7306.attach - Reptile Forum

Bush League Breeders Club
February 2012 Edition 16
Chief Editor: Pitoon
- BLBC Member of the Month
- Ask the Dr. “Parasites”
- Lampropeltis mexicana
- The Interview
ders Club
Speckled Black Gap Grey Banded King
Panhead’s “dumb luck”
Did you know?
The Reptile Report
Bush League Breeders Club
Bush League Breeders Club
Bush League Breeders Club
Bush League Breeders Club
Bush Lea
BLBC Member of the Month
Name/Screen Name: Toni Stephens / tfs
Location: South Arkansas
Career: My plans for a career haven't exactly worked out the
way I had planned. After graduating with honors and my BS in
Biology, I worked in Wildlife management and also as a biotech with a Medical lab. Then, I
got married and before we divorced, had 3 children who have become my life. I have raised
them alone while they struggle with autism and other medical issues .
We were at a good place in 2004, and I was planning to return for a masters degree and a
career renewal while they were all in good educational programs. Life had different plans.
We were in a wreck. Since then, I have been dealing with injuries and complications.
In 2008, my daughter shared her enthusiasm with me about a ball python project. One of
my injuries causes short term memory loss. Whenever I began researching the bp I was able
to actually retain what I learned and became hooked on this adventure.
Shortly thereafter, I found the BLBC and the people here have really been a source of fun
and enlightenment for me. I love this hobby. Life is full of twists and turns, each one holds
riches if you know where to look.
First Reptile: Spent my childhood in the woods looking for snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards and
anything else that moved. I could track a box turtle by sound. To heck with those barbie
dolls. Was known in school as the little girl with snakes in her pockets. Even the teachers
would gather round at recess to see what I had brought to share. I guess the only ones we
kept past a day of inspecting were the box turtles that would eat worms in front of us. They
were the best!
BLBC Member of the Month
Species You Most Prefer To Work With: (1) Ball python…..Why?
(2) Dream come true, a snake that will eat and lay eggs for me.
Nice manageable size and beautiful morphs .
How many years have you been working with reptiles? My
daughter, and I began our collection in 2008 .
Species you’d love to work with more and just haven’t: Probably the Western Hognose .
Biggest Accomplishment (can be anything in your life): My children. Meeting the challenges
has strengthened and enriched my life in ways I cannot say I would trade for an easier life.
My life is filled with Faith in the Lord that I would not have known had things been easy.
What do you enjoy doing when not working with the reptiles? Bank Fishing, jeep riding,
bird watching, herping, walking/hiking, camping, movies, cards, dominoes, photography,
sushi.
What is your favorite flavor of Ice Cream? Jamoca almond fudge
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be? So many place I have not seen.
I don't think I could choose one place. I am a happy girl just sitting by the river or lake,
walking through hardwood bottoms or the hills of Arkansas watching a sunset. Joy is
where the heart is.
Website of the Month
Picture of the Month
Metal Monkey Exotics
BerlinHogs
Panhead’s “dumb luck”
I was at East Bay Vivarium one day back in the 70's when one of the employeee's
(Jim) tell's the manager (John) the african rock python that had gotten out. It
was in a storage space in the attic that was filled with box's, etc. There was a
ladder going up there with an opening of about 3' by 3'. One of the guy's started
climbing up and you could hear this snake hissing. He was told not to go up
because as soon as his head cleared the top he was going to get bit right in the
head/face. So one of the guy's goes to the front of the store and grabbed a live
chicken. He walks to the back of the store and tosses the chicken up into the
hole. For a few minutes we are standing there as we hear the chicken making
noise up in attic. About 5 minutes later you hear some shuffling ,and then you
hear the chicken let out a squawk. John turn's to Jim and say's ok, now you can
get the snake.
Bruce
ush League Breeders Club
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Bush League Breeders Club
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Bush League Breeders
Ask the Dr. - Parasites
Article by Quality Serpents
Hello again my fellow Bush Leaguers. I just want to express again my appreciation for the
opportunity to be a part of what I feel is the best reptile related forum in the world and now the best reptile
related monthly newsletter in the world. This month we will be discussing reptilian parasites. Parasites are a
very widespread problem in reptiles but the vast majority of the problem comes from just a few pests.
Parasites are easier to understand if we break this subject down by body system. This article will touch on two
primary categories: Internal parasites and External parasites. Internal parasites will further be broken down
into blood-borne, respiratory, and intestinal parasites. There are many pests that externally parasitize reptiles,
but ticks and mites are the two most important and will be the ones dealt with here.
