Reptile & Amphibian Forums

"Just shout me when my dinner has defrosted Dad!!"

I have worked with coachwhips for 14 years now and want your opinion. I have found them to be the most intelligent snake I have ever worked with. I have witnessed the stalking of live prey in outside that was amazing to watch, and low level problem solving. Here is an example of problem solving. I always pull my females out a week before they lay eggs and put them into an mandatory nest box, a rack system. In this instance my female coachwhip had not gained much weight and I supposed she was not gravid. She was bred born and hatched in 1998 and was about six years old at the time. I walked into the reptile room one day and she had her head up like a cobra making eye contact with me following my movements through the room so I opened her cage offered her a mouse and nothing. Next day she was again staring at me with her head up and I said to myself, WHAT DO YOU WANT? The third day she again was doing the same thing like a dog begging for something but what? Then it hit me, you must be gravid and you are expecting me to put you in the rack to lay eggs. I put her in the nest rack and this is what I had within a few hours! She comunicated in her way.

-----
"Life without risk is to merely exist."

Wow!! ..thats amazing Bill!!..but I can easily believe it.
As you know I've only had my Coachwhip since last November but I am totally 'bowled over' by this species.As a rule I put his food on a lump of slate/rock in his viv....when he is getting hungry he seems to try and draw my attention to this slate by making several visits to it!!
It may be that he can smell the food on there,but I am convinced he is asking for food!!

just THE best snakes! .... Paul

PS. By the way Bill..I am putting together a small talk about
coachwhips and racers for my local Herp club-meeting.Would you mind if I used some of your photographs off the forum to assist?.

You can use any photographs you need or litrature that I have posted.
-----
"Life without risk is to merely exist."

Bill..Many thanks!!...its not for a couple of months yet,but I'll let you know how it goes.

kind regards Paul

Hi Paul

If you are still doing the talk then if you can get down here or I can get up there then you are welcome to borrow smokey or any of the other coachwhips here, it's only the little male that's a git the others are as nice as smokey and the female you held.

Mike