The new guys! Psammophis mossambicus

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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Well I got in my first pair of Psammophis mossambicus 2 weeks ago and they are doing great! The other pair is coming in next week. I love the entire Psammophiine genus, they are quite amazing colubrids with some interesting evolutionary ways to beat the heat! Some psammophiines secrete a wax like substance from pores inbetween the scales near the "neck" area behind the head and writhe their body until they are more or less covered. This gives them a kind of self made "sun block" that helps them thrive in the deserts and the hot arid scrub bush of Africa during the day. I got them eating frozen thawed medium mice about every 4 days, as they have a very fast metabolism so that makes them far more manageable as far as captive care goes! Though they are not the most fantastic looking snakes, their behavior and evolutionary traits are pretty awesome. Heres some pics
 
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Dyn

Arachnobaron
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Are these guys rear fanged? I tried looking up some stuff on them and alot of pictures where showing someone holding a snake close to them with rear fangs.


If so how bad is the venom?
 

joshuai

Arachnoangel
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Are these guys rear fanged? I tried looking up some stuff on them and alot of pictures where showing someone holding a snake close to them with rear fangs.


If so how bad is the venom?
IT hurts and makes you nauseous but its not that bad i don't think!
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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They are rear fanged, as the psammophis genus are close cousins of the thelotornis I dont want to test it! Psammophis toxicity ranges from species to species. P mossambicus, depending on your reaction to the venom, will cause nausea, pain from swelling, and in some cases a little bit of necrosis at direct area of bite. Thelotornis are the African twig snakes and are rear fanged and WILL kill you! their toxicity is right up there with Boomslangs. The psammophis are not too keen to bite though from my experience handling them, as I have yet to be bitten. But I have seen some nasty bites from Montpelier snakes and the Karoo sand snake all in the Psammophis genus.
 

Dyn

Arachnobaron
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Yea no venomous snake is anything to really play with even with the most mild venom because you never know how you might react to it you could easily have an allergic reaction to it.

The only venomous reptiles I'm interested in keeping are gila monsters or beaded lizards. Nothing against the snakes I like alot of them just not to the point of wanting to keep some. I have a friend though that has a large eastern rattler, some pygmy rattlers, a pair of copperheads and a gaboon viper. Very nice to look at but just not interested in something that could easily disfigure you and maybe even kill.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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Yeah, I hear ya on that one I have owned some pretty nasty vipers before, but I do enjoy keeping real hots. I plan on getting a few less severe species of hots in the future though. Aspidelaps pops up immediately LOL, they are so cute!
 

Dyn

Arachnobaron
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Those are very cool. You keep throwing out scientific names and I'm having to google like crazy. :razz:

I like boigas and was considering getting one but changed my mind.

I like alot of the arboreal vipers as well.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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The Asian Trimeresurus are some of the most beautiful snakes in world as well as the African Atheris genus, but Atheris are really good at dying in captivity, as well as a few of the Trimeresurus. You need a good amount of time and an enclosure that basically simulates their own individual environmental niche! But there are quite a few people who have some good luck with them and manage to captive breed a few species. Boiga are fantastic as well, but AVOID wild caught at all costs! Most are heavily parasitized, dehydrated and are for more experienced keepers as they are fairly sensitive in captivity and very nippy. But Boiga cynodon are fairly hardy, though they can get over 9ft in length. Personally I think that a good Asian starter are a few of the Elaphe or even Ahaetulla for something different. I have had nothing but great experiences keeping the Asian vine snakes, just make sure you have a steady supply of lizards and mist them often.
 

Dyn

Arachnobaron
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*googles Trimeresurus*

Yea I really like those. Very awesome brite greens/red and even blues

*googles Atheris*

Atheris hispida is easily one of my favorite snakes. =P

I really like the sulawesi black mangrove snakes. No clue on the actual scientific name. =P

I've messed with the asian vine snakes we had at the pet shop here. Pretty cool snakes.


Like I said before the only venomous reptiles I'm interested in getting atm are gila monsters and beaded lizards. Most likely gila's at first because they would require a smaller cage. Cageing lizards is alot harder than snakes being its usually the opposite. 2x the length of the lizard X actual length. Also cant really stack cattle troughs full of dirt for these guys lol. Based on the reading I saw they only need about 3 square feet of space but that seems rather small. Probably get a 4x2x2 trough and set up two cages for a male and female with a removeable divider.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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Oops wrong pics! the 3rd and 4th pic are of my P. sibilans. I just got some more P tanganicus in yesterday I will post pics of as soon as my horrible camera is charged again!
 

dtknow

Arachnoking
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toecutter: What lizards did you feed them?(store bought anoles/geckos, locally collected?) No luck switching them over to other prey items? With feeding lizards I've heard you risk parasites.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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If you mean with the Ahaetulla, I have had a male A prasina for over 3yrs and a big Malaysian female for 2yrs which are the most recent 2, and I have fed them nothing but store bought Anoles and house geckos and they have done great. Well minus a spot of mites soon after I acquired the female, which was quite trying and I ended up selling her since she was VERY defensive.

I take all of my exotics to the vet yearly for check ups. This year cost me about 1000$ which was bit more than usual, but I had a Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus male who was diagnosed with a cancer and ended up having putting the guy down after about 700$ worth of treatments and minor jaw surgery. I was a bit upset about putting him down. They are my absolute favorite snakes and I believe one of the greatest starter snakes out there.

If you are talking about the Psammophis, they pretty much have eaten mice for me readily except for the P mosambicus who needed a little convincing! Be they all accept F/T mice with zeal now!
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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Yes it is here in VA(no anoles or house geckos), but very worth it just to watch them and their behavior! But back home in GA and SC anoles and house geckos are EVERYWHERE and easy to catch. I have another arboreal set up that I would like to get an Oxybelis for and set them up next to eachother to show a great example convergent evolution and compare behaviors, but they are near impossible to find in the hobby for some odd reason:wall: They are very common from southern tip of Texas all the way down well into South America but like the fantastic :drool: Drymobius margaritiferus they are difficult to get here.
 

dtknow

Arachnoking
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m guy on KS that gets all the manner of crazy(legal??) WC stuff has gotten Oxybelis recently...along with parrot snakes. Wonder if you could just go to S Texas or AZ and collect a pair?

If I ever tried I'd have to feed them on small Sceloporus or Uta.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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Hmmm.... I may need this guys number lol! I like parrot snakes quite a bit as well. And as far as I know they are not illegal to own its just the importing of Central and South American wildlife gets a little hairy I guess. You may be able to find a supplier in your area where you can get anoles and house lizards pretty cheap. I'm not sure where you live in Ca but I believe LLL Reptile sells feeder lizards ata fairly decent price. They sell house geckos for about 40$ for 10 shipped. And I believe they have 2 stores that are in Oceanside and Escondido.
 

dtknow

Arachnoking
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Not questioning the legality of the Central/SA stuff though a few US things had me scratching my head for a bit(I suppose a few states do grant commercial collecting permits). I would reccomend emailing the guy-he seems very stand up and answers emails readily.
 
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