Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys, it's the first time I wrote on this forum, but you may have read me on the retic forum. Like the topic says I need some hint for keeping this 2 types of Gopher. I'm not totally new with Pituophis, I have kept a big male Northern Pine before, but here where I live in Quebec, Canada. We don't have a lot of Pituophis species. So when I went in a Reptiles show at White Plains, NY on Sunday I have bought a baby of these two species, they are really gorgeous.

So, I have read articles on the net and in a Reptiles magazine, but I really prefer your hint about temperatures and feeding.

Thanks

Mathieu

You picked one of the easiest and one of the hardest of the pits to work with, but both are rewarding. The sonoran is a hardy and easily kept animal that will eat you out of house and home. Feed him weekly, temps in the 78 - 82 range, fresh water and a hide box. He will grace your collection for years to come.

The cape is one of the touchy animals in our collection, even though we have 6 or 7 we no longer sell them to the general public, as they tend to be a little touchy and some keepers were having so much trouble with them.

Whatever you do, do not push them as far as growth and feed slightly smaller sized prey animals than what you to a normal sized equvilent snake. Keep the temps lower also, what works for us is in the 74 - 76 range year round. Also be careful handlng him after feeding, becuase if they regurge it is almost a 80% kiss of death. Hope that helps and if you want more info. email me at the Cherryville Farms email address of cherry@flash.net

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms

Thank you very much for your answer, that exactly what I wanted, just one more question how how big they get in average, I have been told 5-5 and a half for the Sonoran and 3 and a half to 4 feet for the Cape.

You know I'm not new to the Snakes, it makes more than 12 years that I keep snakes and I have kept about 40 species.

I will keep them exactly like you've said.

Here's the pictures of the cape I will send the next one in an another tread, tell me what you think.

Thanks again

Mathieu

Very nice looking Cape! I agree totally with John on both species. My adult capes are in the 4 foot range. I have heard of larger animals though. Have fun and welcome back to the Pit world!

Jeremy

THE NEW SHADE TREE EXOTICS WEBSITE

Thanks Jeremy,

I find my little Cape very nice too. You know I have made to big beginning. I will received my first Retic soon and I have decided to keep a little bit less of Python to be able to add more Pit. Like I said I always love them and since my Northern Pine is gone, I always missed him. So one of my friend have baby Northern Pine, I'm thinking to get one of them.

Mathieu

Nice cape it will get even better looking asit ages, be sure and take some good pics of both of them for comparison in a few years. They change dramatically every several months over the first few years. As far as size our capes range in size fro 4 - 5' and the sonorans are all in the 6 - 6 1/2' range. The attached pic is of a F1 animal from wild caughts without any color breeding, beautiful natural aniamls to say the least

You are going to find out that pits have a lot more personality ( if a snake can have that human trait) than the pythons do and will become your favorite in the collection, face it you are now officially hooked LOL

Good Luck with them,

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms

Hi John,

Thanks again for your answer. But you know Pythons too have personnality, My Coastal Carpet and my Bredl's have totally different personnality and I can't wait to see my Retic, but I know what you mean, my Pine Snake had a great personnality and I'm sure this 2 ones will have either. I always love snake with a lot of personnality, even the little mad one.

Mathieu