Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found what I think is a baby Elephae obsoleta in a felow teacher's class today. Luckily one of the janitors came and got me before they went ahead and bashed it to death like they usually do. It's about 12" long and I will try to post a pic soon for definite identification.

2 questions...

First, I live in southside VA and don't think that there are any protection laws on these guys, anyone know if I'm wrong.

Second, I would love to raise him and calm him down so I can try to show my students that they aren't something to be feared and hunted down. The fear of these snakes here is unreal. I could go into some stories I've heard and witnessed, but it would just depress me too much. Any suggestions on getting him to eat F/T pinkies? I keep corns and assume that it's similar, but we all know what assuming can get ya.

Thanks
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Ball Pythons 1.1 (Morty & Mary)
Amazon Tree Boas 1.1 (Orville & Aeme)
Corn Snakes 3.2 (?, Bob, Sandy, Candy, and Tye)
Leopard Geckos 1.2 (Leo, Spaz, and Spot)
LOTSO BABIES!
Central Painted Turtle 1.0 (Swim)
Red-Eared Slider 0.0.1 (Harold)
Mississippi Map Turtles 0.0.6
(Modelo, Tecate, Corona, Sol, XX, Bohemia)
Western Painted Turtle 0.0.1 (Picaso)
Columbian Red-Tailed Boa 1.0 (James Jr.)

www.geocities.com/wink0083

Actually you assumed correctly. Keeping it is EXACTLY like keeping a corn. Just gets a little bigger and is more curious as to the world around it. Great display snakes. Get it taking live first and switching to f/t or f/k will be a snap. They eat anything that could be remotely classified as food.

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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

I would give it a good week of quite time and alot of hiding places.Then try to feed it a live pinky.If you cant get it to eat in a couple of weeks I would let it go back to the wild.You can purchase captive borns rats at a very reasonable price.I would also keep him away from your other snakes for fear of mites and other parasites wc carry.Good luck.

Thanks for the input, and I will definitely release before I let starve. This will actually be my second attempt, I let one go that I found in the back hall of the school a week ago after keeping it for 9 days and 2 failed feed attempts.

I've watched for captive bred of these guys and never seen them. I've seen Texas black snakes and other similars, or leucistic forms, but not just plain old het for nothing babies. Any ideas of breeders who offer them? I'd much rather get a cb for the parasite and ecological reasons and I definitely want an obsoleta because if it doesn't look exactly like what the kids see around their house then it doesn't have the same impact.
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Ball Pythons 1.1 (Morty & Mary)
Amazon Tree Boas 1.1 (Orville & Aeme)
Corn Snakes 3.2 (?, Bob, Sandy, Candy, and Tye)
Leopard Geckos 1.2 (Leo, Spaz, and Spot)
LOTSO BABIES!
Central Painted Turtle 1.0 (Swim)
Red-Eared Slider 0.0.1 (Harold)
Mississippi Map Turtles 0.0.6
(Modelo, Tecate, Corona, Sol, XX, Bohemia)
Western Painted Turtle 0.0.1 (Picaso)
Columbian Red-Tailed Boa 1.0 (James Jr.)

www.geocities.com/wink0083

Michael Jolliff sells black rats but I haven't seen him on in a while. Check the classifieds. I have seen black rats advertised quite often.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

It'll be hard to find a CB Black Rat because they are illegal to sell in VA since they are a native species. You can keep the one you have legally though. You're allowed up to five WC in your collection. And it is also illegal to import them into the state from a breeder.

I'm in VA too and was looking into getting one but I hit this road block.

Here is hoping your guy will feed!

At 12", you have a very young Black Rat Snake, if that is what it is. Try f/t small pinks on a snake this size. Many will eat if they are left in peace. I have had some baby rats that liked to have their food waved in front of them with a pair of long forcepts. I have read that braining sometimes helps, but it never worked for me. Sometimes, a drop or two of "Mouse Maker" by T-Rex helped.

As far as keeping native snakes in VA goes. The law says you can have up to 5 native snakes. Albino snakes don't count.

I also live on SE Va. If you need any help, write me.

Rick

I picked up a live pinky this afternoon and dropped it in. I don't want to mess with the snake to get a pic, but I'll go for it in a couple of days and post it. I'm pretty sure it's E. obsoleta after looking at some identification info and also because of some circumstantial evidence. Last spring I found a 6.5' skin in the school's courtyard and a 4'er sunning on the sidewalk so there's definitely breeder sized blacks around and no one has ever seen any other species other than rough scaled green tree snakes. I'm going with the assumption that a clutch of eggs must have just recently hatched as this little guy is the second one I've found and other than a slight pattern differnce, they might as well be clones.
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Ball Pythons 1.1 (Morty & Mary)
Amazon Tree Boas 1.1 (Orville & Aeme)
Corn Snakes 3.2 (?, Bob, Sandy, Candy, and Tye)
Leopard Geckos 1.2 (Leo, Spaz, and Spot)
LOTSO BABIES!
Central Painted Turtle 1.0 (Swim)
Red-Eared Slider 0.0.1 (Harold)
Mississippi Map Turtles 0.0.6
(Modelo, Tecate, Corona, Sol, XX, Bohemia)
Western Painted Turtle 0.0.1 (Picaso)
Columbian Red-Tailed Boa 1.0 (James Jr.)

www.geocities.com/wink0083

Well, did it eat the mouse?

they just hatched last month and are locale animals, het for nothing!! LOL

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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Yellow rat snake "Wolverine" (Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Great looking pup. I just love Rats that are het for nothing. Congrats!