Beginning with the internal parasites, first up are the blood-borne
parasites. Blood-borne parasites, like most reptilian parasites are
much more common in imported than captive bred animals. There
are more than a dozen different parasites in this category. A few
examples are: Trypanosomes, Haemoproteus, Schellackia, Babesia,
Hepatozoon, and Leishmania. All of the blood-borne parasites
require an invertebrate intermediate host, normally an arthropod
(tick, mite, fly, mosquito, etc.), to perpetuate their life cycle. This
means that the arthropod will take up the parasite during a blood
meal from an infected reptile and then the parasite will progress
through part of it’s life cycle inside of the intermediate host. After
the parasite has undergone this change, it then becomes infective and can be transmitted on to another
(or the same) reptile host through another blood meal.
Even though it is common to find blood-borne parasites in imported reptiles and more commonly in lizards and
chelonians than in snakes, rarely do they cause actual clinical disease. However, when the parasite burden is
especially high, they can cause severe hemolytic anemia and death. Typically, if caught before clinical disease
occurs, these parasites can be easily treated with antiparasitic drugs.
Parasites of the respiratory tract are less common than blood-borne parasites but typically are a much bigger
clinical problem. The lungs serve as the primary site of infestation for some parasites such as some nematodes
and pentastomid “worms”. Again these parasites are much more common in wild caught or imported animals.
The interesting thing about these parasites is their peculiar route of transmission. The parasite resides in the
lung tissue and produces eggs which are passed up the trachea into the mouth where they are swallowed and
then passed out in the feces where they are infective to other animals.
Lung flukes are flatworms that belong to the class Trematoda. These worms live in the large blood vessels
around the heart but are listed with the respiratory parasites because the disease they cause is primarily in the
lungs. These flatworms release their eggs into the circulation and the eggs are then “caught” in small branches
of blood vessels. When this happens in the lungs, it causes a significant inflammatory reaction.
There are also a few other parasites that do not live primarily in the respiratory tract but utilize it for a portion
of their life cycle. The most well known of these parasites is the hookworm, which can cause what is known as
visceral larval migrans. Visceral larval migrans is a condition where one larval stage of the parasite migrates
through the viscera, in this case the lungs.
Page 1
Ask the Dr. - Parasites
Article by Quality Serpents
Whatever the parasite, typically the respiratory disease caused is due to either a significant
inflammatory response in the lungs or from a secondary bacterial pneumonia. In addition to antiparasitic
medications, antibiotics are often needed to treat the secondary pneumonia. Most of the respiratory parasites
can be diagnosed via examination of fecal material under microscopy. One interesting note about respiratory
disease in aquatic species (not limited to parasitic infestations) is that they often cause the animal to float or
swim off balance due to either a consolidated or collapsed lung on one side, affecting their buoyancy.
Intestinal parasites come in many different forms and have a wide range of severity of disease and risk of spread.
This article is not meant to be all-inclusive but only to touch on the most common and/or serious parasites.
There are three important protozoan intestinal parasites of reptiles. The protozoans are considered to be some
of the more clinically serious of the intestinal parasites, both because they can cause severe disease and they are
easily passed from animal to animal. These three parasites are entemoeba, coccidian, and cryptosporidium. The
clinical symptoms of these diseases are somewhat similar with the notable exception that entemoeba infections
can be much more severe and has been known to kill 100% of a collection if not identified and treated in time.
Typically the protozoans cause the following symptoms: anorexia, chronic regurgitation, diarrhea (often
containing blood and/or mucous), and dehydration. These parasites can usually be diagnosed on microscopic
examination of fecal material (special staining is required for cryptosporidium). As with all of the intestinal
parasites, strict cage cleaning is extremely important in ridding a collection of the protozoans.
There are several species of tapeworms that infest the intestinal tracts of reptiles. All of the tapeworms require
and intermediate host (usually an arthropod as described above with the blood-borne parasites). Tapeworms
are rarely significant and are usually only an incidental finding. Tapeworms are not as easily diagnosed as most
of the other intestinal parasites but can occasionally be found on routine fecal examination.
By far the most commonly diagnosed intestinal parasites are the nematodes
(roundworms). It is rare that I see an untreated wild caught or imported animal
in my practice that does not have a roundworm infection. There are many types
of roundworms that cause disease in reptiles with the most common being
ascarids, oxyurids (pinworms), and strongyloides. The ascarids are thought to
feed on the ingesta of their host, strongyloides are blood feeders. Typically the
roundworms cause regurgitation and diarrhea with resulting dehydration and
weight loss. They are generally easily diagnosed on microscopic examination of
feces. The pinworms are an interesting case in that there is some debate over
whether or not they cause disease. Over 100 species of pinworms have been identified and they are highly host
specific, meaning a particular species of pinworm does not like to infect more than one species of reptile. This
has led some to speculate that perhaps pinworms and their specific reptile hosts may have a sort of crude
symbiotic relationship where the worm helps it’s host in digestion.
