Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello, does anybody know the difference between a lerah and a biak chondro? it looks like the lerah chondro is a little bit more expensive, why is that? any color difference when they reach adulthood?

Most places that just "sell" Morelia Viridis in a store front reptile store don't know where the Hell they came from so they label it coming from a certain region thinking it will change into certain characteristic colors thought to originate in those bloodlines. Nobody knows what they chondro will end up looking like though when they reach adulthood. It's basically a sales tactic to make more money.

They are trying to say the Biak (whick is an island and thus snakes from there are more distinguishable as to display more of a speckled color pattern and the other is from Lareh region which doesn't necessarily define itself as a subspecies catagory because they can mix and crossbreed due to less natural barriers to seperate them.

If the snakes are accurately represented, a Biak will be from Biak island, Indonesia. A Lereh is mainland type west of Jayapura.

The mainland types are usually, but not always yellow neonates and grow into vibrant green snakes with blue dorsal patterns. Their disposition is usually quite calm.

The Biak Island locale comes in both red and yellow neonates. As adults their color pattern is quite variable and may have high yellow markings, the green is usually a more olive on mature adults and may have random spotting throughout of white or black. The biaks are quite a bit slower to change to their adult color and often take up to and longer than 5 years to change completely. They are and usually has a pretty feisty disposition.

Biaks are the most commonly imported babies, with some of the other locale types drawing higher prices because there are not as many available.