Your Colubrids

The link before your post covers this in some detail and is thus an interesting read, it intimates that toads/frogs make up a relatively small percentage of food eaten in the wild, as a result my sense is that evolving "frog popper" fangs wouldn't be high in evolution priorities, however, evolution as the name indicates is a continual process of refinement right?
Could it be that our Hoggies are part way down the evolutionary road toward becoming a potent venomous rear fanged snake? Say in another 10,000years [evolving takes time] much the same as a mudskipper has evolved to live out of water, and the more advanced lungfish, surely an evolutionary step on the way to becoming an amphibian?

I do fall on the side of a very mild venom unlikely to be harmful to humans as you mention, unless an allergic reaction escalates to anaphylactic shock [which is a killer in it's own right]. But you're absolutely right you are far more likely to suffer worse from a wasp/bee sting.

The link describes this venom [modified saliva] as having the ability to subdue prey animals....do have a read it's an awesome article.

Anyway I think they're cracking little animals and would like to see a few more specimens on this post.

Thanks for your imput...who else can shed some light on these snakes.......

Best,

Tony

Our Common Toad displaying a typical defence posture to a Grass Snake...in addition to inflation it'll extend legs and often present a head down rump up position to increase the illusion of size.
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A few more of my guys
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Tanya,

Great shots, particularly the first and fourth So the middle two Kings? and the others? Elaphe at a guess...c'mon let's have some specifics!!

Hey Tony, your dead right :). The top pic is off a Texas Rat (who is currently going into shed so cannot wait to see how she looks afterwards). I have been told these are more commonly found in the trade although I do also have a beautiful Mexican rat, apparently much harder to come by. Middle two are Dessert King (have to say a very placid, pretty snake IMO. They remind me of city lights from a plane) and the bottom is the most loveable bomb proof corn in the world. Shes actually a dream.

That Texas Rat Snake is an outstanding looking animal and so far one of the best posted, do we have anyone on the forum with a Trans Pecos Ratsnake? Now they really are to die for, I used to dream about owning one of these years ago!

Thanks Tony. Oh wow now that would be nothing short of a dream, a Trans Pecos, never even seen one out side of pictures and I think I heard of a pair going for the guts of a grand a few years back. If anyone does have them I'd also love to see pics and get all the info too :).
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Hudsy,

Lets get a couple of focused shots of your Pines up

im takin a few now

Ok Tony, I give in! Here's a few pics of my corns, Hognose and Pueblan Milksnake. Apologies if they've appeared elsewhere!

Female Hognose (aka Penelope - my kids named here, so don't even go there! )
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Female Snow Corn (Ela)
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Male Normal Corn (dad was a Bloodred hence colour) (Panther)
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Pueblan Milksnake (Galileo - named after the Epsom Derby winner)

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Hey Tan..

Interested in your pic of the 'texas'..
Have you any full body pics of your texas?? I have several here and the markings look very different?? Was just curious.. Pics of my hatchling female below and adult male below that..
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Raymond,

I knew it'd be worth the wait. They're cracking animals and good quality photos. The young normal Corn is an absolute stunner, he's got to win best of species on the post....and the hoggie well they're becoming firm favourites with me....did you follow the Hoggie debate, any thoughts/points of view?

Tan/Biowoman,

How about a couple of photos of both animals from above, in a lidless tub, this should work well in terms of determining patterns etc. Don't keep this comparison to yourselves though, we all want to see your findings so post up...BTW biowoman a couple of splendid looking ratsnakes....

I've about 30 ratsnakes at present plus a lot of corns also. might get round to posting pics if I get a minute..

Not the old, "when I get a minute" sketch? It took me a week and a half to twist Mr Gibbon's arm to get his photos up!!

Seriously though, look forward to seeing some of your collection...

Hi All,

In a bid not to have this thread dry up [I know folk have more to offer] here are a pair of Cali Kings Jack and I had a couple of years ago....we've seen a couple of Lampropeltis variants on the post, however, there must be loads more kept by forum members.....

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hehe sorry, I know what I did there and I think I have to be far more aware of how I speak when it comes to the reps then the mammals as I seem to confuse too many people which is easily done with snakes. Sorry my little girl is a Bairds (locale Texas) and was only chatting to a friend who has a store who refers to them as the little texas rat although I am aware another has that name officially it's what I've been calling her as of late, thought the stripes in the second pic would have given that away but anyway sorry for the confusion.

