Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone out there working w/these cool snakes? I have a hatchling currently taking remarkably large Utas. I'm hoping to get some size on him/her over the Summer in the hopes of switching him over to rodents in the Fall. Was curious to hear of other's experiences.

Bill

I've never seen a snake get your hopes up more. Will bite and hold onto rodents for 10-20 minutes and not consume them. But I have a feeling I am close.

Hey, how 'bout some pics?

Bill

I´ve seen a few people trying to keep Oxybelis aenus, Oxybelis fulgidus and also Xenoxybelis argenteus here in Brazil.

They are difficult feeders and need a lot of space. Beautiful species and unfortunatelly I have never seen breeding of any of these.

I didn't know the range of O. aeneus could go as far as Mexico. Pretty impressive since they range almost the entire extension of brazilian rainforests. I can compare it only to Iguana and Boa constrictor.

Actually it was caught in the US! Right on the border w/Nogales. They have an extremely limited range there...represents the northern extreme of their range. He pounds amazingly large lizards for his size..actually took small adult Utas over this year's hatchlings which are tiny and seem perfectly suited!

Bill

Had to clean and snapped a few pics while I was at it. Onery little snake thats for sure. All bluff though.

Bill

most will bite. Some are very eager to get those rear teeth engaged which is no picnic. About twenty years ago I used an agave stalk to flip one out of an oak while he crossed an open spot. I had to backpeddle to catch him whereupon he sunk his fangs into my thumb and I fell backwards into a prickly pear at the same time, lol. Painful bite from the puntures but only a little burning sensataion and numbness otherwise.