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Stina   Concolor1   Stina   Concolor1   P.houston  
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 #1974348


Stina
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 My 2 new Beauties

I just got this pair yesterday from a local reptile store. I’ve had my eye one them for over a year but they didn’t want to sell them. Finally I got my opportunity and grabbed them! (Not literally, I paid $150 for the pair....they have laid eggs in the past so who knows) I plan to seperate them for now. I just LOVE the colors on these guys.



03/25/09  10:06am

 #1974454


Concolor1
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   Message To: Stina   In reference to Message Id: 1974348


 Nice Bulls . . .

You should have some good luck with those . . . And yes, I’d separate them, let them eat well this summer, give them a nice winter rest, and nature will take its course next spring if you have tendencies towards raising young’uns . . .

For those having trouble discerning bulls from gophers, the "hooded" eyes are readily apparent on these two (I’d guess they were from somewhere in East Texas, but I won’t bet any money), as is the "pattern shift" about halfway down (almost like two different snakes).

Over on the kingsnake.com bull forum they’ve got some pictures out of some more intermediate forms from further west in the Lonestar state . . . It’s easier to see the more "gopher-like snout" that characterizes our local pits. BTW, I’m jealous that snakes are apparently out and about already; up here in the Great Basin it’s still snowing, and I just checked on my local W/C I’ve been brumating in hopes of curing his hunger strike that started last August . . . He’s (?) fine, weight-wise, but cage space is a little limited right now and all my mice are giving me problems eating their young, so I’m going to give him a week or two more since I don’t have any breeding prospects this year with my pits . . . I got Momma and Poppa corn out of the cooling closet two weeks ago; Poppa promptly shed without eating as soon as he warmed up and then wolfed down a f/t barely-weaned rat; Momma took an adult mouse immediately, an extra pinkie I had as a bit of sashimi appetizer, finally a similar rat, and now she’s gone all blue getting ready for her pre-nuptial shed . . .
03/25/09  02:17pm

 #1974665


Stina
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   Message To: Concolor1   In reference to Message Id: 1974454


 Nice Bulls . . .

I didn’t know there was a difference. So mine are actually Bulls and not Gopher snakes? I can see exactly what you are talking about with the eye hood and pattern "lift" very cool, thanks.
My husband commented on her eye hood saying it made her look angry. We named them Lucius and Narcissa
03/25/09  07:15pm

 #1975071


Concolor1
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   Message To: Stina   In reference to Message Id: 1974665


 Bulls and Gophers Are Simply Different Subspecies. . .

The Pacific Gopher Snake is Pituophis catenifer catenifer; the local Great Basin around here is P. catenifer deserticola. Melissa Kaplan’s website lists eight subspecies, and it doubtless takes an expert to make the distinction (which I’m not, just reasonably proficient at research, particularly with Google).

Bull Snakes are classified as P. Catenifer sayi, and as I noted above, there are doubtless intermittent forms in areas where they overlap. Too, they’ll interbreed freely (a local shop offered a bull/gopher cross here last summer), and hobbyists in search of different morphs are doubtless going to muddy the classification waters . . .

Link
03/26/09  02:10pm

 #2081617


P.houston
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   Message To: Concolor1   In reference to Message Id: 1975071


 Bulls and Gophers Are Simply Different Subspecies. . .

See this site for info on every Pituophis in the world and to add your photo images with specific locations for wild caught animals anywhere in the world where the range. I’ll also add great pictures of great aberrations or cool morphs or exceptionally beautiful Pituophis. google or Yahoo search Patrick H. Briggs world pituophis
10/07/09  10:33pm


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