Trying out the new digital camera.
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Lloyd Heilbrunn
Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
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Blue Beauty
LloydHeilbrunn
Dec 27, 2004 12:29 AM
Replies (5)
Mark Banczak
Dec 27, 2004 07:43 PM
They sure are pretty snakes aren't they. They are my favorite Beauty snake.
aokage100
Dec 28, 2004 12:04 AM
Yes, I agree that these snakes are beautiful. Although I can't decide which one of the beauty snakes are my favorite yet.
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Belle
Blue beauty (Elaphe taeniura ssp.)
Taiwan beauty (Elaphe taeniura friesi)
Cave beauty (Elaphe taeniura ridleyi)
LloydHeilbrunn
Dec 28, 2004 12:07 AM
Blue beauty (Elaphe taeniura ssp.)>>
This is also the only scientific name I've seen for these.Are they really undiscribed??
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Lloyd Heilbrunn
Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.
aokage100
Dec 28, 2004 11:31 PM
I also don't know why the scientific name is that way for the Blue beauty but that is the only name I found of them. Maybe some one who is more knowledgeable can answer that. Thanks
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Belle
Blue beauty (Elaphe taeniura ssp.)
Taiwan beauty (Elaphe taeniura friesi)
Cave beauty (Elaphe taeniura ridleyi)
Matt Campbell
Dec 30, 2004 12:02 PM
It's not known whether Blue Beauties are a separate subspecies of Orthriophis [formerly Elaphe] taeniura, or simply a color variation of an existing described species. The definitive book on ratsnakes is the 'A Monograph of the Colubrid Snakes of the Genus Elaphe Fitzinger' by Klaus Dieter-Schulz. In it Schulz lists that the Blue Beauty is still an undescribed species, and that's the way it's remained. Of course the new taxonomy, if you accept it, places the Beauties in a completely new genus separate from Elaphe, and with good reason. They're more allied with racers than they are ratsnakes.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois
Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois
