| Size:
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Birth: 6-9 inches |
| Adult: 24-40 inches |
| Range: United States - Az, Ca, Nm,
Nv, Ut and Mexico |
| Venom: |
LD50: Type a - |
| |
| Venom Type: Hemotoxic |
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Antivenom:
Crofab / Wyeth polyvalent |
| Scalation: |
Ventrals: |
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Dorsal scale rows: |
When Buying a Speckled Rattlesnake I highly recommend buying from a quality breeder. |
| Housing your snake: Housing of any
venomous snake if of great importance. Be sure to have both a lockable room and cage when
keeping this snake. Keeping venomous snakes is a huge responsibility. For more info on
venomous cages please read our caging section. |
| Enclosure: Of great importance
that the cage is of solid construction and lockable. Single Speckled Rattlesnakes can be kept in a 24wX24dX12h
cage although double that size would be better. Glass aquariums are not recommended for
rattlesnakes. |
Heat: This is a desert species. Normally found in
dry arid regions of the country. Temps should be in the high 80s to low 90s. You will
only want to heat one side of the cage not worrying about the temp on the other side. this
allows the snake to choose its own best temp range. Do not try to guess the temperature.
You must use thermometers. Try to keep one placed in the cool end, the warm end, and at
any other area where the snake spends most of its time. The hot areas should not exceed
the maximum temperature by more than a couple of degrees.
Heating pads, people (not recommended) or ones developed especially for reptiles can be
placed under half the tank. DO NOT use a hot rock as is. These "rocks" heat up
to 105 F on the surface, capable of causing severe burns. Incandescent and other heat
lights are impractical, they must be turned off a night (to create a drop in temperature)
and they tend to bother nocturnal snakes. Snakes should be heated from below using a
radiant heat source. You can supply radiant heat from below by many high quality reptile
heating mats.. If the room temperature is always warm (in the low to mid part of the
gradient required), then you may be able to make do with only one heat source.
|
| Humidity and Water: Always
provide a bowl of water for your snake. This is usually all the humidity they will need.
I highly recommend heavy crock style bowls as they are not easily tipped over. Disinfect
the bowl before placing it back in the tank. Make sure that the substrate remains dry at
all times. One of the problems experienced in keeping Speckled Rattlesnakes is that the substrate was kept too
damp which can cause bacterial, fungal and respiratory infections. Speckled rattlesnakes need low humidity so
a small water bowl is best. Rattlesnakes are not soakers so a 2" bowl will suffice. |
| Furnishings: Rattlesnakes like
shelters of some sort. These should be provided in both the cool and warm ends of the
tanks. They can be purchased at your local pet store. Shelters can range from rock piles,
rocky caves, half-tubes of tree bark, and upside-down flower pots or you can use recycled
facial tissue and other suitably sized boxes as they are easily disposed of and replaced
when they get soiled, they just don't look as nice. This is very important if the
enclosure is in a high traffic area. |
| Substrate: The most commonly used substrate for rattlesnakes
is newspaper, cypress and sand. Do not use cedar, redwood and possibly pine as they
are toxic. Astroturf, outdoor carpeting, aquarium gravel and silica free sand are commonly used
and should washed and dried before use. I personally prefer sand mixed with pea gravel as it
is their natural substrate and easiest to clean. Although usable i do not recommend aspen,
bark or cypress as they hold too much humidity for this species. The real key to
substrates is how difficult they are to clean and change, and how often you are likely to
do it. Try to find the balance between providing interest and variety for your snake and
what you can reasonably do on a least weekly basis. |
Feeding: As a general rule try to
feed mice that are as big around as the widest part of your
snake's body. Start captive bred neonates on pink mice and
feeding them is rarely a problem if purchased from a quality
breeder as they will assure it is feeding well prior to the
sale. Frozen/defrosted mice are recommended over live
mice, make sure to defrost completely (leave under a light, on
counter, or soaking in warm water). Hatchlings should be fed
twice a week and adults only once every 7-10 days. Hatchlings
can be started on one/two day old pinkie mice. Rattlesnakes
are hungrier in the spring and summer, slowing down during the
fall and may stop feeding during the winter even though the
may still be active.
Written By : Daniel
Stokkers
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