"I'm a corn guy and new to obsoletus. I just have a few basic questions to get me started off right.

1.What size/age do they need to be for first time breeding trials?

2. How does their size compare to a large Okeetee corn?

3. Do Texas or yellow rats grow larger (on average.)

4. I've never seen a really large everglades...are they smaller than other obsoletus subspecies? How large is the average male everglades?"


1) Well, it's really tough to define an "EXACT" size because there can be many variables involved. But I can generally tell you that the females need to be of decent body weight so they will ovulate and become receptive to breeding/fertilization. A general size for breeding a female obsoletus would preferably be at least somewhere close to the 4 foot range or bigger. Males of course can successfully breed at a smaller size their second season of life as they become sexually mature.

2) They can typically get at LEAST as large, if not much larger than a big Okeetee corn. And Yellow, Blacks, Grays, and Texas rats can grow quite large. I have personally seen some huge obsoletus in my day that were WELL over 7 feet long, and the the documented record length for a Black Ratsnake is 101 inches *8'5"*. And I'm quite sure there are larger behemoths around here and there too.

Some Everglades can get pretty good sized too, although most are generally a good bit smaller than some of their obsoletus counterparts, and Andy Barr originated a hypo Everglades line that is substantially smaller than the original Bill Love Line of hypo glades from decades ago that is still going strond today. The Love line is FAR more common in the hobby. But I know Graham Griglow of "Strange Cargo Exotics" at least DID have and work with the Barr Line hypos.

Anyway, if well fed and all other factors being equal, the obsoletus will easily grow larger than most corns ever would. About the biggest corns I have EVER seen in all of my years of snake keeping where like pushing 6 feet, but not much more (if any). But there are definitely some MONSTER obsoletus out there. Take this leucistic Texas just for one example...

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

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