Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Rich,
As per our conversation, and your request for additional red-phase/yellow-phase northern pine snake photos here you go. I hope you enjoy.

This is a yellow-phase male that was said to have been produced by John Ginter. He is a 2007 animal and is the father to a clutch of seven eggs that I am highly anticipating their hatching. Currently he is between sheds, and is a bit dull. Overall I would say he is about 5 feet in total length.

This is a red-phase female also said to have been produced by John Ginter. She is also a 2007 animal and is the mother of the clutch of seven eggs fertilized by the yellow-phase male above. They are brother/sister, and while I am usually VERY hesitant to breed such animals I am trying to re-solidify the brick red and bumble bee yellow-phase animals that seem to have been lost since the mid-1990s. She is about 4 feet in total length. Next year she will be bred to an unrelated red-phase male that I acquired a few weeks ago. Anyway, here she is.

This brute is a big 6-foot male red-phase that is unrelated to the above animals. He is my newest northern pine snake, and was purchaed from a good friend up north a bit. He is a CB animal as well and is believed to have been produced in either 2005 or 2006. This snake is unreal in coloration, and my crappy photo skills simply do him little justice.

I also have a few hi-white animals. Here is a 4-foot female hunting her prey. I feed live mice as treats to my pine snakes. I like keeping a little bit of their wild side in them, despite being CB for who knows how many generations. I have a male for her that is equally as contrasting. They will be bred next season for the first time. Here is the female.

Ok, well that's all for now. I hope you enjoy the photos. Feel free to ask questions.
Cheers,
--Brian
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--Brian Scott

Brian, great photos of exceptional pines. Thanks for taking the time to take photos for me. Colors are definitely much more pronounced in this set.

Brick red and Bumble Bee pines. They did exist, or I believe they did. Such a long time since I'm starting to believe my imagination took over

Great project to take on. Nice reds to work with as well. The new male shows great potential. Red to red next season may bare forth some surprises. Be something if you could get a line going on those.

Your yellow is the closest I have seen since the early 80's. I really wish I had a yellow to send you to pair up. I should have been wiser back then. It would be something else if you could bring that phase back as well. I can not even find pics of the yellow phase from that era.

Have you had the pleasure to see old photos of the yellows that were once being worked with? Either way I wish you much success as the yellow pine you have appears to be a great one to start with.

And there you have it. High whites made even better with dark black blotches. Of course, always my favorite. First saw an impressive B/W group at the Staten Island Zoo when I was just a child. I was hooked from there. Still my favorite.

Please keep us posted on the eggs. I am interested as I am sure you are, in seeing what pops out.

Best regards, Rich Hebron

Hey Rich,
Thanks for the nice words. I appreciate that very much!
I am also excited about the potential of helping to bring back those super clean lines from years past. I have seen old images of John Cherry's red-phase animals, which is why I even took possession of the animals that I have, but I have never seen images of older yellow-phase stock. I was told at one point that there was a race of northern pine called a bumble bee, so that is why I used that term for my male yellow-phase.
As for the current eggs that are still incubating, I have offered to send John Ginter a female from the batch so as to help him maintain his line. Unfortunately I am not able to 100% guarantee that the big female is from her, but sometimes you just have to true your source and have some faith and take some chances. If not, you will go insane. I think some people tend forget that for most of us this is just a hobby, and hobbies are supposed to be fun.
Anyway, I digress.
As for the remainder of the eggs, as long as they all hatch out and do what they're supposed to do I will probably hold onto them until I can see some assemblage of coloration then pick a couple to hold back for the "project." The others I will off.
And as for next year I think right now I am going to breed that yellow boy to a peach-phase female that I have and the two reds will be paired with each other. It should all be interesting, that's for sure!!
Again, thanks for the nice words. I am happy you enjoyed the photos......even though I still cannot really capture their true colors!!!
Cheers,
---Brian
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--Brian Scott

I have only viewed one pic of John's red-phase. It was what I would consider a nice brick red. The nicest yellows were more of a darker phase typical yellow ratsnake in color. The cleaner the snake of course the better the look. It was not so much as the yellow having such great intensity, as many reading these posts might envision. It was actually the deep dark black blotching some of these consisted of which set off the cleaner yellow pine's high contrasting colors.

Now, envision such colors kept through maturity on a snake for example, like Russ P's previous post (pic) of a very healthy and robust high contrast B/W. The yellows and especially the reds were huge individuals. They were a sight.

