Fox Snakes. I bought a pair of hatchlings in 2018 . They are now breeding adults. The parents of the bloodline originated in Ohio near Cleveland years ago. The hatchlings always take frozen thawed on the first attempt to feed them. My, now adults are pushing 5 feet long. One thing I've noticed is that they prefer cooler temperatures than my other colubrids. The eggs also hatch in about 45 days. They are the first to lay and hatch.
As a Michigander, I’m 100% with you on the Great Lakes ratsnake locality name! It makes more sense and I’ve always thought they were given an odd name anyways. I’ve never been lucky enough to see one in the wild but a local nature education organization had some that I was able to check out recently and I just loved them!
I tried to find one for a couple years and never was able to find any available. I even got on some waiting lists and no one ever got back to me. You’re so lucky to have found one at a pet shop! Wow.
I love these snakes! I live in northern Illinois and have had the pleasure of finding 6 live in the wild. Never once did they bite or musk when i handled them. Garters almost always musk me but fox snakes never have. Thw most impressive was a large female who was easily 5 ft and completely docile. I of course released all who i found back wherw they came from. Such a amazing creature from where i live
Thanks for sharing your really cool and chill but less common Great Lakes Rat Snake. I am a new keeper of a Great Plains Rat Snake and a Sonoran Gopher Snake, so it is awesome to learn about the cousins. Keep on teaching; it is appreciated.
I agree that the division between eastern and western is suspect. I live in Wisconsin and while most fox snakes here have that very distinct lighter colored head, many have the darker head that is supposed to be the western.
@JzsReptiles Thank you. I found one when I was ~10 and flagged down a cop because I thought it was a rattlesnake. (This was about an hour outside Chicago and an hour south of the Wisconsin border) they ended up calling animal control and putting it in a traffic cone with a broom handle in the top to keep it from escaping and roaming the back of the truck.
I really dislike the name northern rat snake, like should we call corn snakes southern rat snakes, or gulf rat snakes. They don't look like corn and they live in the south/gulf.
I agree i live on Mississippi in mn and there is many places a snake can cross over
I love working with the Eastern Fox Snakes. I bought a pair of hatchlings in 2018 . They are now breeding adults. The parents of the bloodline originated in Ohio near Cleveland years ago. The hatchlings always take frozen thawed on the first attempt to feed them. My, now adults are pushing 5 feet long. One thing I've noticed is that they prefer cooler temperatures than my other colubrids. The eggs also hatch in about 45 days. They are the first to lay and hatch.
As a Michigander, I’m 100% with you on the Great Lakes ratsnake locality name! It makes more sense and I’ve always thought they were given an odd name anyways. I’ve never been lucky enough to see one in the wild but a local nature education organization had some that I was able to check out recently and I just loved them!
I tried to find one for a couple years and never was able to find any available. I even got on some waiting lists and no one ever got back to me. You’re so lucky to have found one at a pet shop! Wow.
There's a guy called dark horse herpetoculture who has a couple of baby males for sale currently
I used to love herping in MN
Love the name Great Lakes Rat Snake. Makes way more sense lol
I love these snakes! I live in northern Illinois and have had the pleasure of finding 6 live in the wild. Never once did they bite or musk when i handled them. Garters almost always musk me but fox snakes never have. Thw most impressive was a large female who was easily 5 ft and completely docile. I of course released all who i found back wherw they came from. Such a amazing creature from where i live
Thanks for sharing your really cool and chill but less common Great Lakes Rat Snake. I am a new keeper of a Great Plains Rat Snake and a Sonoran Gopher Snake, so it is awesome to learn about the cousins. Keep on teaching; it is appreciated.
Great video
As a breeder of fox snakes I think you have found the perfect
Where could I find an eastern fox snake to buy?
I want one maybe two
I agree that the division between eastern and western is suspect. I live in Wisconsin and while most fox snakes here have that very distinct lighter colored head, many have the darker head that is supposed to be the western.
Where can you find eastern fox snake to purchase? Been looking for ages.
Good luck. I am too
I have 3 females
Now do these guys have a "false rattle" when threatened?
They can
@JzsReptiles Thank you. I found one when I was ~10 and flagged down a cop because I thought it was a rattlesnake. (This was about an hour outside Chicago and an hour south of the Wisconsin border) they ended up calling animal control and putting it in a traffic cone with a broom handle in the top to keep it from escaping and roaming the back of the truck.
so, yes, that makes sense, how about calling Corn Snakes, Red Ratsnakes? j.a.
That’s what they were called for a long time actually
I really dislike the name northern rat snake, like should we call corn snakes southern rat snakes, or gulf rat snakes. They don't look like corn and they live in the south/gulf.
Why not call them great lakes fox snakes and Mississippi fox snakes instead and keep the name fox snake
Hey JZ I have three in my yard should I leave em?
Definitely