Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I picked up a copy of the April 2006 Reptiles magazine yesterday because I knew Rico Walder of Signal Herptoculture had an article in it. I HAD to see what new gems of wisdom he was sharing with everyone.

Thank you Rico!!!! The article addresses the reputation that both Emeralds and Chondros have as being aggressive, biting snakes. Rico has shared his years of experience with these animals and HOW to properly handle them without causing undue stress to the snakes or owners.

My short term personal experience mirrors Rico's many years with these animals. Even my most aggressive chondros are fairly easy to handle during the daytime hours and the majority of them are actually quite sweet natured and seem to enjoy a little time for exploration out of their enclosures from time to time.

As an avid chondro fan I am very happy to see some of our "chondro godfathers" helping to dispel the myths of these wonderful animals!!

Rico really does know what he's talking about. Here's a little story for you.

A few years back at Daytona a bunch of us were sitting in Rico's hotel room. He opened his cooler where he stored his animals over night and noticed that 5 or so emeralds had gotten out and were wandering the cooler. Jon Romano and i were trying to pick them up to put them back in their bag's / boxes but kept getting snapped at. Rico comes over and picks each snake up with out them striking at him at all. Our jaws dropped, Rico calmly said "you just gotta know how to read these guys"..
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Julian Garcia
Chondros Exquisite
Seattle,WA

........... OR never send a boy in to do a man's job!!!

Bwahh ha ha ha!!!! I was more dissapointed cuz most of the pics were of Emeralds. I wanted more of his GTP's. Good article though. Thank goodness both of mine are tame...even the baby!
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
1.0~Black fat cat~Topper
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

You can't deny the beauty of a Emerald. =)

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Tim Rash
www.nocturnal-creations.com

Of course not! But they certainly don't have the variety of patterns and colors of a green tree!
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
1.0~Black fat cat~Topper
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

Variety?

I do agree though, not as much variety in emeralds out there, YET!

Mike C

Holy Cow!! I didn't see this post until now. You have to admit, that's not the norm for Emeralds.
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

That's wild how you can hold your Emerald like that! Impressive. If s/he decided to clamp on to your arm how would you get it off!?!

I think Romano and I combined, almost make 1 man.....

almost.
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Julian Garcia
Chondros Exquisite
Seattle,WA

Hahaha!!! They are not Pitt Bulls they don't bite and not let go..
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Tim Rash
www.nocturnal-creations.com

Hehe. I never owned one. Okay stupid question but I thought some snakes clamped on to your arm if they get pissed. Don't venomous snakes clamp on to inject poison?

Most bite defensively. A bite and release, even poisonous species. However, my corn was in feeder mode one evening and clamped onto the inside of my elbow and proceeded to try to injest it. Took about a minute or so before I could get him to let go.
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

Hehe. Tried to swallow your elbow!?! Sorry but it's kind of funny how you put it.

Actually, it was kind of amusing. There he was clamped on to the inside of my elbow, I'm looking at him in disbelief asking him..."Why are you doing this?????? Let go you beast!" I tried sprinkling him with water and that just made him move his grip to another spot so I was going to get some drinking alcohol. I had read that a drop of alcohol in their mouth will make them let go-supposedly works for lizards so...what the heck. While going thru the liquor cabinet contemplating which bottle would be suitably crappy to spritz a rabid cornsnake with...he let go. I had two nice bloody spots on the inside of my elbow.
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.3~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin
0.1.1~Green tree python~Tempest, Whisper
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

HAHA!! That must have been a sight to behold!!!.. you searching for a bottle of Jack Daniel's with a rabid corn snake dangling from your elbow by the mouth and you looking at him saying ,"why? ...why me? why now?" HAHA!! I wish I could see that!!!