Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is anyone working with Ladder Rats (the former Elaphe scalaris)? I have a pair here today, a truly impressive animal, I can see why they are often called the Pituophis of Europe. Their actions are also suggestive of Pines or Bulls. If you have any notes on these animals, feel free to share them.

Bart Bruno

I have a 03' CB pair of ladder rats. They have the same parental father, but different unrelated parental mothers. One mother is from France and the other mother is from Spain. The father is from the same bloodline as one of the mothers. I wanted a pair for a couple years before I was able to get a pair from Sacha Korell. Sacha was one of the first to produce them in the United States. He's probably one of the most knowledgeable in North America. He and Rex Knight have a rat snake page on this website. I saw a pic of one of Sacha's adult scalaris and the head looks so much like a pinesnake. They might live in a similar habitat as pituophis with their rostral scale. Here's a pic of one of mine.

Terry Parks

Mine are also from Sacha; I'd like to think he is not the only person enlightened enough to be working with these animals. From what little I've read, they don't seem to have specialized habitat. I'd like to learn more about them from each of the countries they come from.

Bart

on scalaris along with about 175 citations in the references and a range map. Probably the references are mostly european.

John

>>Mine are also from Sacha;

Talk about yer lack of diversity - I also have 1.3 Ladder Rats from Sacha. Cool snakes.

Ophidiophile Farms

Hi everyone

It seems like you seriously need some new blod in your scalaris.
I currently work with 3 different bloodlines, lets see if we can get some of them to USA at one point.
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Regards
Claus Ilsoe
Ratsnakes: persica,longissima,situla,quatuorlineata,
q. muenteri,scalaris,anomala,schrencki,flavolineata,frisei,
dione,vulpina gloydi

Homepage: www.ratsnakes.dk

We certainly need a couple more unrelated scalaris for the gene pool. Can you give us a few views and thoughts regarding scalaris and keeping them?

Terry Parks

Last I heard they changes the name..no longer elaphe. I have collected these in the wild while I was on deployment in Rota Spain. Each time I had a couple that I kept in the barracks but never had opportunity to get rodents to feed to them. All of them had major attitudes and bit quite fiercely. I've caught them in manholes and while digging a water line during the month of December at about 2 feet below the surface.

Really cool snakes and I understand they get decent in size. I only wish I had brought some back with me....but the King of Spain would not have been happy Enjoy.

Russ

Thanks for the input Russ. I guess that explains their rostral scale. Their ladder pattern also gives way to stripes as adults.

Terry Parks