An adult Eastern Indigo from Southern Florida.
In contrast to many other snake species that are warm weather specialists, the Eastern Indigo Snake, Drymarchon couperi, is active and breeding during our cooler weather. To see one in the wild is a spectacular event. Indigos are smooth scaled serpents of large size. Males may exceed 7 feet, females are about a foot shorter. Both gender are alert and so heavy-bodied that they put the Black Racer (with which they are often confused by non-herpers) to shame. In addition, the Indigo is a glossy, a shiny, black (so shiny that it often has a blue sheen in bright light) while the black racer is a soft, non-shiny, satin black. The chin of the Eastern Indigo may be black or red.

Indigo snakes have a comparatively huge home range. They favor brush piles, stump holes, gopher tortoise and mammalian burrows, with tortoise burrows being of prime importance. Tracking summations indicate the range of a single indigo often exceeds 150 acres and occasionally nearly twice that amount. Habitats vary seasonally from longleaf pine plantations and stream beds to sandy ridges. A few reintroduction programs are underway to bring Indigos back to state and federal parks and some other private/public holdings. Presently the Indigo can be found in southern Georgia, southern Alabama, and Florida, and perhaps in extreme se Mississippi and the low country of se South Carolina.

Adult prey items of adult indigos include birds and mammals of suitable size, as well as other reptiles including pit vipers, while juveniles add amphibians and smaller reptiles to the culinary list. Like King Snakes, Indigos are immune to pit viper venom

Indigo Snakes are often thought of as gentle snakes that are disinclined to strike or bite but if surprised, they may vibrate the tail. Because of their tractability they were often sought after for pet snakes. This popularity along with massive habitat loss has resulted in protection at state and federal levels. They cannot be collected from the wild. A federal permit is needed for interstate trade/sale. Be certain to know all relevant state and federal laws.

Indigos are oviparous. Clutches usually number 4 to12 large eggs. Hatchlings are ~20” in length and may be flecked with blue dorsally.

This is a juvenile V. l. gaditana. Note the yellowish tinge on the tailtip, This would have been brighter on a neonate.
Although we often hear about the Asp Viper and the European Adder, seldom do we hear about a 3rd, species, the Snub-nosed Viper.

As currently known, the Snub-nosed Viper Vipera latastei,ssp. comprises 3 subspecies, 2 of which range in Spain and the 3rd that ranges from Spain southward to North Africa. The 2 subspecies restricted to Spain are V. l. latastei and V. l. arundana. The third, V. l. gaditana ranges more widely.

None are colorful, having a ground color of light to dark gray with darker gray to black markings. The vertebral pattern may vary from a well defined darker zigzag stripe to well separated black blotches. Dark lateral blotches may be well defined to nearly obscure. The common name describes the rostral area, slightly snubbed or upturned. Neonates have a yellowish tailtip that is used in luring lizard prey to within striking range.

As a group the Snub-nosed Vipers are fairly small and relatively stout. Adult size varies from 18 to 25 inches. They utilize a wide variety of habitats, from vegetated seashore dunes to woodlands, rocky escarpments, and populated areas. Research seems recently to Concern is now being shown

In the wild, females are said to give birth to about a dozen neonates every 2 or 3 years.

This is a dark colored adult male Leopard Rat Snake.
Due to the corn snake’s beauty and genetic adaptability a great many folks once frightened of, or at least impassive towards, snakes have not only become snake owners, but rave about the beauty of their captives as well. But comparatively few of these same keepers are aware that there is another rat snake that is as pretty as our corn snake, but is a bit more difficult as a captive and is much less readily available, This is the beautiful European Leopard Rat Snake, Zamenis situla. This like many other rat snakes world-wide used to be in the then cosmopolitan genus Elaphe.

In colors, patterns, and size this snake may vary somewhat with females being a bit longer, somewhat heavier of body, and more brightly colored than the males. Adult size varies from 26 to 36 inches. The ground color varies, seemingly by locale from dusky gray to bright gray, or occasionally to a golden gray. The black-edged dorsal blotches are often a bright red but, especially on males may be dusky red. Lateral spots are black. Patterns vary from a single row of dorsal spots to a double-row, or may be a combination of the two. Some individuals may have a double row of solid rather even edged stripes, or have a combination of blotches and stripes.

Our adults were rather reluctant feeders on laboratory mice, but eagerly accepted captive bred cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus) when offered.

An oviparous species, eggs may number from 2 to 8 in each clutch.

As you can see, Leopard Rat Snakes can be, and usually are, a bit more finicky than our corn snakes, but are well worth the extra effort put forth.

