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Do/can they have yellow bellies? I held what I thought was suppposed to be an Indigo at a recent reptile show (I say that because I know the breeder has some and just figured that's what it was). It was very thick and all black except for the yellow belly.....I thought they were a solid black. I'm a bit confused now....
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>>Do/can they have yellow bellies? I held what I thought was suppposed to be an Indigo at a recent reptile show (I say that because I know the breeder has some and just figured that's what it was). It was very thick and all black except for the yellow belly.....I thought they were a solid black. I'm a bit confused now....
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>> Check Out My Albums
>>
>>1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
>>1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
>>1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
>>0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
>>1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
>>0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
>>1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
>>1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
>>0.0.1 Crested Gecko
>>0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
>>0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

I've never seen an Eastern Indigo with a yellow belly. I have seen lots of Texas Indigos and Mexican Redtail Cribos with a cream-colored belly (at least part of it) and some salmon colored suffusion on the sides of the belly, throat and chin.
The only one I've seen with actual yellow on it is a Yellowtail Cribo, but they aren't black. They are actually a slate gray with yellow on the head and tail.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hmmmmm...I'll have to email him and ask him what it was. It was just soooo thick (and of course the shiny black) that I assumed it was an Indigo (and again, I know he has at least one), but after I left I realized it had the yellow belly. It was about 5 years old and very active - it was all over the place.
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

They were probably making reference to a black-tail cribo Drymarchon c melanurus, often called Central American Indigo in the trade, and they have yellow ventral coloration.

Jeff

>>They were probably making reference to a black-tail cribo Drymarchon c melanurus, often called Central American Indigo in the trade, and they have yellow ventral coloration.
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>>Jeff

I didn't think about that, I guess because they aren't solid black. But, a good D.c.melanurus will have a solid black tail.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Actually, I have seen more than a few D. c melanurus specimens demonstrating what could only be described as hyper-melanisim, although black black-tail would suffice ;0)
I believe Dan Felice had one such specimen a while back, but I have seen four - five others.

Jeff

Really? Solid black melanurus? I've never seen one like that. That would be cool, though. I've seen some from the Yucatan that were almost a burgundy color, but never a black one. Do you have any links to photos? How does it compare (morphologically) to orizabensis? I know there is heavy intergradation between the two subspecies in the Veracruz region especially around Mirador. Any possibility that these are actually intergrades?
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson