It has been a long time but I hope to get a few more things going for this year, one of which was this week. I had the chance to head out on tuesday to neveda to do some surveying on the kingsnake population in the Great Basin. I didn't find any kingsnakes but I did find a snake that I have always hoped to find but never been able to, the story does not end well though so don't get your hopes up.


Here was my first find of the trip. It was a nice size Great Basin Gopher Snake that was pushing 4'. The 1st pic is as found,


This 2nd was to show a little of the size.


These next couple of pics still frustrate me!!! I have always been interested in Ringneck snakes. I was able to find a few on my mission in Miami but have never seen one in Utah. I hear they are out there I just never seem to find them. Just a little background on them, they are very secretive snakes that spend much of their time underground of under ground cover so you have to really look hard or get really lucky to find them. they are a small snake that ranges from 12"-30" but they pack a powerful punch. They are a rear-fanged snake and are known to have some sort of vemon that helps them take down their prey. They are confirmed snake eaters and have been witnessed swalloing snakes that are nearly their own size.

This one I found pulling into a sub-developement so I wasn't really looking for anything just driving. I saw a snake on the road just before I got to it, I tried to swerve but with no luck. It was about the same lenghth and diameter as a pencil.

The Regal Ringneck Snake



I just hope I get another chance to find one of these guys, alive that is.

-Tommy

Long Absence, and a Nice Find!

This first post of mine in a couple of months is of a few of the finds from Florida. Vincent asked if I would do a post about a "Glass Snake" which isn't really a snake at all, but a lizard with no legs. I found this guy while we were on our way to the Everglades. It is an Ophisaurus ventralis (Eastern Glass Lizard). I knew it was not a snake the second I saw it on the road. These guys have a tail about twice as long as their body and when held feel nothing like a snake. They are stiff and scaly (much like lizards with legs), not soft and lucid like snakes.

Legless lizards are found along the East coast down through the south east, as well as along the west coast. They spend a lot of time in sandy soil and look very uncordinated trying to move through anything else.






This last pic is of a young Corn Snake found under a board across from where we found the lizard. It was a fun trip and we had lots of fun especially getting to see things I did not see the first time I was in Florida.

Florida Blue Striped Garter

In honor of our trip to Florida this week I would like to show the Florida Blue Striped Garter, Thamnophis sirtalis similis. These guys are found in a very specific area of Florida along the Gulf Coast. They vary in blueness and are quite fiesty as a picture below will demonstrate. They will eat a variety of items, I feed mine pinkies (baby mice), worms, and fish. Males are much smaller than Females averaging 16-24 inches, while the Females average lengths of 30-36 inches. There have been some specimens that grow over 40 inches.

These guys along with all Garters are great pets. They are active in the day and love to explore everything they can which seperates them from a lot of Colubrids and Boids that tend to hide most of the time. They start out flighty and emit a stinky musk when first handled but over time they calm down and some will even come out to meet you as you walk into the room.

This is my Female, she is a lot brighter blue than my male below.
This is a pic of how mean my male can be at times.

"Striped Keelback"

Xenochrophis vittatus- Striped Keelback- Indonesian Garter

This is the Scientific name along with the common name of this species, Ironically they are neither a true Garter or a true Keelback, they are kind of in a limbo state of ID right now. They are found in South East Asia and are usually found under ground litter. They eat small invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and anything else they can fit in their mouth. The ones found in the pet trade are usually wild caught individuals and many are loaded with parasites and in poor health. So far I have been lucky with mine and have not had any problems. He is quickly becoming one of my favorites in my collection.

Unfortunately these guys are often sold in chain stores (Petco) as "Canadian Garters" or under some other false name. This is a rear fanged species (as are all North American Garters) meaning they do have a mild venom, like that of a bee or common house spider. They are harmless to humans but there is the slight possibility of an allergic reaction. Mine has never shown any signs of aggression, which is a lot more than can be said about my real Garter snakes. If you see these guys in the stores under a different name just realize what they really are and enjoy them as such, also make sure you do your research on them because the pet store won't be able to give you any useful information.

2. Corn Snake

My second choice is the Corn Snake. This is a very popular snake in the pet trade due to its low price, amazing colors, and its exceptional demeanor. They make very good pets and the snake I recommend as the very best beginner snake.

In the wild the corn snake has a large range spanning much of the southern U.S. It is found in many different ecosystems which adds to its adaptability and hardiness as a captive. They spend time in the tree tops as well as in the water, but they spend most of their time on the ground under leaf litter or in logs. They are usually not stingy eaters in the wild eating rodents, amphibians, lizards, and even birds. In captivity they do best with a diet of rodents. As babies you should provide a calcium supplement to help them get the proper growth they will need to be healthy adults.

There are hundreds of color morphs that have been discovered in this species with more being discovered each year. Because of their popularity in the trade there are many established captive breeders eliminating the need of wild collecting of the species. These guys are a very rewarding pet, one that will continue to grow in popularity with reptile and non-reptile enthusiasts everywhere.

1. The American Bullfrog

I chose to do the Bullfrog first for a few reasons: 1. It is very recognizable and common, 2. It is native to the United States, and 3. It is highly invasive and illegal to have in the state of Utah. Some say that if you see one in the wild you should kill it, I personally prefer to use the tadpoles as snake food but that is just me.



This species has a wide range that goes from the east coast to just east of the Rockies. It has been introduced to many parts of the West and is causing great damage to the native species, imparticular the highly endangered Columbia Spotted Frog. I talked to a DWR representative last year that told me they found a Bullfrog that had just eaten two of the Spotted Frogs.



They have been imported in small numbers by Pet enthusiasts but the main cause of introduction is through bait shops. They will sell the Tadpoles of these guys by the hundreds. People will use them for bait and loose some or just to put in their outdoor pond.



Please help spread the word on this invasive species and let people know there are much better things to have as pets.

Winter Blues!

I can't stand the winter! I do not like the cold, I do not like the snow, I do not like that it gets dark at 5:00 p.m., and worst of all there are no Herps to be found.

I struggle through the winter months and I am sure it is the same for all of you, so to help us all out I will be posting a feature pet of the week. It will include the bio of my pet as well as some natural history and captive care info.

I will do one a week for the next few weeks and if anyone has a request of something they want me to post about please let me know.

I wish everyone good luck getting through the winter blues and remember to get back if you need a little boost.