Note the prominent vertebral stripe and postorbital bar on this Canebrake Rattlesnake.
Firstly, what is a Canebrake? Well, the term canebrake actually pertains to a habitat feature, a thicket, a dense growth, of any of a variety of Arundinaria grasses/bamboos that are common in and along lowland streams and ravines in the southeastern United States.

And the Canebrake Rattlesnake is a crotalid that was traditionally associated with the canebrakes and other moist lowlands from FL to the Carolinas and westward to eastern Texas.

Until a few years ago this was a subspecies, Crotalus horridus atricaudatus. But in their constant urge for change (or simply because they have the “power” to make such taxonomic changes), the genetic folks eradicated most subspecies (including those for the timber rattlesnake)and concluded that this beautiful southerner/westerner was merely a color variant of the northerly, often montane, Timber Rattlesnake. Both Timber and Canebrake are now merely C. horridus. But please realize that you are under no obligation to follow this genetic ruling.

Remember that you, as I, remain free to refer to this beautiful rattlesnake as the Canebrake, a rattler that we as southerners have learned to love and one that northern herpers flock southward to see.

Comparisons	Timber	Canebrake
Ground Color	Black, olive, or yellow	Tan to pinkish
Markings	Usually no banding on tail when adult No postorbital stripe Weak or missing vertebral stripe	Light banding usually visible on black tail Prominent diagonal postorbital stripe Prominent orangish vertebral stripe

Not a black, But darker than some, this is a female Northern Timber Rattler.
In the northland the Timber Rattlesnake, formerly Crotalus h. horridus, now just C. horridus) probably needs no introduction. They are the big (4 to 5 feet long when adult, occasionally a few inches longer) black or yellow (occasionally olive, especially when a juvenile) rattlesnake that is quick to buzz if disturbed and all too often quick to strike if too closely approached. Preferred habitats include sun swept open areas and equally sunny, rocky mountainsides or summits. They, of course den and hibernate, often communally, from late autumn to early spring but wander separately and widely during the summer. A live bearing species (as are all rattlesnakes) a litter may vary from 2 to 8-, 9- to 12-inch long youngsters.

Once ranging in the east from Maine to Virginia and the highlands of Georgia and in the west from se Minnesota to ne Texas, it has been extirpated by humans/habitat destruction from many areas. South of these areas the niche was filled by the southern subspecies, the Canebrake Rattlesnake (now considered by geneticists as merely a color variant).

So call it what you wish. I prefer to recognize each differently—Timber Rattlers in the north both in lowlands and mountains and the beautiful Canebrake in the south.

Comparisons	Timber	Canebrake
Ground Color	Black, olive, or yellow	Tan to pinkish
Markings	Usually no banding on tail when adult No postorbital stripe Weak or missing vertebral stripe	Light banding usually visible on black tail Prominent diagonal postorbital stripe Prominent orangish vertebral stripe

A quacking call and "robbers" mask identifies the earthen colored Wood Frog.
By now herpers in the north east must be anxious for spring to arrive, and for herpers in the south-land it is probably already here. With the blooming of the spring flowers and the budding of the hardier trees comes the emergence of the hardiest species of amphibians.

To fish-free, vernal, woodland and country waterholes come several species of Mole Salamanders. Among these are Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum, Blue’spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma laterale, Jefferson’s Salamanders, Ambystoma jeffersonianum, Wood Frogs, Rana sylvatica, and Spring Peepers, Pseudacris crucifer.

These species often begin their breeding cycles while ice still rims the ponds and snow yet remains, patchy but not yet forgotten.

The quacking vocalizations of the dark-masked Wood Frogs, Rana sylvatica, and strident peeping of the aptly named, tiny, but very vocal Spring Peeper, Pseudacris crucifer, advertise the anurans presence, but that the silent salamanders are there and active may first be noticed by sighting their characteristic gelatinous egg masses.

Of the salamanders, it is the beautiful but variably patterned Spotted species that is most easily seen. The yellow, sometimes orangish, spots from which the name is derived may be profuse, present in moderation, or almost missing. The other two salamanders mentioned are of earthen colors with variably contrasting blue(ish) spots along the sides.

When any of these are seen or heard, we can be relatively certain that while chilly days and cold nights might still prevail, warmer weather is actually right around the corner--or maybe 2 corners.

This is an albino Florida Snapper. The greenish tint is algae

Almost everybody knows or thinks they know what a Common Snapping Turtle looks like. Sadly, many folks not familiar with both the Common and the Alligator Snapper mistake the former for the latter and steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the many external differences.

But this blog is not about the identification of either. What I am wondering is what has become of the many color variations of the Common Snapper that were advertised a decade or so ago?

