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Help with identification.. picture inside

Beau Aug 02, 2005 02:16 AM

This was foud in Mongolia. Any ideas?? They also find them same base color but patternless.

Thanks

Replies (6)

kayvon Aug 02, 2005 04:34 PM

The pic looks like an Elaphe longissima romana but unless that was Mongolia, Italy that would be impossible. I would guess Elaphe dione. They are native to Mongolia and are variable in appearance.

rearfang Aug 02, 2005 06:41 PM

Can you post a side shot of that snakes head? I can think of nothing that green in ratsnakes. How large is it and has it fed for you? How sure are you that it is from Mongolia?

I was sold a similar snake as a Japanese ratsnake (it wasn't).

I don't see that as a Dione and if my hunch is right.....Please post more shots.

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

rearfang Aug 02, 2005 06:53 PM

From your photo, I believe there to be a very good chance of it being Cyclophiops semicarinatus-which is the snake I refered to in the above post. I have a female. However, this snake is from Japan-not Mongolia. However the similarity of your snake to this species is profound.(Like I said, mine was sold to me as a ratsnake.)

If this is the case, it needs wet conditions (soaked spagnum)temps in the mid seventies and will feed on large night crawlers (worms).

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

Beau Aug 02, 2005 08:01 PM

Thanks for the help.. This was caught in Mongolia and is still in asia. I dont have this snake yet. All I know is they tell me is they come in this pattern and patternless.

I dont know of any snakes from mongolia that look like this.. Im stumped.

I dont have any other pictures rightnow.

Any other ideas??

Thanks

thmpr134 Aug 03, 2005 12:51 AM

I would lean toward E. quadrivirgata or Japanese Four Lined Rat Snake. They are know to exist in both patterned and patternless forms. However, they aren't known from Mongolia. How certain are you of your source? If it's actually from Mongolia, that's a very tough one. If you are able to come up with close-up pics of the sides of the head, it would help with identification (easier to count scales). I'll have to do some research on this one...

Good luck,
Bryan
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Last night I was laying in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, "Where the hell is my ceiling?"

rearfang Aug 03, 2005 04:21 AM

Funny you should mention the Japanese four lined ratsnake Brian. My snake (Cyclophiops semicarinatus mentioned above) was sold to me as one of those and can also be patternless. It appears to be very similar in fact.

We really need a side shot of that head. I have serious doubts as to the origion of this snake but so little is known about that region. Cyclophiops may occur there.

Barring that, does the snout look more pointed and smaller in profile or is it typically (like a yellow ratsnake) in appearance?

Again the question (What is it feeding on?) will provide a big clue.

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

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