Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been a slacker with regards to forum involvement for far too long. Time to share a few (crappy phone camera) pictures and update on my pair of FL Easties. They just turned 2 this summer, are pushing 5', and continue to be a lot of fun. I just started working them into outreach programs too, and they've exceeded my expectations with regards to temperament. Tame coachwhips as education animals...who would have thought? We didn't start out that way, of course. It's taken 2 years of working with them on their terms to get them to this point and we still have a ways to go.

They currently live together in a large "Reptarium" enclosure. These things are great because they allow for maximum ventilation and the added bonus of moving outside on nice days. I moved from aspen chips to paper as a substrate once they outgrew their baby tanks, and have the entire bottom of the cage piled with several layers of bark flats for them to cruise between.

Here's a rare shot of one taking down its dinner. Usually they grab and hide with it. This is an older photo, and they're both eating large adult mice now. It's so cool how they kill by thoracic compression using their mouth. They follow the mouse and plan their strike before executing, grabbing the mouse right behind the forelegs and hang on until the struggle stops. Sometimes the poor dinner gets bashed against the wall or floor a few times, but I've never seen them use a body coil to help subdue prey. They'll take live mice off tongs from me, but still give me the stink-eye if I try dangling a thawed mouse in front of them.

Lastly, here's me with one of my little buddies.

... now that is a sweet post & i spec you'll be getting plenty of marriage proposals 2boot :} so welcome to this morose forum, but the archives are well worth a gander.
new by me; im still having to forcefeed my 2011 florida c/b ... what a very frustrating beast, tho i think if i had effing live lizards, my problem would be over, funny how crickets never triggered it, just small live iguanids, & never f/t pinkies, once it ate a chicken strip & a f/t nightsnake w/o forcedfeeding ... aaarrgghh : } ps i still keep em away from my eyes

Thanks for the welcome. I'm hardly new, just rarely post....and when I do usually it's over in the Pituophis forum. Then every so often go on a forum binge and feel guilty for not being more active. Anyhoo, nice Sonoran scene!

... well if i hafta keep this deadasst forum alive ... i couldnt imagine finding a better partner : }
...and i see you too ... have an eye for the magnificent ... good on you ... ive seen many sonoran sunrises & sunsets ... this one was special ... lucky me.
... so my female eastern yellow is watching me as i type this ...
life is good when we share it w/ our sighthunters ....

Love the Sonoran. Spent a summer working on toads there almost 10 years ago. Don't get back often enough.

I got the coaches in 2010 as a consolation species after falling in love with these

Any idea what he is?

... toads eh, cool, & yeah we have a plethora of them, tho ive never been all that enamored w/ most amphibs., but worked a fair amount w/ desert leopard frogs in my govt. work :}
... heres anudda pearl from that position ... & no im stumped but guessing an old world whipsnake ... australian even?

You were right on with Aussie. He's a brown(Pseudonaja aspidoryncha). Imagine coachwhips with stupidly toxic venom but less smarts, and you have brownies. Fun animals.

yikes, i cant imagine elapid coachwhips w/ any minimal attitude ... uugghh ... & be careful we often dont quite know whats in the bush or the bag ala poor Joe Slowinski eh :{
& so it looks like we might have flushed another afficionado outta the weeds ... :}

so ill leave the 3 of us w/a freekn classic; whish't ida been there to see it or hear what finally happened / rxr

Nice looking specimen amanda, I like the snake too. JB