Aviara's Reptiles

[Aviara]

Currently I only keep one tarantula (just getting started!), but I do have a fair amount of reptiles in my collection, so I thought I would start a thread for pictures.

First is my juvenile Texas Rat Snake, leucistic morph - "Lucifer".

---------- Post added 06-27-2012 at 02:58 PM ----------

Juvenile female Kenyan Sand Boa - "Savannah". She's a sweetheart!

My juvenile Day Gecko - "Geico". The store who sold him, who breeds them onsite, couldn't tell me species. ><

Looking forward to getting a new camera soon!

 

[TomM]

Very cool pictures! I've always wanted a leucy rat snake (probably a leucistic Black Rat snake). From the pictures, yours looks pretty docile. Was it always like that, or only after a lot of handling?

 

[Aviara]

I've had my leucistic texas rat snake, Lucifer, since Christmastime. The shop I bought him from actually nicknamed him Lucifer because he had a habit of being very defensive and striking at everyone, especially at faces. Nevertheless, I bought him, knowing that was typical of the species and especially the color morph, and within less than a month he was already getting much more comfortable with me. Now he will accept strangers well, although he is still calmest when I am holding him. In fact, when I took these photographs I messed with his head at a point, trying to get him to do his "rattlesnake impersonation" S-coil, and he didn't care at all!

Texas rat snakes are beautiful snakes, and if you put the time in you will be rewarded! I've heard Texas rats are the meanest of the available rat snake species, so I don't know whether a black rat would give you the same attitude...after corn snakes are rat snakes too!

 

[zonbonzovi]

I have a rather docile leucistic, as well. He's an old man now but still quite healthy and very rarely gives me the tail rattle. Yours has a bit better coloration("Cracker" has a black scale here and there) and larger eyes. Very underrated snakes and always a head turner when I have guests.

 

[Aviara]

Today was enclosure maintenance day for all my snakes and my geckos, so I took a few more pictures while I cleaned.

First, my crested geckos. Starting with my mature male, "Tiger", then my mature female, "Zoe", and finally my yet unnamed juvenile.

Zoe was uncooperative, but I did manage to get a closeup of her face. She's looking a little skinny today and had a messy shed - I'm going to keep my eye on her for awhile.

And my baby gecko. See the red dot right above his eye? It sort of looks like an injury – but it’s actually a red-colored dalmation spot. He’s had it all of his life!

Next, “Hannibal” the juvenile ball python. This is actually my boyfriend’s snake, but I’m looking after him for the summer.

Finally, Lucifer hates cleaning day so I managed to get a shot of his rattlesnake impersonation. You can see how blurred his tail is – that’s because he’s rattling it!

 

[Aviara]

Finally, I got a better camera! Unfortunately, my day gecko passed away recently due to a mite issue in his naturalistic vivarium. Here are a few pictures I took of him just days before.

And better news, I acquired a tokay gecko just a day ago. I've been really looking forward to owning one of these for awhile - I'll get some better shots soon but for now...

Such an angry little thing she is!

And here's my new crested gecko, "Mocha". She's quite beautiful, although she was a little paler on the day of the photoshoot than is her full potential.

As the photoshoot went on, she got a little stressed with all the attention and her colors went really dull! You can see her dalmation spots well.

And a portrait of "Zoe" the female buck crested gecko.

Hannibal the ball python again.

Lucifer, the leucistic Texas rat snake.

And little Savannah the Kenyan sand boa.

 

[stingray]

Super nice collection of reptiles you have!

 

[lizardminion]

I'm your new fan now.
Seriously, I love those geckos. Those shots you took of your day gecko are beautiful, (among the best pictures I have ever seen!) and really give an emotional feel towards the poor fellow.
Keep on shooting pics. And keep on buying herps to take pictures of. Lol