Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...lurking here and there that prefer the natural, cryptically colored snakes as typically found in the wild. Truth is, brown, black and straw colored snakes with full patterns are the rule. In the wild, it's blend in or die. To each their own! As for me, I prefer them as I see them in the wild. Here are a few examples of the snakes that appeal most to me...

There are brown Sonorans...

and there are Sonorans with reddish browns...

Great Basin's are masters of tan...

Typical San Diego's are mostly brown and black and straw though some populations contain reddish brown and yellow colored individuals like these...

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“You could have a snake for 30 years and the second you leave his cage door cracked, he’s gone, and they’ll never come to you unless you’re holding a mouse in your teeth.” (Bill Haast, 1997).

What a great post, and valid statements!! Your specimens are perfect and beyond, and are a testimony to the true beauty of pits!

I do have quite a few pit morphs, and while I do love them, and enjoy them immensely, I have come, over the years, to appreciate the natural forms, and just all-out like the natural variances, so much more. Some though, could like the morph variations more, and that is great too!! Not one side is right, IMO.

Burlington CO, northern pine:

Deppei Deppei:

One of my favorite snakes in my collection, an actual Okeetee Corn. Not a name given to those who think what Okeetee corns should look like but an actual, locality specimen:

God forbid anyone would appreciate a normal corn these days that was only $20 or so, instead of being overcome with the " gotta-morph-all-of-my-corns " fever.

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Genesis 1:1

Equally great reply Billy AND exceptional animals. I know I'm growing more and more opinionated with each passing year but there are times where I wish more of the active posters here routinely had photos of wild snakes to share. The genetic potential of herps are obvious and the talents of many of those who breed snakes are off-the-charts exceptional in terms of all of the color and pattern combinations produced.

Personally though, I get more pumped over a few nice photos of an old mud brown Pacific gopher out in an old field someplace being more of a herper and I appreciate the other forums that address the field side, but there are NEVER too many photos of the Pituophis clan. More often, too few.

I've been to the Pinelands Preserve and with those white sand substrates combined with all of the fallen needles and old cones, those black and white northerns blend right in. Even the Okeetee corns, as bright orange as they are, blend right in among a carpet of longleaf pine needles and some filtered sunlight. Corns just don't appear any better than that anywhere else but then there goes my opinion again...
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“You could have a snake for 30 years and the second you leave his cage door cracked, he’s gone, and they’ll never come to you unless you’re holding a mouse in your teeth.” (Bill Haast, 1997).

Now that's something I can relate to. Observing snakes blending in with their natural habitat, that's just one of the most beautiful things in life, hands down. I always find it extremely hard to release a snake I just captured. But then again, the moment I decide to take it home, it would become just another snake. Like the magic is gone, or something.
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I'm Dutch. Somebody shoot me.

Thank you sir!!

I would only dream of finding a northern pine in the wild, to photograph and observe, probably fainting with excitement like some chick at an Elvis show years ago. HA HA!!

Ginter showed me photos of one he had come across in the wild, and it was literally one of the most exciting things for me to see, from a friend's set of pics of snakes found in the wild.

I gotta get out to West TX sometime to find some bulls and alterna, my second love.

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Genesis 1:1

Billy, I always say to each his own, AS LONG AS FOLKS DO NOT MISREPRESENT non locale specimans and morphs. However, like you and pit fan, I LOVE my locality animals and own only a couple snakes that are not the way moma nature made them. AWESOME animals by the way!! Those N Pines are killing me.

Joe

Great post Joe!!
If you don't have any northerns, you gotta get some! There is nothing like them!!!

Same snake but indoors:

Brownish-blotched buddy of mine:

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Genesis 1:1

As for me, I prefer them as I see them in the wild.

Im with you 100%. I only breed a few different types of snakes. I mostly breed and keep them to learn, but the babies do help pay for some of my hobby. Love the sonorans, I have a pair of het for hypo gophers, my favorite snakes other than most of the kings i have.
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Chris - TX