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I just brought this guy home today. I've always admired these guys and I'm happy to finally have one. He's about 4'.

Do you know who bred him?

Best regards
John

I purchased him at a local shop that buys from breeders & imports. The owner wasn't in, so I don't know where it came from. I assume they do import these guys? He's pleny fat(1200 grams)and I was told is eating well. One thing though, he deficated as soon as I got him home today and it looked normal but boy did it stink! And I thought my cribos were bad (or maybe I'm just used to them!) Are they known for this?

btw, your second pic is stunning!

I have a theory that there are few (if any) Amur ratsnakes being imported. I've been asking around to see if anyone had fresh imported stock. So far no one has. Schrencki have a very rapid metabolism (most of the time). Defecation after two days isn't unusual. As far as stench, it's hard to say which snake is most offensive. I think it varies by what they eat and when you find it.

Thanks. That's a photo of the male. He's much more yellow than his mate. Schrencki are fun. They're diurnal, calm and act like they're interested in watching us!

Regards
John

>>I purchased him at a local shop that buys from breeders & imports. The owner wasn't in, so I don't know where it came from. I assume they do import these guys? He's pleny fat(1200 grams)and I was told is eating well. One thing though, he deficated as soon as I got him home today and it looked normal but boy did it stink! And I thought my cribos were bad (or maybe I'm just used to them!) Are they known for this?
>>
>>btw, your second pic is stunning!

John, thanks for posting the photo of that juvenile; I've never seen one before. When I looked at it, I immediately thought: hey, that looks kinda like Gloydius.
The snake you posted:

and Gloydius blomhoffi:

Probably some mimicry going on there, as I imagine schrencki and continental Gloydius sp. share a lot of common range. I'll have to dig into it a bit more when I get a chance.

Happy Holidays,
Shane
-----
Lifelist

That's a pretty striking resemblance. I guess Mother Nature believes in re-using a good design. As an engineer I'm not above re-using a good design (hopefully with full credit given to the originator!). Thanks for posting that picture. It's nice when something allows me to appreciate the bigger picture when it comes to the ratsnake species I concentrate on. I've been concentrating for the last couple of years in husbandry issues for mandarin ratsnakes almost to the exclusion of enjoying the animals themselves.
Best regards
John

>>John, thanks for posting the photo of that juvenile; I've never seen one before. When I looked at it, I immediately thought: hey, that looks kinda like Gloydius.
>>The snake you posted:
>>
>>and Gloydius blomhoffi:
>>
>>Probably some mimicry going on there, as I imagine schrencki and continental Gloydius sp. share a lot of common range. I'll have to dig into it a bit more when I get a chance.
>>
>>Happy Holidays,
>>Shane
>>-----
>>Lifelist

>>John, thanks for posting the photo of that juvenile; I've never seen one before. When I looked at it, I immediately thought: hey, that looks kinda like Gloydius.
>>The snake you posted:
>>
>>and Gloydius blomhoffi:
>>
>>Probably some mimicry going on there, as I imagine schrencki and continental Gloydius sp. share a lot of common range. I'll have to dig into it a bit more when I get a chance.
>>
>>Happy Holidays,
>>Shane
>>-----
>>Lifelist

Shane and John, interesting photos.

Yes, there is at least one Gloydius sp. that shares the range of the Russian ratsnake. It's been a while, but I was very interested in the ecology of these snakes in the past, and was surprised at what kind of lifestyle they had. The Russian rat, Elaphe schrencki, has a very short active season, mainly May to September, because s.e. Siberia is normally very cold. During this active season, however, it is like "subtropical". I've seen some video footage and the change in summer is amazing. I think the Russians are most like the fox snake in parallel ecology. Not only is schrencki similar to Gloydius sp. in color/pattern, but they share their realm with some other pretty interesting creatures too, such as the Siberian tiger, and some neat herps, etc.

Just thought I'd throw a little tidbit in there to keep things going a little. Ya'all know this is pretty much my favorite kind of topic, heheh!

PS: I've always liked the Russian rat a lot. If you want to keep a large snake that's only active about half the year, it's a great choice.

Terry

>>I just brought this guy home today. I've always admired these guys and I'm happy to finally have one. He's about 4'.
>>

That guy has some fantastic color. However, he could be somewhat stressed. Here's some things you might work on, if you want, to reduce stress and keep him healthy...

First, I would only feed the best mice. Second, I would try to make his environment humid enough, maybe a moist hide for awhile. Finally, I would quarantine him, and give him time to adapt to a new temperature regime. In the long run you might want to brumate the snake.

TC