Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well I recently went and purchased a Red phase Pine much to my delight, It is in shed at the moment but when if comes out I will post a pic. A couple questions first though, Red phase pines are Southern pines correct? Second does anybody have any photos of other ep phase pines as I would love to see other photos to compare! Thanks for any and all help!

Dave.
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David Hiscock.

Whoever you bought the snake from shgould have told yoiu what subspecies it was, but typical the "red phase" would refer to a naturally occuring color phase of the Northern Pine...usually from the pine barrens of NJ. The northerns from NJ are usually strikingly contrasting on pattern. They can be black & white / grey white...yellowish and white, or more rarely, the "red phase"

This picture of a red phase N. pine is posted by John Cherry
on the "pituophis page" (see: http://www.kingsnake.com/pituophis/index.html )

Red phase southern pines are VERY common, too. I wouldn't assume it eas a northern pine. Additionally, there are a lot of subspecific northerXsouthern hybrids out there that are called "red phase." There are also some redder-than-average LA Pines out there, but they are just "reeder blotched."

KJ

Since the seller didn't specify what it was...you may be right it could very well be a hybrid or southern "morph"

I know there are reddish s. pines, but I didn't realize they were referred to as "red phase"

KJUN...are there scale count / blotch count differences between the 2 subs?

I was having a conversation with a breeder acquaintance about southern/florida pines and asked him if had some pines and he had 2 patterned pines and two pattern less and I believe he said they were pure southerns but my memory isn't that great I couldn't see the adults as they were in rumination but it is a CBB '03 male and it doesn't look a thing like the one you posted so I believe it is a southern pine but I am just trying to reassure myself.
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David Hiscock.

David, I touched on this further down in a thread about patternless pines. I believe I know the guy you got the pine from and he gave me a different story each time I asked. One time he said they were pure FL. snakes (which would make buying/selling them in FL. illegal) and the next time he said they were northern x FL. (presumably legal). Another friend bought one from him and got yet another line. I don't know for sure what they are, but as I said below, I passed and bought an albino from someone else. How's the kings?
:Mark

The Kings are awesome! Hows the other one doing for you? Email me the name and I will tell you if its him, I have his card. From hearsay I was told aslong as it isnt a natural looking FL pine you can own it by another person, and told by someone else if it is a natrual looking FL. pine you need a lisence if you have over one and I was told that by a VERY good/reliable source.
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David Hiscock.

It bothers me when I see people advertise "red pines" or "patternless pines", or "albino gophers".

Reddish Southerns(often pinkish red) are more common than reddish northerns(which are usually darker "brick" red); if yours has indistinct blotches on the front 1/3 or so of it's body, it's probably a Southern.