Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there:

I started out with a northern brown snake. That was over 6 years ago. Now just look at my signature. I've moved on to so many new and exciting things. Look at this exotic, sometimes quite large, stuff that I own, residing in naturalistic vivaria that I have designed and purchased at reptile shows.
However, I think it is important that we musn't forget the small secretive snakes that we all started off with. There's something really special about a tiny snake.
I am looking for a new small terrestrial snake. I searched all over the web, at shows, and in pet stores. I found none of the snakes on this forum listed for sale, other than rough green snakes, which I already keep a pair of.
I''m getting into the whole small snake thing, and am really disappointed that breeders and hobbyists seem to ignore snakes such as pine woods snakes, worm snakes, blind snakes and sharptail snakes.
My goal is to ensure that the rare and endangered Kirtland's snake does not become extict, for this is my favorite species next to the blue racer.
Why are these little guys becoming so hard to get?
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DAVE

Western green toad
green treefrogs
green Anole
brown Anole
Mediterranean gecko
Oriental fire-bellied toads
American bullfrog
South American caecilian (Dermophis occidentalis)
Spanish ribbed newt
rough-skinned newt
golden Axolotl
Eastern ribbon snakes
red-cheeked mud turtles
dwarf peacock day gecko
Dubia day gecko
Sonoran gopher snake
rough green snakes
giant African black millipedes
White's treefrog
Okeetee corn snake
Albino African clawed frog
Pygmy leaf chameleon
Kenyan sand boa
Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
African bullfrog
yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
fire salamander

COMING SOON: More small terrestrial and burrowing snakes!

I beg to differ. We all enjoy the small snakes or we would not be here. I have a particular interest in Sharptail snakes which is the only species of snake I currently maintain.
My reptile collection and research

Many of the species are overlooked simply because of diet, handling, and their secretive nature. Many people want to watch a snake, and many of these snakes will remain buried the entire time in captivity. A lot of the species eat ants, termites, etc. Try to sell that someone...I bet it wouldn't go too well. I am not saying that they should be overlooked, but I am just making the point that I can understand why they are so often. I grew up catching rough earths out of the water meters in the middle of Houston and keeping them for while. I kept ringnecks and brownsnakes as well as rough greens that I caught. Another reason that I forgot before is that many of the species are simply so common. Many people can go into their own backyards, regardless of where they live, and find some of these species. It is like anoles. Who wants to pay 10 dollars for a green or brown anole when they can go get one out of their backyard?
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"Some things will never change. They just stand there looking backwards. Half-unconsious from the pain. They may seem rearranged. In the backwater swirling. There is something that'll never change-The Meat Puppets"

Hi there:

I know what you mean. A few years ago I would have thought that only an idiot would pay for a Dekay online. About 6 years ago, I could go out and find about 30 browns, 10 red-bellieds 16 garters and one water in only one trip.
I even found smooth green snakes, but those times are over now. What happened to all of those snakes in my area is like the dinosaurs. They just dissappeared. They exist in other areas close by, but I haven't seen any there. I haven't seen a single Dekay in my "special secret spot" for about 4 years. I haven't seen any red-bellieds in about 3 yers, and no garters in about 2 years.
Very slowly, starting with the smaller more delicate species ,all of those snakes in that area dissappeared.
I live in the nortrheast, so lots of things that people in, let's say, Florida take for granted are real gems to me. Thanks for responding.

DAVE
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DAVE

Western green toad
green treefrogs
green Anole
brown Anole
Mediterranean gecko
Oriental fire-bellied toads
American bullfrog
South American caecilian (Dermophis occidentalis)
Spanish ribbed newt
rough-skinned newt
golden Axolotl
Eastern ribbon snakes
red-cheeked mud turtles
dwarf peacock day gecko
Dubia day gecko
Sonoran gopher snake
rough green snakes
giant African black millipedes
White's treefrog
Okeetee corn snake
Albino African clawed frog
Pygmy leaf chameleon
Kenyan sand boa
Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
African bullfrog
yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
fire salamander

COMING SOON: More small terrestrial and burrowing snakes!

I don't think that they necessarily gone out of an area, and I don't think that it is that they are more delicate. If anything, they are more resilient. Many of the small insectivorus species live in the same extremely populated areas as humans. As I said, I lived in the middle of Houston. We still had a fairly good number of small insectivorus species around. There probably used to be kingsnakes that lived in the exact spot where my house is. They pretty much disappeared and were pushed out of the area long ago, when the area was developed.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"Some things will never change. They just stand there looking backwards. Half-unconsious from the pain. They may seem rearranged. In the backwater swirling. There is something that'll never change-The Meat Puppets"

Actually, in some parts of Florida (particularly Dade-Broward Co.s) some of those snakes are also quite hard to find. Even Ringnecks are rare in my neighborhood in Deerfield. Dekays are close to becoming a species of special concern according to my game and fish officer. I hear of an occasional watersnake only because there is a canal accross the street. these days you have to drive out to the Glades before you see much of anything. Very different from the days of my youth here.

As to the Kirtlands...I think you answered your own question.

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

Hi there:

Well, the most unusual small terrestrial snake that I could find is a western hognose. It is a great smaller snake, with a docile temperament. I am glad that it eats mice too. I ordered a small baby, which I will give pinkies, but I think one of those really little babies MIGHT accept insects. If it doesn't that's not a problem.
I just recieved an e-mail from the seller notifying me that he has sent it off, and it will be at my door later tomorrow morning.
It really is a shame about the Kirtland's snake. Do you think that I should start a Kirtland's protection group? I really think that more zoos need to keep these guys, because according to Roger Conant, they thrived in captivity.
Who agrees that these are one of the coolest snakes in this category? Who would keep one if they weren't endangered? Nothing beets having a snake that can swim with grace, looks like half-red-bellied snake and half-water snake, flattens out into a ribbon and becomes rigid, lives in craysish burrows and hisses loudly?
They're the ultimate snake if you ask me.
-----
DAVE

Western green toad
green treefrogs
green Anole
brown Anole
Mediterranean gecko
Oriental fire-bellied toads
American bullfrog
South American caecilian (Dermophis occidentalis)
Spanish ribbed newt
rough-skinned newt
golden Axolotl
Eastern ribbon snakes
red-cheeked mud turtles
dwarf peacock day gecko
Dubia day gecko
Sonoran gopher snake
rough green snakes
giant African black millipedes
White's treefrog
Okeetee corn snake
Albino African clawed frog
Pygmy leaf chameleon
Kenyan sand boa
Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
African bullfrog
yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
Western hognose snake
fire salamander

Sounds like a good idea, I'll keep an eye out for any offered for sale.