Mexican Baird’s Rat Snake

Scientific Name : Elaphe bairdi

Sex : Male

Length : 4 Ft (Avg. 2 – 4 Feet)

Weight : 11 oz. (Avg. 8 oz. to 1 lb.)

Lifespan : Age 3 years (Longevity 15+ years)

Breeding: Egg Layer, averages 4 – 9 eggs

Range: Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas and also in Central Coahuila. The Baird’s Rat snakes of western and southern Texas have a different coloration, although currently not recognized as separate subspecies.

Habitat : Dry, rocky desert terrain, sometimes found in small forested canyons in Texas.

Food and Hunting : Primarily nocturnal and highly secretive, Baird’s Rat Snakes feed primarily on small mammals. They will occasionally take lizards and birds. In captivity they are fed mice and rats appropriate to their age and size.

Conservation : Widely distributed throughout their range, their only threat is the increased encroachment of man on their natural habitat. However due to the harsh habitat they reside in, this threat is minimal.

Captive Care : Medium sized, tame and relatively easy to care for these are excellent choices for captive. Baird’s Rat Snakes undergo a dramatic color and pattern change from hatchling through adulthood. As adults they feed readily on frozen thawed mice and small rats.