Re: diadem snake

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Posted by jack deryke on November 03, 2001 at 10:42:34:

In Reply to: diadem snake posted by robin on November 01, 2001 at 02:57:50:

: Does anyone know where I can purchase a royal diadem snake (s. atriceps)? They were just in Reptiles mag and I think they're beautiful. Thanks a lot.
Bill Gillingham @ Great Valley Serpentarium breeds them, called "Pakistani Jeweled Ratsnakes". As neonates they look like gopher snakes, but at about a year old, the tan background starts changing to a salmon-red. Most of the pattern fades and you're left with a salmon-red snake with a shiny coal-black head & tail, with a few coal-black blotches along its body. Mine is now 4 yrs old, 1-1/2 lbs & 4 ft long, handleable but more like a racer than a ratsnake. They appear to be more intelligent than most snakes, and mine eats either live or frozen/thawed without hesitation. Some books refer to them as 'rat-racers'. There are indications they may be rear-fanged like the Hognose but much more able to do damage with their big head & wide mouth, in case you're the allergic type. Note- the yellow adults are not 'atricepts' but another subspecies (there are 6 or 8) known as the "Flower Ratsnake", and I suspect they are color-changers too.

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: : Does anyone know where I can purchase a royal diadem snake (s. atriceps)? They were just in Reptiles mag and I think they're beautiful. Thanks a lot. : Bill Gillingham @ Great Valley Serpentarium breeds them, called "Pakistani Jeweled Ratsnakes". As neonates they look like gopher snakes, but at about a year old, the tan background starts changing to a salmon-red. Most of the pattern fades and you're left with a salmon-red snake with a shiny coal-black head & tail, with a few coal-black blotches along its body. Mine is now 4 yrs old, 1-1/2 lbs & 4 ft long, handleable but more like a racer than a ratsnake. They appear to be more intelligent than most snakes, and mine eats either live or frozen/thawed without hesitation. Some books refer to them as 'rat-racers'. There are indications they may be rear-fanged like the Hognose but much more able to do damage with their big head & wide mouth, in case you're the allergic type. Note- the yellow adults are not 'atricepts' but another subspecies (there are 6 or 8) known as the "Flower Ratsnake", and I suspect they are color-changers too.

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