Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
Im picking up an eastern this week,Ive got the cage all ready.One thing thats bugging me out is,
Should this cage be kept on the dry side,(just small little water bowl), or being this snake is coming from south florida a
more humid enviorment.thanks Bob

I keep my two pairs of easterns in 3" deep aspen bedding and a 6" water bowl and cage size requirements are as follows ...the cage perimeter should be one and a half times the length of the longest snake in the cage, the hight should be tall enough to accomadate a screen or vent 8"x12" on each end to ensure proper ventalation (coachwhips spend more time above ground than under ground like most other snakes)the moving air keeps their wild sences going and wildcought individuals will undoubtably require these cage specs to assure survival. as for humidity...I mist my animals only as their going into shed and do so under their hidbox so I don't recommend misting entire cage but just under the box, I never have a eyecap problem or any stuck sheds. also I have found that if your cage faces a window or glass door you'll see them out more often and the wild snakes will remain sein longer, new snake? it should eat mice but you can't hold most coachwhips like pets,they'll never tame but will breed if you leave them alone. JB

Heh, heh...I had to laugh at the comment about not being able to hold them as pets, because my big male western just bit me through the glove the other day. I had him out and was changing his water bowl, when he let fly and got me through the glove. Man! They've got some teeth on them.

Kevin

every time I think I got ones trust, it will strike at my face, I still rarely get bit but have had all four of the wild easterns for almost one year and I pull each one out on sunny mornings and hold them in sunlight for about two minutes before they become poised for my face with mouth slightly opened.... but their all happy and all have good weight on them and should breed in late winter. I'm expecting 30 eggs (15 from each female.) JB

Are you by any chance going to have any of the babies for sale once they hatch out? I've been looking for a couple of easterns for a while, haven't found any though.

their very hard to start out of the egg so I have been getting them on small lizards and releasing them on the local beaches where rats are too common, but if you think you want to, try emailing me in the late spring....JB

I'd be willing to give it a try, I've started some very tricky snakes out of the eggs before, the worst were baby black racers that I eventually got started on crickets, then on up to pinks...the trick I've found is to just leave them alone, put the food in the cage and leave the room for at least a couple of days. If coachwhips are anything like racers out of the egg, I think I could do it.

incidently kevin, I just had my six foot female out and she is gravid!, looks like those eighteen eggs will be here sooner than I thought, this would be her second cluch this year. in reguards to your new post... thou they are cousins of racers and indigos, their home ranges are huge, and they are extreamly active when active (mid march- july) but are also very in-active july- feb. indigos and racers are active all year long, and indigos especially, in the winter months, and where as most snakes are under more than on the surface during active times, coachwhips are on the surface more than underground so they are tourmented from hatch to adult by seagulls and all birds more so than most other snakes. maybe this explaines why their so aggressive by nature...oh and I heared a man say that crickets will stop up babies intestional tract and caused the death of over half of his clutch so I'd stick with lizards or pinkiepump them for a month or two...adults are able to maintain good weight too, if unstressed, my six foot female eats 8-12 mice every two weeks but my, nearly seven foot male eats only 20 mice a year and both are fat snakes, especially for coachwhips...heres another pic. JB

Active all year long? I didn't know that...gravid female, eh? Definately keep me posted, I'd love to pick up a couple of babies from you, if you're interested in red westerns my male's been courting my female, not sure if they've bred this year or not, but fingers crossed.
Kevin

are you the guy with the piecus, or are yours red phase westerns? here is a pic of a piecus.

we'll swap, are you the guy with piecus or are yours red phase westerns....did we already have this conversation a few months ago? here is a pic of a piceus. JB

Oh hey, it's you! I didn't realize I was talking to the guy that I bought those from, mine are the pieces. I've had them together for a little while now, but I don't know if they've bred or not. One of them bit me through a glove the other day, damn they've got some teeth...

Kevin

no I'm not the piecus guy, but I would trade some for sure if your breeding them, like the one in the pic right kev?

Yes, I have the pieces, exactly like the one in the picture, actually. Both of mine are a gorgeous reddish-orange, with the black bands around the neck...I believe my female MAY be gravid, but it's a little early to tell, I'll keep you posted.

Kevin