Yes, you would think hobbies are suppose to be fun but I'm not going there as I could probably fill a couple of pages on why this hobby may be a little different than the norm

I would probably keep the hatchlings for a bit longer myself. Perhaps a year or even longer to see what their potential could be.

Didn't Cherry produce peach phase as well? Interesting pairing of the two.

As far as your pics go, they captured enough of their color. If they appear even more colorful to you than what the pics show you are very close to accomplishing your goal.

Thanks again

what does that mean ?
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

LOL....oops, sorry, yet another typo in my ramblings. I meant trade off.
Thanks,
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--Brian Scott

ok cool I thought u meant kill them...I was about to kick you in the ass LOL
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

GOODNESS NO!!!
LOLO.....I am one of those guys who will just hold on to them until I can trade or give them away. I have NO PLANS on selling any of my baby northern pine snakes. Now baby Louisiana pine snakes on the other hand....well something has to pay for my mounting food bills )))
Thanks!
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--Brian Scott

Awesome pictures, thanks for posting. I was thinking of getting a few Pine's but I have no clue who to get them from, and unfortunately I was not around to see the lines in the 80's or 90's because I am younger than all you old farts-haha just joking.

I also grew up in the West and have actually never seen a Pine Snake in person, just in the photos. I can tell (some what) of Gopher locales from certain areas around where I live, but every Pine Snake I have seen looks almost identical to me. I am sure for you guys that have been around and have worked with them at one time or another its night and day.

Spyiii,
Thank you for the nice words, as well.
There are many people who have very nice northern pine snakes available. I am sure you check the classifieds from time to time, right?
At any rate, my advice is to get animals that are het for nothing and as "classic" as can be. This way you are more likely to be sure they are 100% pure northern and not some mix. Recently there has been other localities than NJ stock brought up. Perhaps hunting for some NC or SC stock would be a good start. I have seen locality animals from both of those states and while they are unmistakable northern pines, they do show subtle differences and are very handsome critters.
Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!
--Brian
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--Brian Scott

n/p

Thanks Monklet!!
Oh, btw, a while back I sent you a message. Did you get it?? If not no big deal, I just had a question about big northern pine females.
Cheers!
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--Brian Scott

Hey Brian, no I did not get your message? Are they received via email or is there somewhere to pick them up on KS? I've sent a couple PMs and have received no reply - but maybe they don't like me ))

Anyways, my email is my username (monklet) at drakeinteractive DOT COM ... I know, lame way to obfuscate but I'm sure you get it.

Hope I can help but I'm no pro at this.

Cheers,
Brad

E-mail sent
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--Brian Scott

>>Hey Rich,
>>As per our conversation, and your request for additional red-phase/yellow-phase northern pine snake photos here you go. I hope you enjoy.
>>
>>This is a yellow-phase male that was said to have been produced by John Ginter. He is a 2007 animal and is the father to a clutch of seven eggs that I am highly anticipating their hatching. Currently he is between sheds, and is a bit dull. Overall I would say he is about 5 feet in total length.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>This is a red-phase female also said to have been produced by John Ginter. She is also a 2007 animal and is the mother of the clutch of seven eggs fertilized by the yellow-phase male above. They are brother/sister, and while I am usually VERY hesitant to breed such animals I am trying to re-solidify the brick red and bumble bee yellow-phase animals that seem to have been lost since the mid-1990s. She is about 4 feet in total length. Next year she will be bred to an unrelated red-phase male that I acquired a few weeks ago. Anyway, here she is.
>>
>>
>>This brute is a big 6-foot male red-phase that is unrelated to the above animals. He is my newest northern pine snake, and was purchaed from a good friend up north a bit. He is a CB animal as well and is believed to have been produced in either 2005 or 2006. This snake is unreal in coloration, and my crappy photo skills simply do him little justice.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>I also have a few hi-white animals. Here is a 4-foot female hunting her prey. I feed live mice as treats to my pine snakes. I like keeping a little bit of their wild side in them, despite being CB for who knows how many generations. I have a male for her that is equally as contrasting. They will be bred next season for the first time. Here is the female.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Ok, well that's all for now. I hope you enjoy the photos. Feel free to ask questions.
>>Cheers,
>>--Brian
>>-----
>>--Brian Scott
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

Cool. Not everyday you see someone feeding their snake in the back of his truck!

reako45

LOL.....thanks!!!
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--Brian Scott

Hi Brian

nice photodisplay you work with

For sure it is fine to see your snakies in pictures!

Regards
Bernd - the German Pituophis-strangler
www.pinesnake.de