Hallo, I’ve recently become interested in the Cooper rat snake. However, I’ve never raised a snake before. I’d like to learn more about Cooper rat snakes. Are they difficult to care for? If anyone is keeping this species, could you share more information about them? Thanks
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Do you mean copper rat snake?
I haven’t worked with them, but I would assume that like a beauty snake they can be a handful for a new keeper. Asiatic colubrids seem to be a bit spicy compared to the north American species.
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Welcome, @scheugecko. Good for you for asking questions before getting the animal. If you mean the Copper Rat Snake, my understanding is that @armiyana is correct. The so-called Old World rat snakes are less beginner-friendly than the American species. Their husbandry needs are a bit less forgiving. So are their temperaments. That’s not to say that they can’t be successfully kept, just that there’s less room for error on the keeper’s part. They generally also seem to less interested in being handled.
It depends on what you want. If you’re looking gorgeous display animal who is also willing and able to be handled regularly, I’d go with one of the wonderful American species. If the only ones that make your heart go pitty-pat are the aild World rats, do the homework, get their environment 100% dialed in well before being an animal, then proceed. Either way, good luck. And welcome again!
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Thank you for your reply! That’s right, I’m interested in the Cooper rat snake. If I was to keep this snake, I would need to study a lot. Also, I’m interested in the hognose snake too. Could you compare these two snakes for me?
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Hello! Hognoses, in my opinion, can be a good beginner snake. They are adorable and some can be quite dramatic (look up “hognose playing dead” lol). The dont get very big, especially males. And handling them is definitely ok. They are considered “venomous” but if they do chomp on you, most people don’t have any kind of adverse reaction to the venom, although it is possible.
I know nothing about ratsnakes but I do have a hognose. Just make sure western hognose (or eastern) are legal where you live before considering one.
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If you do go with a hognose, I recommend that you be sure to get one who is feeding reliably on f/t. You’ll get different opinions on how beginner-friendly the species is. They are very different from the Copper (not “Cooper”) rat snake. For one thing, hognoses can be handled. Trinket snakes, including the Copper rat, are really best thought of as display-only. They can and should be socialized enough to be handled when necessary for cleaning and vet care. Individual exceptions exist, but expect this socialization to likely entail many strikes. If you are antsy about being repeatedly bitten, this is not the species for you. There are solid reasons why these aren’t seen at educational events for kids. Trinket snakes aren’t known to appreciate regular human attention.
Not that challenges can’t be met, but it sounds like the species’ appeal to you is based off something other than personal interaction with these animals. Before you firm up your choice of species, I would encourage you to consider your goals in getting a snake. What do you most want? One you can regularly handle? A beautiful display animal? A snake you’ll see often in its enclosure, as opposed to a species who stays hidden? (For me personally, my corn snakes check those boxes admirably.) What are your space concerns? Any health concerns for yourself or for the person who would care for the animal if you’re away or ill? What, visually, do you like? What sort of personality If you want one to handle even sometimes? If possible, meet some of these animals in person. Talk to people who have them. What do they enjoy most about the species? What do they wish was different? What is hardest?
Then consider how much husbandry work you actually want to do. And it is work, and it goes on for years. It’s not the same, but if you’ve ever had aquaria or plants (not as a kid when we all made mistakes if an adult wasn’t helping), are you the person who keeps vibrant the species which die on others? Are you the person who sticks with the “easy keepers” because you don’t like having dead fish and plants? No shame there; knowing when something is more trouble than we’ll keep on doing and doing and doing, that’s wisdom.
Ultimately the choice is yours. The animals we choose are, in effect, hostage to our wishes. Choose well, keep kindly. Good luck.
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I have owned several hognose snakes and I have one now. In my humble opinion they do not make good beginner snakes unless you get one that is feeding reliably, preferably on ft, as Caryl stated above.
Hogs eat toads, lizards, frogs etc in the wild. Sometimes it takes a few attempts to get a baby to eat ft rodents without scenting it with a lizard or some such. Not everyone keeps lizards etc.
My boy is not picky about what he eats but he is picky about how he eats it. He still insists on eating his fuzzies inside of a container that is inside of his enclosure. Otherwise he will hiss at the food and tunnel back under his substrate. Which btw, I very rarely ever see him during the day unless it’s his nose. The rest of him stays buried, at least during the day. What he does at night I have no idea because I am asleep! 
. But I sometimes do dig him out of his aspen to commune with him occasionally because he has a very mild demeanor. He has never struck at me ever.
So as @caryl said in her full post, you really should think about how you want to enjoy your snake before purchasing it because it is a lifetime commitment……
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I wasn’t planning to buy a snake right away, but after hearing what you’ve said, I think I need to be more cautious. I realize I need to study more about snakes. It might take longer than I initially thought, and I might even give up halfway. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a corn snake—I’ll look into that too, haha. Thank you! @caryl @caron
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Oh yeah there certainly is such a thing as a corn snake! I have a bunch of them!
Don’t hesitate to stick around to learn and ask questions!!!
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If you’re looking for fun, colorful, and easy - a corn is definitely the way to go! I love my hognoses too, but they can be challenging.
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I really appreciate the way that you’re open to learning, @scheugecko. Curiosity and an open mind are such marvelous qualities.
Oh yeah, definitely worth a look! I love them for many reasons, including their vast variety of colors and patterns, and their friendly, curious personalities. They were among the creatures which I kept as classroom pets, and that was a joy. Corns are widely regarded as beginner- friendly, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t extremely satisfying if what you’re looking for is an animal with whom to interact regularly. They also offer a lot of scope for fascination in breeding projects, but that’s a different kettle of snakes. 
You have research ahead, yes? Into new and fascinating creatures? I freely admit I am a nerd, but that sounds like fun!
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Corn snakes have such a wide variety of morphs—it’s amazing! I find it fascinating that they use large water bowls in their enclosures to soak while shedding. Taking care of them seems easier than I thought!
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They really do come in an incredible variety of morphs. Some like to soak, some like to swim, some never get in the water. That’s kind of an individual thing, like with humans. Corns are very beginner-friendly, as far as husbandry goes. They are also less delicate than certain species so if there’s a minor glitch, it’s less likely to be fatal. (Like if the power goes out for two hours, your corn snake will be fine.)
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