A few notes about treating internal parasites before moving on to external parasites. Knowing what parasite
you are dealing with and how it’s life cycle works is very important. If you are dealing with a parasite with an
indirect life cycle, meaning it requires an intermediate host, then obviously, knowing this will enable you to
properly treat the infection. Also, as with most diseases, it is much easier to prevent these diseases than it is to
cure them. Diligent cage cleaning and appropriate quarantine will go a long way towards preventing these
diseases from infecting your collection.
Now on to everyone’s favorite subject, external parasites. There are several external parasites that infest reptiles,
the most common being ticks and mites, although flies, mosquitoes, leeches, maggots, and fleas have been
known to cause problems as well.
Page 2
Ask the Dr. - Parasites
Article by Quality Serpents
Ticks are a common finding in wild caught and imported
animals. Ticks are rarely found in large enough quantities to cause any
real problems directly, but are important vectors in the spread of other
diseases as outlined above. Treatment of ticks is generally via manual
removal with a couple of caveats. First, it is important that the whole tick
be removed, including the head and mouthparts. If any part of the tick is
left behind, it can become an entry point for secondary infections. Also,
care must be taken when manually removing ticks from any animal
because ticks can carry many diseases that are infectious to humans.
Probably the most common parasitic disease of all reptiles is mite infestation. There are five pages dedicated to
mites in the book Reptile Medicine and Surgery by Douglas Mader, confirming the importance and
commonplace of this disease. As such, much of what is written here comes from those five pages.
Over 250 species of mites have been proven to parasitize reptiles, with Ophionyssus spp. (the common snake
mite) being the most common. Like ticks, mites are blood suckers. But, unlike ticks, mites are often found in
large enough numbers to remove a clinically significant amount of blood from their host. Diagnosis of mites is
easily done just by visualizing the mites on the skin of the affected animal. Before the infestation becomes
severe, the mites may not be readily noticeable. The most common places to find them are in the fold of skin
under the chin, in the recess around the eyes and around the cloaca. Once they become more numerous, they
can be seen crawling around on the skin of the animal, in the enclosure and often floating dead in the water
bowl.
In addition to being intermediate host to many of the diseases discussed
above, mites can cause disease of their own. Often animals infested with
mites will have a dull appearance to their skin, will be lethargic,
sometimes anorexic, have chronic shedding problems, and can suffer
from severe anemia. Also Ophionyssus is known to be a vector for a
bacteria called Aeromonas, which is known to cause severe respiratory
disease including pneumonia in reptiles.
It is important to understand the life cycle of the mite to be able to
effectively treat it. Eggs are laid in the environment and hatch in
approximately 30 hours. They pass through five stages of life, each needing a blood meal to progress. Mites
may live as long as 40 days and have been known to survive as long as three weeks without a blood meal. The
reason this is important is because it points out the need for adequate cage cleaning and quarantine. Even
leaving an enclosure without an inhabitant is ineffective if less than 3 weeks in duration. Treatment must be
thorough and include the animal as well as the environment.
There are nearly as many treatments suggested for mites as there are
people who are asked about treating mites. This article can not account
for them all, only a few recommendations and warnings will be given.
First the warnings. The first is a treatment that I used to see commonly
years ago, but not as much recently and involves hanging a flea collar
made for dogs or cats either in close proximity to or inside of an
enclosure. I have seen a couple of cases where snakes actually ingested
these collars and ended up with organophosphate toxicity.
Organophosphate toxicity can occur without ingestion, so I do not
recommend this practice at all.
Page 3
Ask the Dr. - Parasites
Article by Quality Serpents
Secondly, I do not recommend pyrethrins. I am not in the business of singling out specific
products, but as a group, pyrethrins are not the safest alternative to treating mite infestations. Pyrethrins can
and do cause severe neurologic toxicity in reptiles and other animals. It must be noted here that pyrethrins are
not the same as pyrethroids. Pyrethroids are synthetic pyrethrins and are much safer. Thirdly, it is common
knowledge that Ivermectin has been used with great success in reptiles for treatment of parasites. It should
also be common knowledge by now (but doesn’t seem to be) that Ivermectin is extremely toxic to Chelonians
and should never be used in these species.
