>>I've yet to find climacophora. I have spent quite a bit of time in Iwakuni (where the amel population resides), but unfortunately, I was never able to go herping there. It's very interesting that there is a viable, wild population of amelanistic snakes. When you were working with climacophora, did you find them to be nervous captives, or were they more like obsoleta?

>>



They were more like obsoleta. They weren't very nervous at all.



>>Some of the mainland species do have a large geographic range, but the southern islands (pretty much all of them south of Kyushuu) have many unique species of flora and fauna. There aren't any dry areas that I know of, and I've seen pretty much all of the islands (I was a navigator on C-130s), though some of the tiny islands aren't able to hold rain water very well. Those islands don't have a lot of herp diversity.

>>



I was referring to the three endemic ratsnakes and may not have worded that too well. I guess I thought the lowland areas and all the small islands would be dry. I wasn't considering anything below the island of Kyushu.



>>Yeah, I too think that the quad populations from higher elevations probably lean toward melanism. I've emailed someone who lives on Honshuu. He's working with them, and also gets into the field quite a bit. Hell, I should ask him to post on this forum, as he's found all three of the ratsnakes from that area.

>>I don't know about the musk. It's foul, like most ratsnakes, but it didn't jump out at me as any worse than obsoleta. Of course, after dealing with some large Ramphotyphlops in Australia, my sense of bad musk is decidedly biased.

>>I brought back one of the snakes this time (the one pictured at the base of a pine tree). It's only about 24" right now. If I enjoy working with it then I'll pair it up in the future. If not, then I'll send it to someone who is working with the species. Quite honestly, I don't like to breed snakes. Many of the species that I am interested in aren't popular, and I don't like to deal with a bunch of juvies that no one wants.

>>Shane

>>



I don't know about the musk personally, just going by "Schulz". I do know that the musk of E. bimaculata is pretty powerful, and they're a small snake. They love to stink you up too. Come to think of it, carinata is also called, the Stinking Goddess.



I breed my snakes sometimes, but I don't breed just so I can sell them. I breed to continue the species or accomplish something else of importance. Then I trade or sell any extras I have, if I can.



Keep us posted on how your quad. does



TC

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