After 20 years, we finally bred the Western Green Rat Snake (Senticolis triaspis intermdia) again. We actually consistently bred this species from 1984 through 1987; in fact, we were the second group to ever breed this species in captivity. They were first successfully bred by a group in Phoenix in 1983. We acquired a huge adult female from a close friend on breeding loan and bred her for three years. A second female was bred in 1987. Then in the 1990’s, I didn’t really have a lot of these animals, and the breeding stopped.
We raised several babies up to breeding size and today, after 20 years, we got our only fertile egg to hatch. The egg was laid in early July.
The snake pipped yesterday, after 99 days. The temperature the egg was incubated at ranged from the low 70’s °F to the low ‘80’s °F.
The egg was approximately 19 grams at the time of laying; right before hatching the egg weighed 25.3 grams. The baby, a female, weighed in at 17.1 grams. I am hoping to bred these again next year……