Here are a few recommendations I have given for mite treatments in the past. There are a couple of very safe,
innocuous treatments that can be tried for very small infestations. Soaking the animal in warm water for about
30 minutes or so should be effective in drowning any mites that are on the animal. Also mineral oil or olive oil
applied to the skin of the affected animal will effective suffocate the mites. Both of these treatments have the
inherent flaw that they only kill the mites on the animal and they do not help with the environmental problem.
Also, it is not safe to submerse the animals head in either water or oil for a prolonged period of time, leaving the
mites in that area untreated. However, these treatments can be used effectively in conjunction with an
environmental treatment.
I have used a product called Nix (human head lice product) on my patients in the
past with great success. Nix is a pyrethroid. I have generally used the lotion
product, squeezing approximately a 1/8 inch ribbon into 8 ounces of warm water
and shaking vigorously to mix. This product can then be sprayed directly on the
reptile as well as on the environment. Care should be taken to keep this product
away from any potential food or water source for the reptile. This product can be
left to dry in the environment, but should be washed off of the reptile after about
5-10 minutes.
My favorite product for treating mites is
fipronil. Fipronil can be found in several
products now, but is the primary ingredient
in Frontline and Frontline plus marketed for
dogs and cats. Frontline comes in a spray preparation. Frontline plus does
not come in a spray. The major advantages to using fipronil are safety and
lasting efficacy. Fipronil can be sprayed directly on the reptile and the environment (again with care to avoid
the animal’s food and water sources) and can be allowed to dry in place. There is no need to wash this product
off. Also fipronil has the added advantage of being effective for 3 weeks or longer.
Well friends, that wraps up another article for the best reptile related monthly newsletter on the planet. Until
March, God bless.
Shane Whitaker D.V.M.
If you have specific questions, feel free to visit the
“Ask the Dr.” page to submit those for Dr. Whitaker.
Page 4
The Reptile Report unites the reptile community
Littleton, CO (Feb. 1, 2011) — The Reptile Report (www.TheReptileReport.com) brings top headlines from major sites to one place that makes
it easy for enthusiasts to keep up with all areas of the hobby. Each day, The Reptile Report staff combs small to large reptile, amphibian and
invert sites and posts links to the most interesting news and discussions. The Reptile Report readers follow these links to the source sites where
they can see the content and participate in the discussions. The Reptile Report was created by Robyn Markland and Chad Brown of Pro Exotics
Reptiles, TempGun and ShipYourReptiles. After the Pro Exotics facility was destroyed by fire in Fall 2011, Markland and Brown decided to
pursue projects that more broadly serve the reptile industry. They are excited to focus their energy, knowledge and experience on The Reptile
Report.
“There are more than 80 active reptile forums,” says Markland, “and keeping up with them all is an impossible task. As someone who’s been in
the industry for 20 years, I try to keep current with industry happenings and buzz. I follow three big forums every day, and I just don’t have
time to follow any more.“ The Reptile Report will make it easy for me and other hobbyists and insiders to stay current on a wide variety of
topics. I can easily see what’s going on at my ‘home’ ball python site, and I can also see if anything cool or important is happening in the frog,
gecko and monitor worlds. All this without changing my home forums or spending hours looking for interesting and important threads.
“We think The Reptile Report will have a powerful influence in building and tightening the online reptile community.” The Reptile Report
officially launched Feb. 1, and it already has more than 1,500 pages of content.
Who is The Reptile Report?
For more information, contact Robyn Markland.
[email protected] : 303-347-0500 x3
Robyn Markland and Chad Brown – Owners
The founders of The Reptile Report, Robyn and Chad also founded ShipYourReptiles.com and Pro Exotics Reptiles. They have more than 20
years of experience breeding pythons, boas, colubrids and monitor lizards. They take great pride in the quality of their reptiles and service
they have provided to their reptile customers. The Pro Exotics facility burned down in Fall 2011. After the nightmare of the fire settled down,
Robyn and Chad have had a chance to think about projects they’ve wanted to pursue but haven’t had time for. They are excited to focus their
energy, knowledge and experience on The Reptile Report.
Judy Clothier – Chief Editor
Judy has been actively involved in the online herping community since 2004 when she became one of the administrator/owners of
Ball-Pythons.net, helping to grow the once small site into one of the largest and most lively communities on the ‘Net. She is married to a
Colonel in the USAF and been an active and supportive military spouse for over twenty years. She would tell you where she lives, but by the
time you read this, they’ll have probably picked up and moved again.