Remember those? There were tan, orange, yellow, and more rarely albino common snappers being offered. But that was back then and this is now—the now that should have allowed plenty of time for those odd colored snappers to have matured and to be producing odd colored offspring if ever they were going to. The albinos should have bred true, but I’ve always wondered about those oranges and other colors that were offered. I guess that if the color was genetically produced and they were line bred there might be some strangely colored snappers around. But was there?

Actually, I was pleasantly surprised. After inquiring on my Facebook page, hobbyists showed me pix of their odd colored snappers, yellows and albinos among them, and mentioned that many other colors and even some pattern variances were available in Asia.

This, and the fact that when well cared for, often handled, captives Common Snappers can become VERY tame are good facts to know.

This is the charcoal phase of the Variable Bush Viper
Seems like just yesterday but I guess it was about 4 decades ago, a small, pretty, nocturnal, African viper took American herpetoculture by storm. This was the Variable Bush Viper, Atheris squamiger. And variable it was, clad in scales of green, burnt orange, butter yellow, charcoal, or other, it was not only of easily handleable size (15 to 26”, males being the smaller), but was relatively affordable as well. As indicated by its name, this is an arboreal species, but it is said to prefer shrubs rather than the taller trees. It has a wide but spotty distribution over much of forested humid West and Central Africa.

In nature the diet is varied, including lizards, anurans, small rodents, birds, and probably other snakes. Captives have proven to survive well on a diet consisting entirely of suitably sized lab mice. Healthy captives readily breed. They bear living young and litters usually number from 4 to 8 neonates..

But with all of these positives there is a negative. The venom of this bush viper is quite potent and has no specific antivenin. Human deaths have been attributed to envenomation by this pretty snake.

Oh well. Seems there is often some degree of danger associated with serpentine beauty.

Florida Banded Water Snakes are very variable in color. Reds do not seem as common as other phases.

Field herpers anywhere within the range of Water Snakes of the genus Nerodia, have probably proclaimed on the abundance of these snakes seen on any “good” night of herping. Often, in my area of north central Florida, the numbers of water snakes have exceeded, or at least run neck-and-neck with the numbers of Cottonmouths seen. Or at least that was the case until last summer. After having seen only a single juvie on a roadway that normally discloses 6 to a dozen on a good night, I have seen only one—one lone juvie in a full season of road-hunting. After each trip I find myself asking “Where have all the Nerodia fasciata pictiventris, FL Banded Water Snakes, gone?”

Be it full moon, new moon or in between moon, warm and clear, warm and cloudy, drizzling, or pouring, I have seen only that single Banded Water Snake in the last several months. With winter now upon us, with water levels dropping in our waterways, even with our warm days (north central Florida,) I don’t really expect that the water snakes will be any more visible. But I sure do hope that the spring of 2023 will bring a resurgence in the numbers that we see. We could use a bolstering in the numbers of Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes also.

Brightly colored and beautiful, this Giant Dwarf boa still retains the even brighter tailtip used in luring their prey of anurans and lizards into striking range.
It seems as if all too often the world’s herpetoculture hobby centers on the almighty dollar. In the 70+ years I have been involved with herps I have seen so many species come and go that I would be at a loss if asked to name them all. But since I’ve been on a “Dwarf Boa” kick for the last few months I’ll just mention one of them—the Giant Trope, Tropidophis melanurus. Since mentioning several species of this genus in my blogs, I have had a number of queries asking about their availability in the American hobby. The answer has been and will seemingly continue to be, they are now longer available. Why? Because hobbyists have chosen to breed more prolific snake species that are easier to breed than the Giant Trope was. Think $$$!

By the way, the term giant pertains to the adult size of T. melanurus as compared to other species in the genus. The adult size of this “giant” varies from about 26 to 36 inches but it is of rather heavy girth. Although it is often of light mud color, some (rather rarely seen) examples are much brighter. It was these, of course, that were being captive bred and available to hobbyists. But sadly, even though easily kept and bred, these little snakes had small litters (usually only 2 to 5) and they disappeared from the American hobby decades ago but it is a commonly seen species in the wilds of Cuba. Prey includes frogs, toads, lizards, and nestling rodents.

And just as a heads up, all species of Tropidophis are capable of, and prone to, autohaemorrhage from the mouth, nostrils and eyes if unduly disturbed.