I know people who call them Texas Bairds or Bairds Texas Rats too so which ever suits. Think I have picked up too many bad habits with short cut phrases when it comes to the animals. A bit like how I have TRIED to stop saying hoggies these past few years when it comes to hedgehogs cause all the 'rep only' people think I mean Hognoses lol but I am glad my little pic has you posting again. Looking forward to seeing some of your guys again.

Those Calis are stunning Tony. I think due to their reputation people often over look them and they can be a fantastic snake to own. I'll try get some snaps in the next few days of my others but they are lovely animals. Any more Cali shots to share??

Tan,

I have a few more Cali shots but really more of the same, I do agree, the standard Cali King is under rated, it's a terrific animal, big strong and robust and if any of your other snakes bother it..it eats 'em!

Biowoman...Your minutes up!! Hudsy your Pines!!..............C'mon the rest of you get snapping and scribing.....

okay okay... God help ya though.. there are to many pmsl... but sure.. :) I haven't posted pairs, I have pairs of most of the morphs but i've added all the ones I have pics for at present or can find or pairs if they are notible..
some of these may be abit old and the snakes are much bigge now (don't have time right now to get up new pics..

Tony.. The big ones I couldn't get into tubs lol.. the adult ratsnakes are up to 6.5ft and chunky lol.. and don't sit long enough to get them into a tub lol.. Sorry.. but hope you can see them anyways :)

Corns

Patternsess Anery
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Hypo Aztec lavander
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Hypo Lavander
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Lav het striped hypo
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lav het motley
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Pastel motley
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Ghost
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Anery
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Normal Striped
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Pewter
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Amel stripe
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Ratsnakes:

Red tailed Green
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Adult female Trinket Ratsnake
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Male Trinket
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Radiated ratsnake
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Hybrid ratsnake (yellow ratsanke X Everglades Ratsnake)
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Black ratsnake morphs

Normal Black Ratsnake juvenile & Adult, showing change with age.
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Albino Black Ratsnake
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White Sided Black Ratsnake
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Hypo Black Ratsnake
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Leucistic Black ratsnake
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Albino BLack ratsnake 2 different forms. 2 T+ forms which has more salmon pink showing and below is a T- form which is very pale.. Warren you will rmbr her :)

Female T+
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Male T+ more pink mrkings than female
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Female T- Going on 5ft now and just laid a clutch of 9 eggs a month back. All infertile as I wasn't planning any breeding this year due to moving out. Relistically don't have time to deal with them. Next year though... thats a different story :)
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Texas ratsnake morphs

Normal Texas ratsnake (juvenile)
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Normal texas adult
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Albino Leucistic Texas
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Leucistic texas ratsnake
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Adult Leucistic Texas out basking in the sun
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Hypo Texas
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Albino Texas
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Bairds (juvenile)
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Albino Nelsons milk snake courtesy of Phil (old pic, she about 2.5ft now and eating like a bin lol.. she'll take 2 adult mice in a sitting if I let her LOL)
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I did warn ya :P:P:P

oops.. the pics are all chopped! hmm.. they were okay in the preview.. :-S sorry..

Tan:... thats what I was wondering.. It looked like my wee bairdii and I was just checking incase you were sld it as a texas and it turned out to be something else.. not that I think you'd care anyway and still love it the same but was just wondering.. :)

Biowoman,

Now that's what you call a collection!!! Some great shots, my favourites of the bunch, are the Red Tailed Green, Radiated Rat [just an outstanding animal] and the Trinket...all of your animals look awesome and are no doubt testament to your husbandry skills...well done, nice post!!

When did you get a Bairds Debs??

Tony.. thanks..

Yeah I love them to bits and everything goes into the, :)
Looking forward to some breeding projects next year.. :)

Tan: I went to Bristol last year to pick up the big adult male 6.5ft Texas from a friend who was holding it for me.. And we met a a rep shop there. The guy had one and said he can never find pps interested in ratsnake so if I wanted it it was mine since I'd come along way lol.. Never gonna turn away a free snake lol..

not sure of sex yet or local. Will know more at it matures..