Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a bit of a perfectionist.One of the reasons that I really like Gaigeae is that you can find COMPLETELY black individuals without any trace of pattern if you look hard enough.

On the other hand,With Eastern kings,Mexican Black Kings(a favorite) and Black Pines if you look closely alot of them seem to be varying shades of BROWN,not beautiful indigo blue/black. For an example check out a lot of the close up pics of
Easterns on the kingsnake forum. Even the ones I've seen at shows are really DARK BROWN.

Is anyone out there REALLY breeding Black Pines that are BLACK without traces of pattern? Or is the BLACK PINE a MYTH?

Thanks. Bob.

here's my two cents, I've bought two black pines from two diff people, one was pretty black when I got her, but no, she wasn't pure black, yes, she had brown shadings in the tail area, heck she's still got some white flecks here and there by her ventral scales, and I'm sure in bright light, you might make out the brown shadings of her tail, but otherwise, she is now totally black. Now my male, when I got him, he looked for all the world like a Northern Pine going melanistic. Now, he also is black, at only a year, but has a white patch under his chin, with some white flecking on the bottom jaw, and I'm sure under bright lights, he'd probably show some brown too. But he's certainly black now compared to when I first got him in. I don't know that a totally black pine exists, but they are no myth! When you first see these animals, they are indeed a black snake. I don't feel that because they aren't completely black detracts from them in any way. They are still beautiful!
Russell

mine are pretty darn black, however they do upon a closerl ook have some brown pattern in them. I will post pics when I get home for you.

I have a female P. m lodingi, acquired from Isis Reptiles in '03, that many folks mistake for one of my D. couperi, though the male I acquired from them has a hint of brown pattern.
Len Krysko has some of the nicest P. m lodingi I have yet to see and photos of his adults may be viewed at his website...

Good luck,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

I should have thought to just E-mail you. Thanks again.

Bob.

Hello Bob,

The rubidus babies are all doing very well and will be going to their new homes when the weather cools here in the Arkansas Valley. Next month the cycle begins yet again, as I will be pairing 4.4 rubidus, including the mottled pair.
Glad to hear the steam cleaner is working out. I really like the results I have gotten from using steam to clean my enclosures, especially with all the Drymarchon and Pituophis I keep, though I have been cutting way back on the number of Pits within my collection…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

np