Don,

I don't keep Elaphe carinata, but I did have one for a couple years, a young one. There's lots of info in the literature, if you have any specific questions we can research for you. This is also a species that has been kept by quite a few folks that like large ratsnakes. It comes in an albino and hypo form also. There are probably several sites you can go to, but I have only one so far, Jim Kavney's site, Hiss 'N Things, which is still up, but not active. I don't think he keeps the snakes anymore (retired).

There are lots of photos still on the site, however, such as these....


I wish you luck getting the wildlife park started. Maybe I'll get a chance to visit someday.

King rats have a few generally known characteristics. They are heavily keeled (normally); they are known for strong musk (the Stinking Goddess); they are mostly a subtropical snake, which could explain why they aren't on the Korean Peninsula; they inhabit montane areas and are largely nocturnal, having partially eliptical pupils; and they eat a variety of prey, including other snakes, venomous and non-venomous.

I had a hard time accepting them as a member of the Elaphe, because of some of their different adaptations; but they do have some obvious ratsnake characters, such as a subocular scale (normally), color/pattern changes towards maturity, and racer/ratsnake behaviors. I still think they might have their own genus eventually.

There's a lot of variety in carinata and a couple different ssps, like the one on Taiwan and subtropical Japanese islands. There's a few different color/pattern forms also, along with the mutations being bred. Good luck finding them and let us know if we can help.

PS: Do you supply the reptile trade in Korea, or do you ship overseas, or both? Thanks...

Terry

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