Stiletto snakes lack an enlarged head but are venomous, and have a short, stout, tail tipped with a spiny scale.
To see any of the several species of African/Mid-Eastern Stiletto Snakes, one would think that they were viewing a harmless little black burrowing snake species. When uncovered these 15 to 26 inch long snakes try immediately to cover themselves again and will quickly succeed unless impeded by substrate or human. All 15+ (according to geneticists there may be 20 or more species) are fast and they are squirmy. They do not have an enlarged head but, heed this hobbyists and systematists) they are venomous and almost impossible, thanks to greatly elongate fangs that slide easily under and beside the upper labial scales, to handle without sustaining a bite. Venom is produced in small quantities but is considered dangerously toxic and is known to cause severe pain. These little burrowers preferentially feed on burrowing reptiles (seemingly on lizards) but will accept nestling mice as well.

It seems that it is the Southern Stiletto Snake, Atractaspis bibroni, that is most often (now rarely) available to American hobbyists and is pictured here.

Our 5th Trope species of the trip, the Leopard (or Dark Spotted Brown) Trope.
We had looked for Tropidophis pardalis, the Leopard Trope (the genus was formerly recognized as Dwarf Boas) on at least 5 of our Cuban herping/birding excursions, but had never made a truly dedicated search. Although certain we were well within the range of this species we had flipped many rocks and fallen tree corpses but had failed on every occasion. We had seen birds galore—todys, trogons, lizard cuckoos and others, we had seen various lizards and some endangered plants, but zero dwarf boas.

But on this occasion, on the last day of our last trip of 2022, I elected to do something a bit different. The other trip participants again climbed the rather treacherous rock-strewn trail with our group leader, Dr. Luis M. Diaz, but I was going to remain near the entrance and search out turnable rocks on the very muddy substrate. I was positive, after having long discussions with Dr. Diaz and Nils Navarro, that Leopard Tropes were in residence and our failures to find them were merely the quirk of fate known well to all herpers.

My compadres were soon out of sight up the trail. I turned 1 rock, then the second. Only arthropods and oozing mud were seen. I walked slowly through the gate and was confronted with mud and puddles, and in the distance one mud-covered rock resting ankle deep in slurpy-mud. I sloshed over, managed to flip it, and before the water sought its depth there, saw a little brown mud-splattered ball—our first Leopard Trope! And as luck would have it, Luis found a second example higher on the trail. It, too, was beneath a muddy rock.

As well as being hardy, Standing's Day Geckos tame readily.
Seems the best way to describe this Malagasy beauty is to simply call it what it was--the biggest and the best of that diverse genus. True, it might be equaled in length by a male Giant Day Gecko, Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis, but Standing’s Day Gecko, P. standingi, is bulkier. When properly fed, a captive lifespan of 15 to 20+ years is not uncommon. In this genus of bright green geckos, that it was not the most colorful was obvious. But color isn’t everything, and the hatchlings, with their green heads, red-banded body, and blue tail, more than make up for the muted greens, blues, and grays of the adults. Additionally, after gentle acclimatization this 9 to 11+ inch long gecko is of a relatively quiet, unafraid, demeanor and often allows gentle handling. All said, it is an ideal pet lizard.

Like other species in this genus of about 70 species, Standing’s Day Gecko is largely diurnal and arboreal. Two larger species once existed but are now considered extinct and the blame is laid on habitat destruction. In nature this gecko not only licks nectar and pollen and fruit, but also consumes a fair number of insects and an occasional small vertebrate. Captives will readily eat insects and prepared Day Gecko Food.

Ours were housed in a 65 gallon hexagonal aquarium set up with vertical and diagonal hollow limbs, growing plants, and an easily accessed feeding platform. They drank droplets of water from the glass. Not until their deaths at a ripe old ages did we part.

Several clutches were produced annually by adult females. Eggs may be produced singly or in pairs.

Yellow throat, paired chalk sacs, and flattened tail typifies the wonderful Flat-tailed Day Gecko.
The common name says it all. Unlike several of the medium-sized lookalike day geckos, there can be no question about the identification of this beauty. The flattened tail, present on adults of both sexes, is immediately discernible and diagnostic. Original tails are fringed, regenerated tails are flattened but not fringed. Hatchlings and juveniles have a rounder tail. Three red bars cross the head and 3 elongate red markings are present on the lower back. Always a hobbyist favorite, this species was never imported in large numbers. Like other members of this large genus, this species is diurnal and feeds on nectar and pollen as well as occasional small insects. It is said by some to be a rainforest dweller, but others say it is most common more in the open on coconut palms and occasionally on bananas.

In its restricted range in eastern Madagascar, the Flat-tailed Day Gecko is said to dwell in family units of a single male and a harem of several females. Apparently subadults of both sexes are tolerated by the dominant male until their maturity. Glaw and Vences have stated that even the hatchlings of this taxon are agonistic.

Males of this species attain a length of about 6 inches, females top out at about 5 inches. Several clutches are produced annually by adult females. Eggs may be produced singly or in pairs.