Emily Cook – Contributing Editor
Emily has been keeping reptiles since she was thirteen years old. In 2004 she expanded from being a reptile hobbyist with just a few pet
reptiles into more serious reptile keeping. She then began breeding ball pythons, rhacodactylus and other geckos, and established her own
small reptile business. She is a member of many reptile forums and an owner and administrator of Ball-Pythons.net. In addition to her passion
for reptiles, Emily has a B.F.A. in graphic design, which she puts to use doing web design and other online projects.
Lee McCormack – Product Development Director
Lee has more than 20 years of experience in media and interactive applications. He helped Robyn and Chad build ShipYourReptiles.com, and
he helped create The Reptile Report. He continually works to improve these services.
How does The Reptile Report work?
The Reptile Report’s expert staff combs through news and community sites to find the best, most interesting articles, images, videos and
threads. TRR staff creates a post that creates interest in the content found on existing reptile sites. This post will include a banner for the forum
or, when possible, an image that draws interest to the post. Readers click to the site where they can see the content or participate in the
discussion. We are not building a community site to compete with existing forums. We have no plans to build a community, and The Reptile
Report has no community forum function. We are not taking content from forums. We are highlighting the best threads and news items from
existing communities, sharing them with a wide reptile audience — through titles, commentary, banners, images and links — and sending
fresh eyeballs back to the sites to view the actual content we are highlighting. When we use a photo from a site to create more visual interest,
we will post a cropped version. Readers must follow the link back to the forum to see the full photo and the content of the thread.
The Reptile Report will make it easy for everyone to stay current on the buzz and happenings in other species and parts of the industry. We
think this will help build the entire reptile community.
MEXICANA
Article by Jlassiter
What is a "Mexicana King?"
Over the years Lampropeltis mexicana have been a
somewhat "problematic" species. Currently there are
only three subspecies of the mexicana species. They are
Lampropeltis mexicana mexicana (San Luis Potosi King
Snake - AKA Mex Mex), Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
“leonis” (Nuevo Leon King Snake or Variable King) and the
Lampropeltis mexicana greeri (Durango Mt. King Snake).
Figure 1: Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri - Straw yellow leonis phase
At one time Lampropeltis alterna (Gray Banded King Snake) and Lampropeltis ruthveni (Queretaro
King Snake) were included as subspecies of the mexicana species. And at one time mexicana were
lumped with L. pyromelana & L. zonata. Over the years there have been a few Mexican kings that
have been found outside of their known range and in now known overlapping ranges. These
"in-betweeners" have yet to be recognized as anything other than intergrades. None of these
intergrades have reached our hobby. There has even been a rather recently named Mexican
Lampropeltis. It is not grouped in the mexicana species. It is the Lampropeltis webbi. Webbi are
not known to be in captivity at this time either.
There is a definite need to further investigate Mexico’s wildlife. Range maps are either out dated or
do not reflect complete data at this time and there is a probability that there are “new” species
and/or subspecies of lampropeltis. With the continuous outbreaks of drug wars it seems there is
no opportunity to further the study of Mexico’s flora and fauna safely. The Lacey Act also makes it
unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign
commerce any reptile in violation of the laws of the United States, a State, an Indian tribe, or any
foreign law that protects them. Before the 100 year old Lacey Act was amended to include the
enforcement of foreign laws & regulations, herpetoculturists and herpetologists were allowed to
collect these animals for research and/or personal collections. Since then there have been no
legally imported Mexican Kingsnakes into the hobby; thus there have been no new bloodlines
introduced into private collections for over 2 decades.
In this article I would like to describe where these animals come from and what each of them have
to offer the herpetoculture hobby. I will include alterna, ruthveni & webbi along with mexicana,
thayeri & greeri for sake of including all of the Mexicana complex kings. If I were to go totally
"old-school" I would then add Pyromelana & Zonata but I will not in this article.
MEXICANA
Article by Jlassiter
First let’s take a look at the most current range map:
Figure 2: Courtesy of Robert Hansen. Notice "leonis" used rather than thayeri.
Lampropeltis alterna
The Gray Banded King has somewhat of a cult following.
Herpers from all over the nation and even other countries
venture to the semi-arid desert of West Texas in search of
these prized king snakes along with many other of the
flora and fauna west Texas has to offer. West Texas is full
of old townships that were established during the oil
booms of the early 20th century and later in the 1970s.
