Western Ratsnake — Fact Sheet

Pantherophis obsoletus · Western Ratsnake · Erdnatter

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

• Indoor, locked, front-opening enclosure; one snake only.
• Minimum for a typical adult: 180 × 90 × 90 cm; increase for an animal near 2 m.
• Seal cable ports and use robust vents: this is a strong climber and escape artist.
• Substrate: 10-15 cm additive-free soil/coir with modest sand or bark; paper for quarantine.
• Avoid cedar, scented bedding, dust and waterlogged substrate.

🪨 Enclosure furniture

• Tight warm and cool hides plus a humid retreat.
• Thick anchored branches, shelves and cork tubes that support the whole adult.
• Elevated cover, leaf litter, plants and a heavy water bowl.
• Recheck vents and furniture after every cleaning.

💡 Lighting

• Low-strength linear UVB is recommended; basking UVI about 2-3 with shade.
• Provide broad visible light for normal exploration.
• Replace UVB by measured output/manufacturer schedule, not appearance.
• Photoperiod: 10 hours in winter, up to 14 in summer.
• No night lighting.

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 29-32 °C

• Warm zone: 24-28 °C

• Cool zone: 21-25 °C

• Night: 18-22 °C

• Make the heated surface broad enough for the adult’s body.

• Guard and thermostat all heaters; measure surfaces and air separately.

• Do not use heat rocks or a uniformly hot enclosure.

💧 Humidity & water

• General humidity: 50-70%; humid hide 65-80% around shedding.
• Let surfaces dry between watering; stagnant wet housing promotes disease.
• Heavy clean bowl for drinking and optional soaking.

🐁 Diet

Feed freely:

• Frozen-thawed mice or rats; juveniles every 5-7 days, adults every 7-14 days.

In moderation:

• Captive-sourced chicks or quail for variety; meals near or below 10% of body mass.

Avoid:

• Live rodents, oversized prey and power-feeding.

Supplements:

• Correctly sized whole prey requires no routine calcium or vitamin powder.

💤 Brumation

• Optional breeding cycle for healthy, locality-appropriate adults only.
• Controlled range: about 8-15 °C after the digestive tract is clear.
• Do not cool juveniles, new arrivals, underweight or ill snakes.
• Monitor weight and condition; use experienced veterinary/breeder planning.

🩺 Health — warning signs

• Nose rubbing or repeated pushing → insecure, bare or undersized housing.
• Retained eye caps or patchy shed → dehydration or missing humid retreat.
• Wheezing, bubbles or open-mouth breathing → respiratory infection.
• Regurgitation → oversized prey, post-meal handling, low temperature or disease.
• Burns → unguarded or unregulated heat source.
• Obesity and poor muscle tone → excess food and too little climbing.

Persistent breathing, digestion, shedding or weight problems require a reptile-experienced veterinarian.