New snake! (with pictures!)

After quite the trial, I got my snake today! He (I think it is a boy) is a Baird's Rat Snake. He is young, maybe a foot and a half long, and apparently has had an adventurous life. He escaped at the pet store right after they got him, and stayed gone for several months. They finally found him, he had doubled in size and apparently had been eating well. He is quite calm, and seemed to enjoy me handling him at the store.

I swore I wasn't going to buy a pet store snake, but he called to me and was on sale because they had had him so long. Poor guy. I think his name is Killian, but that is not decided. He is quite enjoying his 40 gallon (he was in a little critter carrier at the store) and is exploring everywhere.

He has opened his mouth a few times, but I think it is to see if what he is seeing is edible, since he seemed fine at the store and is otherwise normal. I'll keep an eye out and keep his humidity low (it was a little humid for him at the store). He certainly isn't lethargic like you would expect if he were coming down with a URI. I think I'm just being an overprotective snake mama. After he settles in he will get a feeding, he was supposed to eat tomorrow at the store

Really cool snake! Keep us updated on his progress.

I love his eyes! And I like the possible name! Congrats on getting him!

Congrats on the new snake.

Thanks everybody! I'm excited to learn all about his personality. The info on Baird's is sketchy/conflicting (some say low low humidity, the book says between 55% and 60% with no variance, others say just like for corns, for instance) in the internet, so it shall be an interesting learning experience. Does anyone here have one?

I woke up this morning to find Mr. Killian asleep. Well, first I woke up and panicked he had gotten out, until I found him. He has a wonderful 40 gallon with lots of wood and caves and burrowing carefresh, and where does he sleep?



There. He sleeps there (the perspective is weird, but thats on the tank ledge under the lid). Not warm, not humid. Kinda dark, I guess. His head is under the duct tape (the lid had some mesh ends loose, I didn't want him to get hung up on them. Glad I did that now!).

Sneaky little bugger. Congrats.

Nice looking ratsnake!

Welcome to the world of colubrids. The cage lid is always a better resting place.