Figure 3: Dark Blairs from Black Gap lineage When the oil boom died down so did these small west
Texas townships. It seems the money flow brought by
he Alterna hunters have kept a lot of these small west Texas towns alive. Since the 1970s, and
maybe earlier, west Texas herpers have been welcomed with signs that read “Welcome Snake
Hunters.” Great camaraderie amongst the Gray Band hunters has grown to an all out addiction and
cult following for those that save up every year to make the trek to such desolate Trans Pecos roads
in search of some of arguably the most beautiful king snakes in the nation. In June of 2012 there
will be the first annual “Snake Days” in Sanderson, TX. Many believe that this will be the beginning
of a great annual tradition. There is even a movie dedicated to the adventures of West Texas
herping that features many of those that make the annual trek to the Trans Pecos in search of the
most sought after Lampropeltis in the nation…..The Gray Banded Kingsnake. The name of this
movie is “Alterna Rush” produced by Dan Krull of Small Scale Films.
Size:
Scalation:
•
Hatchling: 7 - 12 in.
•
Dorsal: 25 rows near mid-body
•
Adult: 28 - 36 in. (normal)
•
Ventral: 210 - 232
•
Sub caudal: 56-62
57.75 in. (record - Edwards County, TX.)
•
Infra labial:10
•
Supra labial: 6 - 8
•
Anal Plate: Single
Article by Jlassiter
MEXICANA
Range:
•
L. alterna are found in rocky environments throughout the Chihuahuan Desert from close to
San Juan del Rio in Durango, Mexico north to Eddy County in extreme southern New Mexico. In
Texas it ranges from Edwards County near Rocksprings west to the eastern edge of El Paso County
in the Hueco Mountains.
•
They are also found in extreme southeastern New Mexico eastward through the Trans-Pecos
region of southwestern Texas, then southward within the boundaries of the Chihuahuan Desert of
north-central Mexico (including Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, and probably northern Zacatecas).
They also range outside the boundaries of the desert near Monterrey, Nuevo León and on the
eastern flank of the Sierra Madre Occidental in northern Durango (elev. > 2300 m/7550 ft). In strong
contrast to the U.S. portion of the range, the distribution within Mexico is very poorly understood.
Snakes from the eastern part of the Mexican range have been found from 1000–1800 m
(3280–5900 ft) elevation.
Habitat:
•
Rocky canyons and arroyos, limestone ridges, talus slopes and boulder piles are preferred,
although specimens are occasionally found in desert flats.
Prey:
•
L. alterna feeds primarily on lizards and rodents, although lizard eggs, snake eggs and the
Canyon Tree Frog Hyla arenicolor have also been reported as prey. Ophiophagy (consumption of
snakes), common in Lampropeltis getula, is rare but has been observed in captive L. alterna.
Popular (not all) Localities:
Figure 4: Speckled Black Gap Gray Banded King
Brewster County, TX
•Big Bend National Park
(Off Limits)
•Alpine
•Christmas Mountains
•Study Butte
•Terlingua
•Peppers Hill
•Lajitas
•Black Gap
Crane County, TX
•King Mountains
Crockett County, TX
Edwards County, TX
•US 277, North of Loma Alta
•US Hwy 190, East of Iraan
•Ft. Lancaster, US Hwy 290
•US 377
•Howard Draw Road/FM 2083 •FM 2523
•FM 674 (Brackettville Road)
•Juno Road, Tx Hwy 163
•Rocksprings
•I-10 - in Crockett County
Culberson County, TX
Eddy County, NM
El Paso County, TX
•Hueco Mountains along US 62/180
Jeff Davis County, TX
•Boy Scout Road, FM 1832
•Limpia Canyon, TX 17
•Tx 118 - between Ft Davis &
McDonald Observatory
•McDonald Observatory,
Tx 118
•Musquiz Canyon, TX 118
Kinney County, TX
Hudspeth County, TX
•Hueco Mountains along
US 62/180
•I-10
Pecos County, TX
•US 285 North of Sanderson
•Iraan, US Hwy 190, FM 305
•US 90 West of Sanderson
•FM 2886 South of Bakersfield
•US 385 Glass Mountains / NE of Marathon
•S 67 SW of Ft. Stockton
•I-10
MEXICANA
Article by Jlassiter
Popular (not all) Localities: ....continued
Presidio County, TX
•River Road FM 170
•Lajitas FM 170
•Shafter US 67
•Pinto Canyon
•Candeleria
•US 90 Between Marfa and Alpine
Real County, TX
Reeves County, TX
Sutton County, TX
•HWY 277 South of Sonora
Terrell County, TX
•Lozier Canyon US 90
•Palma Draw US 90
•Sanderson West US 90, East US 90, US 285 North
•Dryden US 90
•TX 349 Dryden to Sheffield
•FM 2400
•FM 2886
Upton County, TX
•King Mountain
Val Verde County, TX
•Juno Rd TX 163
•Loma Alta US 277
•Langtry US 90
•US 90 Del Rio to Comstock
•US 90 Comstock to Langtry
•US 90 Langtry to Pumpville
•Pandale Dirt
•Pandale Paved FM 1024
Mexico
•Durango North of San Juan Del Rio
•Coahuila
•Coahuila / Cuatrocienegas
•Coahuila / Cuesta del la Muralla
•Monterrey
•North of Saltillo
•MANY Unkown localities
NEXT ARTICLES:
Lampropeltis webbi
Lampropeltis ruthveni
Lampropeltis mexicana greeri
Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri “leonis”
Lampropeltis mexicana mexicana
Did you know?
