Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's one of my Central China diones from the pair I have. I hope to breed them this year.

Terry Parks

But that is a nice looking snake Terry!! And you are definitely getting your moneys worth out of your new digital camera!

I bought one over the weekend too. A Kodak CX6330. Takes pretty good pics. I was using a Kodak DC260. The pics dont look too different quality wise, I guess once I start printing pics they will look better.
Brian

I was in a pet store, there was a 10 gal with about 5 baby "chinese ratsnakes" as the label read. I inquired, and the owner showed me an adult he had in a rack in the back. I'm guessing now that it was a dione. Normally when I think of Asian ratsnake, I think of either big, vicious, pain-in-the-neck-to-keep colubrids or else small, super-sensitive, over-priced pain-in-the-neck-to-keep colubrids. But this adult "Chinese ratsnake" was mellow, not 8ft (more like 32", and the owner assured me that the snake was as easy as a corn snake. His were not as pretty as this snake posted, but still interesting. Does this sound about right Terry? Are they as easy as a cornsnake?

They are a small/medium size snake with their normal length being 3 to 4 feet as adults. There are some that reach 5 feet. Diones are very docile and they are more active during the day than corns and other North American snakes. This gives you the opportunity to see them more without having to take out their hidebox so you can see them sometimes. I used to think, like you did, of this very large, aggresive snake that required humidity, special temperatures, etc. You can set the diones up like a corn and he should be fine and not stressed. Here's a link to a previous thread that mentions some things on diones.

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=225702,225702

Terry Parks

>>I was in a pet store, there was a 10 gal with about 5 baby "chinese ratsnakes" as the label read. I inquired, and the owner showed me an adult he had in a rack in the back. I'm guessing now that it was a dione. Normally when I think of Asian ratsnake, I think of either big, vicious, pain-in-the-neck-to-keep colubrids or else small, super-sensitive, over-priced pain-in-the-neck-to-keep colubrids. But this adult "Chinese ratsnake" was mellow, not 8ft (more like 32", and the owner assured me that the snake was as easy as a corn snake. His were not as pretty as this snake posted, but still interesting. Does this sound about right Terry? Are they as easy as a cornsnake?

Dione's Ratsnakes make great pets, but they don't reach five ft., Ter. Schulz says the record is 46+inches. My largest female South Korean reached 46 inches, and that's the largest one I've heard of. I would say the females are around 40 inches on ave., and the males are more like 36 inches on ave. Usually they are super tame, and I think even easier to keep than corns. At least you don't have to worry about regurging. They can stand cooler temps.

Thanks for correcting my inaccurate information. You just posted recently on that too.

Terry Parks

>>Dione's Ratsnakes make great pets, but they don't reach five ft., Ter. Schulz says the record is 46 inches. My largest female South Korean reached 46 inches, and that's the largest one I've heard of. I would say the females are around 40 inches on ave., and the males are more like 36 inches on ave. Usually they are super tame, and I think even easier to keep than corns. At least you don't have to worry about regurging. They can stand cooler temps.
>>

They are a pain in the butt to keep, etc. etc. etc., but I prefer our (North American) snakes over any other group of snakes. Dont get me wrong, I think some of the natural colors of the Asian rat snakes are awesome, its just not my cup of tea, so to speak.

I guess the snakes we have here are what really interests me. Everything from the DeKays to the big bute Indigo!!

But thats not to say I dont enjoy seeing snakes from the rest of the world, so keep on posting those pics Terry!!

Who knows, maybe you guys will convert me to the dark side!! LOL
Brian

snakes to fill most any desire to and why we keep snakes. Saying or seeing something you like doesn't mean you will go out and get one for your collection. Alot of poeople feel they haven't kept all of our own snakes much less go out and get an Asian or EuroAsian snake. That doesn't mean to say a person doesn't change over time and one day say, "hey I want to get a dione". I love seeing and reading about indigos, but I haven't made it the priority to get one yet. That doesn't mean someday I don't get up and say "I have to get one". That is the time to do it anyway. When you just have to get one is when you should get it. There is alot of "whim" buying. I see it on the classifieds where someone buys something and then its for sale not long after. There are time when you buy it for a certain reason and turn around and sell it so not everything that looks like that is "whim" buying. Besides Brian, you have way too many everglades, yellow, black, green, Texas, Bairds, etc. rat snakes to get first right. LOL

Terry Parks

There are lots of snakes I would love to get!! But just dont have the room. I was teasing the wife the other night about having to take out a loan and build a snake room on to the house!! She didnt find that amusing! LOL

But yep, there are sooo many snakes that would be cool to own. Lots of the different kings and milks too.

