Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I ran across an ad from an importer, ad was for some milk snakes... they're from a breeder in Costa Rica... I won't say what they were advertised as since I want completely unprejudiced replies. Bought them sight unseen... no photos, no nothing. Fairly stupid/risky but having some knowledge of the breeder I took the risk they would be what was advertised.

Pictures are of three of the five snakes I purchased... there's three photos of each individual and hopefully the photos are good enough to make judgements by. I picked those three individuals simply because they display the widest variation in snout patterns in the group.

So give me some opinions on what you think they are... hopefully the answers won't prove my having been stupid... don't think I was... which is sort of a first.

Lampropeltis triangulum stuarti. Nice specimens, too. Even without country of origin info, those are stuarti. Please e-mail me with additional information if you don't want to post it here!
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-Cole

No objections to posting it here or sending/taking emails for anything you want to know.

Yes they are stuarti... just purchased them from Bushmaster Reptiles. I first ran across them several years ago while trying to hunt up a new line of gaigeae which I knew my son Nathan was interested in obtaining. Thanks to snooping around on the net I found a gentleman down in Costa Rica that was breeding them. When I contacted him he told me he had just several weeks before sent a shipment of both stuarti and gaigeae to Bushmaster... I contacted them and found he had already sold all of them the previous week... oddly enough that was the same time Mr. Hardwick and Dell suddenly had a new line of gaigeae. Since that time I've been on Bushmasters mailing list for available animals... still no gaigeae for my boy but stuarti were there... so I took the chance.

Trying to get locality info on them now... still haven't heard back from the breeder yet but he's a busy guy and I'm guessing is away often.

Anyway... I'd write more but due to loads of work the woodworking shop I'm with has started a second shift... which I foolishly volunteered for... so I'm off. Email if you want and I'll tell you all you might want... along with names... hopefully I'm not breaking a rule by mentioning a business... just mentioning them as a matter of fact... not intending to give free advertisement or endorsement.

Gerry

Nice pick up there Gerry, please post locale data when you get it.....I was tossed up between L.t.stuarti and intergrade with L.t.stuarti and L.t.hondurensis...Locale data would be great!

I bet you were pretty excited when you opened that box up, just like the old days....Lol
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according to the breeder that has just replied to me... the adults were collected near the town of Sardinal on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica... and thus a different (as far as I can tell) locale/bloodline than the very few other examples of stuarti currently available.

If you want to keep updated on details as I learn them just send me a PM... I'll update you when I am

Gerry

That is really awesome to know Gerry. That locale indeed makes them as genuinely authentic L.t.stuarti as you can get!. No other possible influence in that area whatsoever.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"

going to send you a pm asking for another opinion as soon as I finish eating... all this overtime at odd hours is killing me... at least I have tomorrow off ( my first day in two weeks) with no plans beyond having a fishing pole in my hands.

Gerry

Sounds good Gerry!

ps,...I absolutely LOVE fishing as well..

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"

I have to agree with Doug there Gerry, there is no possible influence of any other ssp at that locale. Great Job! It's always nice to see some of the good guys get something great done in this hobby. Now can we get some new arcifera,dixoni, and smithi in the hobby. Or maybe even some micropholis. I would love to see even a new line of campbelli back in the states. Sure hope it's before I am dead...
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Gerry,.....

Those do indeed key-out very well as L.t.stuarti...

Great scores!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"