Lampropeltis means "shiny shield”, referencing their dorsal scales. Within the genus Lampropeltis are
Kingsnakes and Milksnakes, amongst other colubrids in the genus.
The majority of these snakes have beautiful vibrant patterns. Kinsnakes are also known to eat a
variety of animalsto include other snakes. Due to their nature of eating other snakes for their diet
they have picked up the name “King”as in King Cobra that also eats other snakes as part of their diet.
Some Kingsnakes have also mutated to mimic other venomous species that live in the same habitat
and are also immune to some Rattlesnake venom.
“The Interview”
Pitoon interviews Shane Whitaker of “Quality Serpents”
Article by Pitoon
Pitoon: Thanks for taking part out of your busy schedule to do this interview!
Shane:I can't think of another thing I'd rather take time out of my day for.
The BLBC is an awesome place. I've only been a member for a short time and
it already feels like home.
Pitoon: So you’re like one of us….with the plus of being a D.V.M. What
made you want to become a Vet? Do you specialize in any particular s
pecies?
Shane:Truthfully, I'm like one of us first. The D.V.M. is what I do. A reptile
fanatic is what I am. Early on in life I realized there was something a little
different about my interaction with animals than most people. Once I had
overcome the ignorance of adolescence, I knew I wanted to be in medicine.
There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of restoring health to something that is ailing. Here is a little secret about me; human
injuries make me nauseous. When my wife stubs her toe, it makes me a little queasy. But I can do surgery in the worst of bloody
situations on a dog and I'm unaffected. So human medicine was out. Veterinarian just seemed like the logical fit.
Pitoon: I’ve been to your website multiple times, and you always have a variety of species available. How many different
types of species do you work with apart from work?
Shane: I've never really had any aspirations of becoming a lucrative reptile business owner (although if people start throwing
money at me, I won't turn it down), so specialization isn't a necessity for me. I really do love them all. Currently I have: Chondros,
Jungle carpet pythons, Ball pythons, Boa constrictors, Corn snakes, black rat snakes, yellow rat snakes, San Diego Gopher
snakes, Bull snakes, thayeri kings, ruthveni kings, Florida kings, Nelson's milks, a sand boa, and a few hybrid kings. I really can't
make up my mind. And I really appreciate you visiting my website. Even if no one is buying anything, it is really encouraging when
I see people visiting.
Pitoon: From my take you seem to be really into corns/ratsnakes, why? How long have you been working with them?
Shane: I started breeding snakes in either 1989 or 1990. I believe my first successful breeding was a pair of california kings. Corns
would have been a short time after that. I guess I really like the colubrids because they have personality. There is a ton of
variability in the colubrids even in wild types. Then when you factor in all the different color and pattern morphs, there is an
unlimited palate to create some fatastic animals.
Pitoon: How often do you attend shows? Which shows do you usually attend?
Shane:I used to attend shows a lot more frequently than I do now. Taking time off work is much more difficult than taking a
weekend off studying school work. When I do make a show now, it is usually Dixie Reptile Show in Birmingham, AL. I made the
NARBC show in Arlington a few years back. I am planning on attending the Tinley Park show this year. I am hoping to make it for
both the March and October show. I am looking forward to meeting a lot of the BLBC members for the first time.
“The Interview”
Pitoon interviews Shane Whitaker of “Quality Serpents”
Article by Pitoon
Pitoon: What’s your feelings towards the recent approval on the ban of
the big four?
