Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey,
What are the defining characteristics that differentiate everglades rats from yellows? I've seen some yellows that I'd swear were glades and vice versa, is it even proper to consider them seperate ssp? The hybrid ylwXglades don't seem distinguishable from "pure" specimens to me either, any ways to tell? I find both ssp very beautiful and underrated (atleast among my herper friends anyway). Some glades i've seen online are so beautiful they appear to glow. Thanks

>>Hey,
>>What are the defining characteristics that differentiate everglades rats from yellows? I've seen some yellows that I'd swear were glades and vice versa, is it even proper to consider them seperate ssp? The hybrid ylwXglades don't seem distinguishable from "pure" specimens to me either, any ways to tell? I find both ssp very beautiful and underrated (atleast among my herper friends anyway). Some glades i've seen online are so beautiful they appear to glow. Thanks

The thing about everglades and yellow rats is that their ranges overlap and they produce an intergrade. The everglades as an adult will be a shade of orange with 4 gray longitudinal stripes that can be faint or easily identifiable. The belly should be orange as well as the eyes. The tongue is red.

The Yellow rat is a variable yellow color. Can be from a straw yellow to a dirty yellow and they also have 4 dark stripes that run longitudinal. They have black tongues and yellow to creme colored belly. Search the web for pics of the yellow and everglades and you can definitely see the difference.

Here is a pic of my everglades. He is about 6 months old, so he still has his juvenile markings, but the orange color is coming in nicely.

And my yellow rat. She is the same age as the glades, and you can see the yellow coming in on her as well!

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1.0 Corn snake
1.0 Black rat snake
1.0 Albino Black rat snake
1.0 Everglades rat snake
0.1 Yellow rat snake
1.1 California king snake
1.0 Prairie king snake
0.1 Black king snake

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

That is a point of some debate-especially in South Florida. The two forms are so much alike (except color...sometimes)that it really can get to be a question of where you draw the line. The big problem is that like everything else down here, the combination of civilization spread and intergradiation between the two forms has muddied the issue.

The "True" deep orange Everglades was never a common snake compaired to the lighter orange form which is more normal. Most of the separation is based just on tongue color; which makes the process difficult as back in the 1970's I caught deep orange "everglades" with black tongues.

My personal opinion base on many years of local (South Florida)collecting is that the "Everglades is just a color morph of the yellow. In any case the term "Hybrid" does not apply as both snakes are Elaphe (Pantherophis) obsoleta.

Today the only justification for the separation is to give collectors and breeders a more exact separation of the two color forms, which selective breeding has enhanced.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

The yellow...

and another..

And my everglades...

As you can see they both are gaining color very good. I cant wait until they lose the saddles and the adult colors come in fully!

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1.0 Corn snake
1.0 Black rat snake
1.0 Albino Black rat snake
1.0 Everglades rat snake
0.1 Yellow rat snake
1.1 California king snake
1.0 Prairie king snake
0.1 Black king snake

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Everglades! Any that I have ever kept have never been that orange at that age. I can’t wait to see that animal in a year or so. Maybe even next month! I have to admit, I'm jealous.-Brett

>>Everglades! Any that I have ever kept have never been that orange at that age. I can’t wait to see that animal in a year or so. Maybe even next month! I have to admit, I'm jealous.-Brett

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1.0 Corn snake
1.0 Black rat snake
1.0 Albino Black rat snake
1.0 Everglades rat snake
0.1 Yellow rat snake
1.1 California king snake
1.0 Prairie king snake
0.1 Black king snake

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Brett Thanks
I hope he will be a nice orange glades. He is Dwight Good stock, and Dwight has some of the nicest rats I have seen. Check out this pic of my albino black rat I got from Dwight. He has alot of orange for an albino!

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1.0 Corn snake
1.0 Black rat snake
1.0 Albino Black rat snake
1.0 Everglades rat snake
0.1 Yellow rat snake
1.1 California king snake
1.0 Prairie king snake
0.1 Black king snake

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Howdy, From whom did you purchase that glades? And how much $s? I NEED one like that. Thanks-Brett

So If you would feel more cofortable discussing off the forum, just send me an e-mail.-Brett