Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I keep colubrids from years and I've always read this forum, but in the last months I frequented this forum daily and read all the caresheet I found on the web more and more times. Finally some days ago I did a looong trip to Hamm show to take this wonderful pair of snakes (that I reserved in June), I never seen an indigo before and I could not trust in what I was seeing.
I keep them in a rack with cages of about 5x3x1.5, I have a 40 watt for day temp and light, a ceramic heater with a pulse day-night thermostath (but never goes on with this temp) and newspaper as bedding. After 2000 km of trip in a van (with the male that did a perfect shedding in the bag)I tried to put them in water to let them drink, but they did not drink nothing, I am sprayng them but they don't drink. I read of their feeding response, but what I've seen was incredible, when I offered the first thawed mouse the male became mad, biting the bottom of the cage, the sides and the glasses, salivating on all (I've read this too but if yu don't see can't trust).They sniff every time I'm near the cages but they never tried to bite me. They are cb 98 and 99 from a german breeder (i think) and the female laid 7 eggs last year. They seem in wonderful shape and I hope to be able to breed them this year.
I hope I'm doing all well, I'm only worried because i haven't seen them drink. Next time I'll feed them fish (all frozen are ok?) or chick.
Greetings
nazzza

Your new Indigos are fabulously beautiful. Please give some more information about them. The one you are holding seems so large that he must be difficult to hold like that. Just how big is he? Very impressive animals and I can understand how you had to see them to believe them. Wow!

I'm not a giant so the snake could seem bigger, but seeing him moving in the cage i assume he is more then 8, i breed colubrids and my scale works only till 3kg, I need to use a scale for person, i'll post the weight in the next days.
regards
nazzza

It is best to feed Drymarchon frozen prey, so long as you thaw them to room temperature, prior to feeding.
Just because you do not see your indigos drinking, doesn't mean they aren't. It's a rare sight for me to actually catch any of my Drymarchon drinking, but rest assured and keep the water available, because a healthy specimen is definitely drinking.

Jeff

Nazza,

Wow, those snakes look great! I take it that these are Eastern 'red phase' indigos. Could I ask what you paid for the pair?

Sincerely,

Jeff
Orlando, FL USA

In europe there aren't a lot of indigo breeders and the breeder of my snakes was selling all his snaks, I paid them less of the cost of a pair of baby in USA. I've seen a few babys from different breeders in the hamm show (the biggest reptile show in europe) and I think they were hatchlings from my pair, they were selled at 250€ and disappeared before the show was opened to the public, I think the normal price here is 350-400€ if you are lucky to find them.
I love asian colubrids and I resisted to buy mandarina or porphyracea to buy this pair, but after see the pics and in person was impossible resist.
regards
nazzza

Wow! Those are two gorgeous snakes. I usually like the "black phase" indigos better...but that blood red coloring is very dramatic.

I have a neonate indigo and I've never seen her drink, so I wouldn't worry about that. As long as you keep water out at all times, they should be drinking.
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One female Eastern Indigo. That's right, just one snake. But she's my dream-snake, so back off man.