Shane: It is a really difficult thing to convey the message to the non-herp keeping world that
we would like to convey. The everglades and it's natural inhabitants are important. I don't
think anyone would argue that. I also don't think that any herp keeper wants burmese
pythons in the everglades. Getting that message across while at the same time attempting to
maintain the freedom to keep the animals we love seems to get twisted and used against us
often.
It seems that special interest groups with a seemingly unlimited supply of money are allowed
to have a louder voice than we are as individual hobbyists. Those special interest groups have
an agenda that hasn't exactly been out in the open, but if you look hard enough it is pretty
clear. The tragedy that happened in Zainesville, OH happened at a very inopportune time for
us. This rule that has been passed is really only a revision of legislation that has been
ongoing for years. Just when we were about to be able to defeat it altogether, this thing in
Ohio happens and allows steam to build behind the effort again. Since then, I have counted
at least 6 other states that have either announced or reannounced pending legislation that
would include reptiles in one way or another. It just shows how these things go, the man in Ohio didn't even own any snakes, but
here are all these wildlife laws being considered that have reptiles in them. There is no way around it. A lot of people are afraid of
what they don't know anything about. And snakes for some reason strike an irrational fear into some people. The only way of
overcoming the problem is to find a way to educate those people. That is a very difficult task in some cases, because it is an
irrational fear and some of those people just don't want to be educated.
Education is only one part though. There is a legal side to this that educating individuals cannot address. Staying behind
organizations that do an effective job at making their voice heard like USARK and PIJAC is the right thing to do, but it can't stop
there. We have to band together around our common interest and make sure that the people in Washington D.C. hear us.
Pitoon: What does your wife think about all of this? The animals at home and at work?
Shane:I am extremely lucky in that area. My wife loves reptiles. She isn't as motivated to work with them daily as I am, but she
enjoys having them around. I have kept many species of venomous snakes in the past and she has always been a little uneasy
about me keeping those, but never to the point of asking me not to.
Pitoon: What’s your favorite snake, favorite morph? Why?
Shane:Wow, that's difficult. I've already said I can't make up my mind. But I hate it when I read a column like this and the person
being interviewed evades the questions, so I'll answer it. My answer may be different tomorrow though. Today my favorite snake is
the variable king snake. The main reason is that watching them hatch is absolutely incredible. Their diversity is seemingly endless.
Every single one is different. And though some people won't like it, I think their addition to some hybrid projects makes some
stunning individuals.
“The Interview”
Pitoon interviews Shane Whitaker of “Quality Serpents”
Article by Pitoon
Pitoon: Snake, lizard, turtle, or frog? And why?
Shane:Snake. I've had some of all of the categories and lizards, turtles, and frogs
just can't captivate my attention long term like a snake can. I can find some short
term enjoyment in any of them, but long term I always seem to lose interest.
Pitoon: What are your upcoming plans for this season between the different
species you breed?
Shane: Hopefully I will successfully breed ball pythons for the first time in nearly
20 years. I have a few zig zag corns that are throwing zig zags fairly regularly. I
have been really trying to get that zig zag pattern into lots of different color morphs.
It probably won't happen this year, but next year I'm hoping to get lucky enough to
make a visual 5 gene corn. How cool would that be? But then, I probably won't be
able to identify it when it's born.
Pitoon: Do you remember all the PM’ing we did back and forth when I was trying to get you onboard with the BLBC
Newsletter Committee? Well I just wanted to tell you, I’m really glad to have you on the team! It wouldn’t be the same
without you.
Shane: I absolutely do remember. I also remember being hesitant to make the commitment. I do a lot of things, especially with
church. I teach Sunday School and also preach on occasion and preparing for those things takes a lot of my time. But looking
back on it, I am extremely glad you and CK were able to talk me into it. I've said it many times, the BLBC newsletter is, in my
opinion, the best monthly reptile newsletter on the planet. I really believe that and I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as I am.
And the sky is the limit. With your editorial skills, if you can talk more people into jumping on board, there is no telling what you
can make out of it.
And thank you for the compliment. It is an honor to be part of the newsletter.
Pitoon: On behalf of the BLBC I would like to thank you! Everyone loves your humor on the forum and your very
informative posts! Keep up the great work!!!
Shane:Again, I am truly honored to be a part of the BLBC. It is the only place that I have found where the majority of the people
involved are genuinely interested in learning and teaching. That's what I thought was important 20+ years ago when I started and
it's still what I think is important now. I want to thank everyone for putting up with me and providing an atmosphere that is enjoyable and
informative. I don't plan on going anywhere soon. (Unless some unscrupulous moderator thinks I look better in pink, that is) Hope to meet as many of you
as possible face to face in the near future.
God bless.