Yay!! I found another keelback!! But my car broke down...

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The TSHS Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Lisa on May 07, 2001 at 05:01:45:

I got another striped keelback! I have no idea what sex either is (and have no experience incubating eggs anyways), but I hope I got a pair. They are almost identical, the new one is slightly larger, the head is a bit bigger. This sounds strange, but now that my first one is with the new one, it seems calmer. When it was housed with the albino checkered garter, it was much flightier, even though the garter is buried in the substrate most of the time.

I was able to definitively ID it as Xenocrophis vittatus, thanks to someone on the net who lives in Indonesia. They said that the bite is like being stung by a lot of bees in one place. The symptoms appear to be pain and swelling - no necrosis or neural effects. So I guess it is only really dangerous if you're allergic, and have an anaphylactic reaction. I have a lot of allergies, but I don't think bees are one of them. They show no inclination to bite anyways. The new one was swallowing a large rosy red, and had his mouth open - I saw his fangs. They are way back underneath the eye, and at their size, I'm not sure they could even do much damage. Even when adult, they probably would need to really latch on and chew.

For a so-called "trash snake" (I hate that term), they sure are pretty. I know, I'm wierd; but I like small, rare, unusual snakes and lizards. I love the herps most people ignore - like anoles.

Anyways, when I left the store where I got the keelback, my car wouldn't start. AAA had to jump me. He said it was the starter. But on my way home, my radio died, and my lights dimmed completely out by the time I was a mile from home. So it's either the battery or the alternator (the latter has already been replaced twice - once just last year.) I have to try to start it later today. Not happy about this - I have to find a way to work too.

Sigh. Oh well, gotta take the bad with the good...

Cya later

Lisa

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: I got another striped keelback! I have no idea what sex either is (and have no experience incubating eggs anyways), but I hope I got a pair. They are almost identical, the new one is slightly larger, the head is a bit bigger. This sounds strange, but now that my first one is with the new one, it seems calmer. When it was housed with the albino checkered garter, it was much flightier, even though the garter is buried in the substrate most of the time. : I was able to definitively ID it as Xenocrophis vittatus, thanks to someone on the net who lives in Indonesia. They said that the bite is like being stung by a lot of bees in one place. The symptoms appear to be pain and swelling - no necrosis or neural effects. So I guess it is only really dangerous if you're allergic, and have an anaphylactic reaction. I have a lot of allergies, but I don't think bees are one of them. They show no inclination to bite anyways. The new one was swallowing a large rosy red, and had his mouth open - I saw his fangs. They are way back underneath the eye, and at their size, I'm not sure they could even do much damage. Even when adult, they probably would need to really latch on and chew. : For a so-called "trash snake" (I hate that term), they sure are pretty. I know, I'm wierd; but I like small, rare, unusual snakes and lizards. I love the herps most people ignore - like anoles. : Anyways, when I left the store where I got the keelback, my car wouldn't start. AAA had to jump me. He said it was the starter. But on my way home, my radio died, and my lights dimmed completely out by the time I was a mile from home. So it's either the battery or the alternator (the latter has already been replaced twice - once just last year.) I have to try to start it later today. Not happy about this - I have to find a way to work too. : Sigh. Oh well, gotta take the bad with the good... : Cya later : Lisa

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The TSHS Forum ] [ FAQ ]