Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here she is....
What do you guys think of her? Is she going to grow up to be near black?
John Lassiter

I have never seen one with this much black except for my darkphase adults...
John Lassiter

...and thanks for the effort in taking these 2 new photos, 2 more for the Lassiter files! I think she looks great, very classic looking Mex Mex.

Thank you Mike...
I think she will be a great addition to the breeding colony...
John Lassiter

... I have had several with even more solid black ventrals. They were also quite dark dorsally, but never "turned" black. They really never got brighter either. As is the case sometimes with mm, the reds get brighter (to a point) and the gray gets well, grayer. In many thayeri you will notice the juvenile yellow and orange become more gray over time as well.
:Mark

Thank you Mark for your insight. I would like to know how to distinguish juveniles from my pairing of that dark female I got from you and my splitbanded male that is light grey.
Is there some way to tell if a baby Mexmex will be a dark phase right after hatching?? I have never seen a dark phase neonate but have seen many dark phase adults and subadults. I take it they darken with age.
And yes I have noticed some thayeri that speckle out with grey and black speckles in their ground color. It is their only ontogenetic change that I have noticed......
John Lassiter
Here is the pair of Mexmex I was referring too.

I think you'll get 2-3 looks from your pairing. The best you will not part with.
Check the "cheeks" and neck area on one of the babies I'm sending you. A bit different than most. You'll see
Shouldn't have looked them over today.....
Most of the darker ones I've seen started out visibly darker, with the ones you are looking for having stark BLACK rather than dark gray. Also it seems to me that the red is brighter rather than a maroon/brick red.
However I have been breeding mine to get the lightest ground color and the brightest saddles as well, so I do not get the black and red ones like the female I sent you anymore. I am regretting it but heck, for some time I could not get rid of the "extra" babies and just kinda toned down my projects with them. Who knows? I may go ahead full steam again someday.
:Mark

I wish you would go full steam again with them Mark.
I am not the only one that thinks they are great snakes.
I sure would like to see them get more popular.....and as a matter a fact I think they are getting there again.
Hell....They have tons of variability and great colors and patterns. They eat as readily as any other hatchling snake and very seldom refuse food.
Mexmex are one species I think I will never stop breeding.
Oh yeah...Thayeri as well.....
John Lassiter