Can you say major addiction?? LOL
Brian

Just kidding. I love pretty much all of the north american rat snakes too but there are some really cool asian and european elaphe out there like this leopard rat snake.
We will work on you. LOL Later, Randy W.

PS- Terry that light yellow Dione is SAAAWEEEET! I have only seen one that yellow in person and would have bought a pair then and there but they only had a male.

When people post the question: "What is your favorite rat snake?". My answer is my favorite North American rat snake is the intermontanas and my favorite Old World rat snake is the situlas. I hadn't gotten either of them until recently when I got my favorite North American. I still haven't gotten my favorite Old World yet. Hmmmmmm!! That's a screamer situla. I've always thought the best looking rat snake head from a top view is the situla. IMHO.

Terry Parks

>>Just kidding. I love pretty much all of the north american rat snakes too but there are some really cool asian and european elaphe out there like this leopard rat snake.
>>We will work on you. LOL Later, Randy W.
>>
>>PS- Terry that light yellow Dione is SAAAWEEEET! I have only seen one that yellow in person and would have bought a pair then and there but they only had a male.
>>

You guys are going to make this hard arent you!! LOL
Brian

I have kept dione and bimaculata and found them to be very easy once you get past hatchling size. Just be careful you don't end up with a rufozonata. They are often confused with(and sold as) the two above and are misidentified as a ratsnake (being more like a garter in many respects)
Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

the bimacs and rufodorsata are very confusing to tell apart. Thanks for the heads up. If you get a rufodorsata, you may be inclined to be feeding feeder fish instead of feeder rodents. The rufodorsata also are live bearers. Good luck Frank

Terry Parks

>>I have kept dione and bimaculata and found them to be very easy once you get past hatchling size. Just be careful you don't end up with a rufozonata. They are often confused with(and sold as) the two above and are misidentified as a ratsnake (being more like a garter in many respects)
>>Frank
>>-----
>>"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

diones are a great snake to start. I have quite a few diones right now and really enjoy having them to work with. They are real easy to keep. My next step with diones is to hopefully get a breeding and some eggs this coming season. They have one of the largest ranges in Asia and Eastern Europe I believe. There aren't alot of morphs, but there is alot of variation in colors and patterns so you are able to keep diones that are different. I currently have a pair of C.China diones, 2 pairs of S.Korean diones, a pair of Tenabrosia diones. and a trio of light phase diones.

Yes, I am enjoying my camera very much. Not only is the camera fun, but it gives me an excuse to get a few snakes out and play with. I ended up picking up a Sony digital camera.

Terry Parks

>>But that is a nice looking snake Terry!! And you are definitely getting your moneys worth out of your new digital camera!
>>
>> I bought one over the weekend too. A Kodak CX6330. Takes pretty good pics. I was using a Kodak DC260. The pics dont look too different quality wise, I guess once I start printing pics they will look better.
>>Brian

Hi Terry,
is very similar to mine specimen, seems big enough to breed this year.
Now I'm in Spain for university and all snake i keep are with friends in naples, in october the guy who keep my dione washing a cage had the pair in the same cage for a second and breed immediatly; I read on the schultz that in nature they can breed in october-november and after lay fertile eggs in spring.
Regards
nazzza

Hi nazzza -
Nice of you to post. We seem to be keeping some of the same snakes in each of our collections. Thanks for the breeding info. Terry Cox bred his S. Korean diones in the fall before he brumated them. Then they lay eggs after coming out of brumation. I heard they do that in the wild also. Some diones have real short incubation times. They can hatch after 20 days or so I believe. Some breeders put their diones together right out of brumation and they hook right up. I hope mine do this year. So you have been in school in Spain? That's nice people back in Italy will take care of your snakes when you are gone. Are your other snakes doing good? Good luck in school and breeding this season.

Terry Parks

>>Hi Terry,
>>is very similar to mine specimen, seems big enough to breed this year.
>>Now I'm in Spain for university and all snake i keep are with friends in naples, in october the guy who keep my dione washing a cage had the pair in the same cage for a second and breed immediatly; I read on the schultz that in nature they can breed in october-november and after lay fertile eggs in spring.
>>Regards
>>nazzza

Hi terry,
i think incubation time depends from locality, Central China have a longer time of icubation, i had mine at ambient temp (the hatchling were enormous ) and hatched in abuot 35/40 days
I've good friends in Italy and my snakes are in good hands, but for sure they miss me!, they are all fine and now start brumation time, ah and the oxycephala laid 4 eggs, I hope will be fertile this time.
I'll be here till July, and Spain is a wonderful country, I'm in galicia, NW Spain, up Portogal, and this spring I'll search for Vipera seoanei, should be full of theme here
ciao
nazzza