Just HAD To Show THIS Off...

pitbulllady

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
2,290
I got a batch of six new Banded Water Snakes in last Saturday, from a buddy of mine down in Horry County, SC, who does "nuisance" wildlife control and often gets called out to golf resorts in and around Myrtle Beach to remove alligators, snakes, possums and other critters that the "snow birds" don't want to see. He's always on the look-out for interesting Water Snakes for my breeding program, and he really landed a "smoker" this time! I needed this little pick-me-up after fracturing my right knee cap a couple of weeks ago, believe me.

I present to you, for your consideration, this adult female Banded:











My first thought, upon seeing her, was that she was a 3/4 Red-Belly x Banded hybrid, but on closer inspection, her scale pattern and her marking patterns are 100% Banded. The red is just that intense-not orangish-red like on the Red-Bellies, but RED-red. You can make out the normal Banded belly pattern in the pic of her belly, which Red-Bellies do not have at all. I can only surmise that she is an erythristic, or excessively red-pigmented animal. Ironically, the "Flame" morph of Eastern Garter Snakes that Scott Feltzer breeds originated in almost the exact same locale in Horry County, hence his calling them "Myrtle Beach Strain" Flames. I don't know if this girl has the same sort of mutation or not, but it will be interesting to see if she proves out.

pitbulllady
 

Terry D

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 21, 2009
Messages
733
Wow! Almost looks as if F abacura got in the woodpile somewhere down along the line. Awesome coloration on that individual!
 

Matt K

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Messages
941
Ya know, there is a GREAT book on these guys by Oklahoma University Press, called 'North American Water Snakes' by Gibbons/Dorcas that you may want to look into. The price in inexpensive and the book is packed with valuable info and insight, and even some nice explanitory color photos.....

There are many watersnakes in Texas, which I like, and its unfortunate that most Texans call them all "cottonmouth" and kill them asap. Dorks.
 

JOE P

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Messages
35
what the heck does everything from the Carolinas come in red
 

pitbulllady

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
2,290
what the heck does everything from the Carolinas come in red
I don't know, but now that you mention it, you DO have a point! We've got red Pygmy Rattlers, red Garter Snakes and now red Banded Water Snakes, and the Canebrakes I find are usually pink, which is of course light RED! I'm sure that the fans of the University of SC probably have an explanation, though to be fair, I've got plenty of ORANGE Water Snakes, too!

pitbulllady
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
I really want to get a snake sometime & your pics have so put water snakes on my list of possibilities :drool: The other one I want is a hog nose.

And I come from Carolina, but i'm not red :? Very white actually :D
 
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