Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why is Boiga the predominant snake available to the RF enthusiast? Is there not an interest in native ones...say a trimorphodon? Just curious
Lat

Har Har har....now the jokes on you! But if it makes you feel any better....we all have been had the same way!

Lat...this is the not the the RFF....never was!

Its the FWC/Boiga/asian vine/errrr....zzzzz me out dot forum!

Always has been.

Soon as someone starts a thread on any of the other opisthoglyphs (sp)....& especially our fascinating natives....its quickly drowned in another deluge of their posts.

Pity.

W/O another credible venue....one should still scan this forum once in a blue moon tho....who knows who might stumble in....

RxR

Why is Boiga the predominant snake available to the RF enthusiast? Is there not an interest in native ones...say a trimorphodon? Just curious
Lat

Perhaps because Boiga dendrophila is the most often imported and readily available rear-fanged snake and its also perhaps one of the most spectacular display animals anyone could hope to enjoy. Personally, I keep over 40 rear fanged, over 20 different species, and find them much more interesting than the typical colubrids with their feeding behavior, social behavior, and overall appearance and color pattern. There are interests into the native species just that not many people discuss them on this forum as its usually some new owner looking for care information who failed to do a search in the first place. lol. Several years ago this forum was filled with many interested people who kept these species, however they have moved on I suppose or grew tired of seeing the same questions?

Trimorphodon b. lambda

Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes

Trimorphodon biscutatus quadruplex

If so please post with contact info for possible purchase... Beautiful snakes
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Amor et Lux,
Ron

"The gods tolerate the human race for no other reason than our talent for [bleep]. It's the only thing about us that doesn't bore them to tears" Tom Robbins "Villa Incognito"

Just the north american species is gravid and I will let you know what happens but I don't sell snakes but if you have something to trade that is a different story.

Dan

I guess you made a lyre out of me! Great snakes. If I knew how to freeking post jpgs...Ida given one back to you...that enameled jewel of the SW woodlands.....regalis

Hey John, its Dan with the new regal ringneck without the ring. It came out of brumation eating defrosted snakes, garters, swamps, etc. It actually did not brumate for me. I stuck it in my closet in the dark for a month but it remained active but it worked to snap it out of its non eating mode.

Dan

Dang Dan I thought I was flirting w/ a Fran...Glad to hear the "operation" apparently turned out well...lol

Hey you should post a jpg of your really pretty blue one from time to time just to show what a real rearfang looks like!

Hey back to Lyres for the moment....do you ever see the huge mexican ["tau" is the spps I think], here in the US?

Give a Howdy 4-me to Rearfang next time you see him...RxR

John, here he is yesterday sucking down a garter snake. For those who do not recognize this head shot, its a (male) Regal ringneck snake, Diadophis punctatus regalis. I will post a better pic next week when its completed digestion.

Dan

Oh that was the female above. Here she is again eating a brown snake a week ago. I will post the male pic also.

Dan

Male regal ringneck eating an introduced species, a bahamian anole.

Dan

...That anole is not long for this world is it! That really is an exceptionally attractive specimen, thnx for the ocular fix! Good luck w/ them.

RxR

Very cool shots.

Had a question, how quickly did the anole die from the venom? It looks well and truly rooted!!!

Cheers
Bryan
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Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
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Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
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http://www.venomdoc.com

Well as you know, it all depends on the grasp the snake is able to make on the anole and the ability of the snake to continue chewing to release venom/saliva to subdue its prey. Now these anoles are not its actual prey item and are introduced species to south florida which serve as a benefit for us snake keepers but a problem to the green anole which they are slowly pushing out.

I would say that when I have witnessed them grasping the anole, it takes about a full sixty seconds for the anole to close its eyes and seems to have died. If the anole puts up some fighting, the ringneck lets go and dashes away and seeks out the anole later and its usually dead. I have seen some dash away after a quick grasp and they lived for 5 to 10 minutes but their venom/saliva is quite toxic to reptiles and I am not confident that its been tested like you test those other colubrids but would be very interested in the results.

Their natural diet is small snakes from the southwest and the Regalringneck poster from above can answer better as I have not fed a lot of snakes to my regals. He has kept them for many years, so perhaps he can send some valuable information to you. And I would add that a snakes skin is perhaps thicker and covered by hard scales, hence less pressure is needed on the anole vice their natural snake prey?

A quick note is that some field herpers have caught a big regal ringneck and placed it with a similiar sized kingsnake, and the regal was discovered to have eaten the kingsnake. Now the king is of course immune to many a snakes venom and I am not sure if it is immune to the venom/saliva of a regal ringneck snake. Based on the above instances, I would have to say that a kingsnake could easily kill a ringneck with its coils and had to have been envenomated to be eaten by the ringneck snake, which is odd because kingsnakes are suppose to be immune? Well, perhaps immune to some venoms?

Dan

Phenomenal animal! Thanks for sharing!

As another who has kept dozens of species of rearfangs, I would place a certain amount of blame on just lack of curiousity. It always amazes me how so many people with interests in the culture of fancy exotics and select breeding of the 'popular' natives, seem totally ignorant of American species found just outide their back door.

I have often brought common easily identified native snakes to herp meetings and shows and shown them to top local breeders and recieved questions as to "What is that?" from people you would have thought were experts.

Add to the equation the limitation; that of a venomous snake that is not a rattler, or some other well known viperid, or elapid and the level of ignorance climbs. Many people who keep venomous are only interested in the status snakes (Rattlers, Cobras..etc.)

Keep in mind that on these forums there are folk who are fascinated by these snakes enough to have studied and kept many species, but again they are in the minority.

Finally there is the 'showy factor'. Not everyone is excited about gray and brown snakes, or very small ones. There is not much of a selection of species for North America and the ones from further south (which can be specatular) tend to be hard to obtain and often just as hard to keep alive-often coming in highly paricitised.

It's human nature to be drawn to the showy and easily available species like Boigas and FWC's. Very few bother to look further-which actually makes it better for those of us with the brains and tenacity to do so.

Frank

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

Thats about what I thought, but natives are still one I would like to work with. Would like to get some Lyres at some point, found one or two in teh wild but I want CBB.
Cheers
Lat

T. biscutatus is absolutely one of my favorites, one of the better-kept secrets among North American herps.