Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The color was nice as a hatchling but now it is just incredible.
Tom Stevens

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TomsSnakes.com

It would be awesome to see one of these fully striped.
Tom Stevens

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TomsSnakes.com

Tom, that snake is incredible. After seeing that, I'm thinking I really need to get back into Pits.

thanks for sharing.

Dave
DNS Reptiles

Thanks Dave, Jason Nelson and myself feel there's a ton of combos yet to be seen in these Gophers. The morph previously referred to as Sunglow on Jasons site will from now on [by us anyway] be called the Dyergate. As it is a double homozygous Dyer and Applegate in one snake. The babies are incredibly vivid neon orange, but the one I have here is now yellow and has a lot of different colors in its mix which is extremely hard to capture in a photo. I think the striped Dyergate is going to be incredible some day. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Ya know I am glad you are considering getting back into Pits. Some people who think about getting them shy away since too many people prefer other colubrids for various reasons. As a guy who loves and breeds Pits the thing I am most proud of is the fact I have sold some too people who were hesitant and even more so just not interested in them. All those people ended up loving them, and that is what breeders of Pits need to keep doing. Showing people who are looking for a "new" snake that there's plenty of them right under their noses. I think for people into Rat snake, Kings and Milks there's a good Pit for anyone. I was so happy when I had 1.1 Pines. Now I have about......15 or so. I intend to get at ;eats one or two or five more this year too. Take it easy Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

You're right. There are a ton of cool snakes out there, including the Pits. I used to do sonoran gophers and black pines years back... and really enjoyed working with them. Man some of those pines had personality!

My issue relates to space...I don't have unlimited space and its easier to have a colony of milks than Pits when you're space constrained due to their size and food size preferences. I take it these gophers are smaller than bulls or pines, right? I ought to start with them...the wheels are turning...

Dave

I agree, I would have more Pits but I do not like to keep them in small enclosures. These San Diegos on average stay a lot smaller than Sonorans. I have proven breeder females that are basically the size of Corns, matter of fact I have some Corns bigger than these. This is why I say sometimes you don't realize a great project you are capable of enjoying is right under your nose. I have mine in a Vision rack. These are the only Pits I keep in a rack system, the boxes are 32 qt size. I have my others in cages or containers that have 6 foot of floor space. I know these snakes are not arboreal but I find they appreciate taller cages than Kings and Milks. Maybe they do not like that feeling of the lid being so close to them? Maybe not.....but these little guys seem content in the rack. I would like to get them in the next size up though with the Iris CB-70 Boxes. Maybe next year. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

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Very nice Tom
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1.2 Albino Sonoran Gopher,
2.3 W.C Okeetee Corn,
1.1 Abbt line Okeetee Corn,
1.2 W.C Miami Phase Corn
1.1 Sinaloan Milk,
1.0 Orange Pueblian Milk,
1.1 W.C Mexican Black King
1.0 W.C Cal King,
0.1 Durango Mountain King
1.0 Desert King,
1.2 Bearded Dragon
45 Tanks full with African Cichlids.
Many Mice, Rats and feeder Roaches

np