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Wiggles92

Dovii
MFK Member
Apr 25, 2009
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Pennsylvania
I just realized that I haven't shared any pictures of my growing venomous reptile collection yet!

Southern copperhead (Agkistrodon c. contortrix). Male. ~24" long. Probable CBB.
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Panamint Rattlesnake x Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus stephensi x Crotalus mitchellii ssp.). Male. ~8" long. CBB.
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As I stated on Facebook, I'm not a fan of hybrids on principle, but this one isn't as bad in my eyes considering that such a hybrid can occur naturally not to mention that the parent species were considered to be the same species until recently; regardless of its genetics, it's still a cool little snake that immediately caught my eye at the show.

Those two are all I that have for now, but more venomous snakes should be added soon enough. I recently received my state native venomous snake collection license, so I should be adding a northern copperhead (A. c. mokasen) & a timber rattlesnake (C. horridus) to the collection before the end of next month; other species will be acquired at shows & through friends as well, and I should be getting a rescued western diamondback rattlesnake (C. atrox) any day now.
 
Very nice!! Bout time you showd em here. I like the rattler.
 
Gorgeous looking crot. I agree with you about the hybrids. If you are looking for a horridus, ask around for the N.Florida canebrakes- they are by far the most attractive with pale pinks and oranges in their background color.
 
Lepisosteus platyrhincus said:
Very nice!! Bout time you showd em here. I like the rattler.
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Thanks. I just thought about it earlier today, so I figured I may as well post them.

snakeguy101 said:
Gorgeous looking crot. I agree with you about the hybrids. If you are looking for a horridus, ask around for the N.Florida canebrakes- they are by far the most attractive with pale pinks and oranges in their background color.
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Thanks. I definitely would love a canebrake rattlesnake from that locality; I have come across pictures of them & think that they're one of the best looking rattlesnakes in the United States. However, the legality of acquiring such an animal is a bit fuzzy now that there are no subspecies for C. horridus any more. I'll have to give the state a call just to be sure as they list timber rattlesnakes as C. horridus now, and it's illegal to buy almost all native species except for a few exceptions (common snapping turtles for sure; maybe color morphs, too); the regulations for collecting C. horridus make it so that I would almost certainly have to purchase an adult male as it has to be at least 42" long & have at least 21 subcaudal scales to be collected. To add to that, I'd rather have a still cool looking northern locality C. horridus with hemotoxic venom over a southern locality C. horridus with neurotoxic venom as I'm not quite that far yet! I do have a few leads on some areas for collecting timber rattlesnakes, so I should be able to still get a nice one.
 
Cool snakes wiggles, I should get back into reptiles but after my corn snake escaped few months ago I never got the urge yet....probably the the next reptile expo.
 
Wiggles92 said:
Thanks. I just thought about it earlier today, so I figured I may as well post them.



Thanks. I definitely would love a canebrake rattlesnake from that locality; I have come across pictures of them & think that they're one of the best looking rattlesnakes in the United States. However, the legality of acquiring such an animal is a bit fuzzy now that there are no subspecies for C. horridus any more. I'll have to give the state a call just to be sure as they list timber rattlesnakes as C. horridus now, and it's illegal to buy almost all native species except for a few exceptions (common snapping turtles for sure; maybe color morphs, too); the regulations for collecting C. horridus make it so that I would almost certainly have to purchase an adult male as it has to be at least 42" long & have at least 21 subcaudal scales to be collected. To add to that, I'd rather have a still cool looking northern locality C. horridus with hemotoxic venom over a southern locality C. horridus with neurotoxic venom as I'm not quite that far yet! I do have a few leads on some areas for collecting timber rattlesnakes, so I should be able to still get a nice one.
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That seems like a lot of restrictions! If Crotalus horridus are legal there or if you have the permits for them or whatever it does not matter what state or locality they are. It is still the same species.
 
snakeguy101 said:
That seems like a lot of restrictions! If Crotalus horridus are legal there or if you have the permits for them or whatever it does not matter what state or locality they are. It is still the same species.
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Pennsylvania Code: Chapter 79 (Reptiles and Amphibians): Section 10
(a) It is unlawful to transport or import into or within this Commonwealth a native species from another jurisdiction.
(b) It is unlawful to receive a native species that was transported or imported into or within this Commonwealth from another jurisdiction.
(c) [Exempts zoos & such from these requirements]

That's the catch for them as they're now one species rather than two subspecies; technically, they could enforce this on all copperheads & massasaugas, too, even if they're not a native subspecies, but they do not do that to my knowledge.
 
Soo...One has to be curious...How do you clean the terrariums? Do you harvest their venom so they are a little safer to be around? Can you sell it?

They are really pretty though. I'd be scared out of my mind...a very intimidating pet, lol!
 
KellyFrancis said:
Soo...One has to be curious...How do you clean the terrariums? Do you harvest their venom so they are a little safer to be around? Can you sell it?

They are really pretty though. I'd be scared out of my mind...a very intimidating pet, lol!
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I keep venomous as well- you take the animal out of the enclosure using snake hooks. And no you cannot harvest and sell the venom- you would need hundreds of snakes to collect enough.
 
Crazy!!! I couldn't dream if taking them things out of there inclosed lol

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