Python Projects
Blood Pythons
Womas
 

Boa Projects
Dumeril's Boas
Dodoma Valley Sand Boas
 

Colubrid Projects
Indigos, Cribos, and Coachwhips
Eastern Kingsnakes
Speckled Kingsnakes

Snakes of the Genus Drymarchon- Drymarchon are  some of the most intelligent and active snakes in the world.  They quickly "figure out" their cage arrangement, feeding schedules, and and keeper's routines.  They are almost eerily aware of their situation as captives.  These factors combine to make a great group of snakes to work with.  I can honestly say that I never get tired of these animals.  They are responsive on a level that I have not encountered in all my years of working with many different kinds of snakes.  Drymarchon seem elapid-like, with large, bright eyes and large heads relative to their body size. Out of the cage, Drymarchon are astute and alert.  They flick their tongues rapidly to perceive their surroundings and move confidently. All members of the genus are capable of getting large, with 7-8 girthy feet being not uncommon.  They have  fast metabolism and can grow quite rapidly.  In fact, they are well known as being extreme eaters as far as snakes are concerned.  Mine seem as if they will try to eat anything placed in front of their face on feeding day.  They greedily accept rodents of all kinds, fowl of any type, other snakes (even venomous), fish (Tilapia, Catfish, Bluegill, Cod, etc.), amphibians, and even infertile snake eggs and their own shed skins! We believe that a rich diet results in an overall better quality of life for our captives and strive to offer them these treats whenever possible along with a primarily rodent-based regular diet.  If you have ever desired an alert and interesting snake that feels no need to hide all the time, you should give this group a try.  The species we work with are outlined below.

Eastern Indigos- The eastern Indigo has long been the pinnacle of most hobbyist's dreams.  They are America's largest and most impressive colubrid snake and are among the most revered of all snakes to enthusiasts throughout the world.  The large, jet-black scales and substantial girth make adult Indigos truly formidable snakes.  Two naturally occurring phases of this snake appear: solid black and red-chinned.  Neither is dominant or recessive, and breeding a black to a red-chinned can yield a mixed offspring clutch. 

Click here to view available Indigos

Yellowtail Cribos

Yearling female Guyanese Yellow Tail.		We feel a cool humidity chamber is best practice in Drymarchon husbandry	Freshly shed hatchling Yellow Tail

 

Click here to view available Yellowtails

Blacktail Cribos

Hatchling Black Tail after first shed

 

Click here to view available Blacktails

Unicolor Cribos

Click here to view available Unicolors

Red Western Coachwhips- Western Coachwhips are not members of the genus Drymarchon, as the rest of the animals highlighted on this page, but they share many similarities and I treat them nearly the same as far as my admiration and husbandry goes.  The Coachwhip is an enigmatic member of American herpetoculture, but has remained regrettably overlooked.  They are tremendous animals, full of color and personality.  The red color phase is a variant that occurs in extreme west Texas and extends through southern California.  They are not alone in this range, as the more typical brown individuals can be found in the same general areas.  This phase can be variable, with coloration ranging from bubblegum pink to deep crimson.  The pattern may be represented as a black head and neck with red body or a solid red body with barely visible remnants of their juvenile banding visible.  Rarely have we seen solid red, unmarked specimens.  Not living in this species natural range, and this not being a regularly captive-bred snake, putting a collection of these beautiful animals together has been challenging.  In comparison to Drymarchon, these are alert and active snakes.  They have a broad range of acceptable foods and make great displays.  Wild caught animals are "nippy" to say they least, but with confident handling and persistence, calm down nicely. 

Click here to view available Coachwhips

Matt and a freshly received wild-caught female Coachwhip!	Nothing tops the red in a Western Coachwhip.