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ERPETOCULTURE AGAZINE Issue #7
Northern Pine Snakes! Industry Spotlight: Andy Rea
ARS Hybrid Rack Review Field Collecting Ethics
- May 2020
Creating Trust With Monitors!
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Great American Turtles
Specializing in Morelia & Old World Ratsnakes.
@uwabamireptiles
This Issue...
Cover Photo By Travis DeLagerheim
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Pg. 18 Copyright Š 2020 by Herpetoculture Magazine all rights reserved. This publication or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Seventh Edition www.herpetoculturemagazine.com HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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Contributors
Justin Smith - Publisher -
Billy Hunt - Publisher -
Will Bruce - Contributor -
Noah Zeleznik - Contributor -
Carlos Michaelsen 2 - Contributor -
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Phil Wolf - Contributing Editor -
Ashley Haude - Contributor -
Jason Baylin - Contributor -
Editor's Note COVID-19 is the buzzword of the year and is something I think we won’t be seeing the end of anytime soon. We’re a nation struck with cabin fever but there’s a silver lining to all of this newly found free time. This situation is the perfect opportunity to catch up on Youtube subscriptions, podcasts, and magazines (thank you for reading this one by the way.) It’s also a time to focus on our collections. Do some “spring cleaning” maybe sprucing up a vivarium or completely updating an existing cage. If you’ve been wanting to build a vivarium. Do it. If you’ve wanted to start making videos for youtube. Do it. RIGHT now is the perfect time for content creation since we’re all forced to stay home. Even if you aren’t interested in putting out content, we’re fortunate to live in a special time in herpetoculture with the sheer amount of information we have available at our fingertips! In the meantime, take care of yourselves, your animals and be safe!
Justin Smith & Billy Hunt -Publishers-
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Getting Into American Turtles 4
With Will Bruce
When I was a little kid I wasn’t exactly thrilled by turtles. Every time a friend showed me their pet Chelonian it was either a Slider or a Map, swimming round in a little tank and munching on pellets of brown food. To an eight-year-old me this just made them seem like a boring, homogenous group of animals. I’d think, “do they even kill things?” or “why are we looking at this when I have a snake at home?!” What changed? Well, I moved to Indiana at the age of nine, and that was an eye opener to say the least. First, I caught some Painted and Musk turtles, then by the age of fourteen I’d added Snappers, Softshells, Box and even Blanding’s to my list. Not only was the U.S. home to more turtle species than I could have ever imagined, but they turned out to be more diverse and contrasting than I expected too. To top it off, my best friend during this time was a major turtle enthusiast! He taught me things like what Eastern Box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) really like to eat in between saving me from the occasional ass-kicking at school. Now that I’m all grown up - and a herpetologist - people often ask me why I keep going back to the U.S. for herping trips, rather than the tropics. In truth it isn’t just childhood nostalgia, and turtles are a big part of it. As well as being home to some of the world’s most amazing snakes, lizards and salamanders, the U.S. is a bona-fide turtle megadiversity country. In fact, the Mobile Bay area of Alabama is one of only two areas on earth where 18 or more species of Chelonian co-exist (the other being the area where the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers merge in Bangladesh). This is in great part because the south-east and the eastern seaboard of the U.S. are what I like to call a “turtle sweet spot” – that is to say an absolutely huge swathe of humid, temperate-tosubtropical land that is criss-crossed with rivers and peppered with lakes. This has allowed the American turtles to radiate into over 50 species over the course of their evolution – more than can be found in any other country in the world! Amongst these you can find everything from peaceful omnivores to vicious predators. In this article we’re going to take a quick look at four species that not only illustrate this amazing diversity, but also make truly awesome pets. You might be mainly a snake keeper like me - but stay put, these critters will tempt even the most fanatical ophidian enthusiast!
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#1 - The Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina
This species is one of the most beautiful turtles on the planet, as you can see from this male specimen (as indicated by his red irises). The stunning animal in the above photo is no fluke, in fact I’ve seen more brightly coloured Eastern Box Turtles than not. Found from Massachusetts to Georgia in the east, then as far as Tennessee and Michigan in the west, their abundance is highly variable. An avid herper could find as few as one a year in parts of Indiana, or ten a week in parts of North Carolina. The most remarkable thing about these turtles, however, is their shell, which bears a hinge between the pectoral and abdominal scutes of the plastron. Thanks to this adaptation they can close both front and back portions of their plastron so tightly that they literally become a box. Being terrestrial they occupy a tortoise-like niche, but the ability to close their shell probably gives them an evolutionary edge over tortoises in a continent where opportunistic predators like skunks, raccoons and opossums are so common. As a captive, the Eastern Box Turtle is alert, curious and rewarding, with longterm pets learning to come running for food. That said, there are a couple of major mistakes that people make with this animal. First is buying wild-caught specimens. These don’t often do well due to the catching/transporting stress; and the fact that their populations are declining makes removing them from the wild something of an ecological sin. The second mistake is maintaining them with a low humidity level, which invariably leads to eye problems and respiratory infections. During summer the eastern U.S. has high humidity and high temperatures, so aiming for a humidity level of around 80% and temperature gradient of 75-87F goes a long way to keeping these guys healthy. Deep, humid substrate and a shallow water bowl big enough to soak in are a good idea to help with humidity. As far as diet goes, variety is the key with this species, alongside high-quality calcium and vitamin supplementation. About 40-50% of their diet should be night-crawlers, Zophobas worms and other creepy crawlies whereas the rest should be dark greens, mulberries, Morel mushrooms, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and the occasional banana. HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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#2 - The Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera spinifera
What a crazy-looking animal this is! It’s essentially the Stealth Bomber of the turtle world. They have a flattened, smooth shell without scutes, a snorkel nose, strongly webbed feet and a sharp beak that can chop fish to pieces. To top it off, members of this genus are probably faster on land than any other turtles. This whole pack of morphological adaptations gives them everything they need to hunt or hide successfully. Their flat shape allows them to easily bury themselves in river or pond bottoms whereas their snorkel nose allows them to take a breath whilst remaining submerged. But don’t bother waiting if you’re chasing one and it dives – they can literally stay down there for hours thanks to their ability to absorb oxygen through their skin. Males and females are strongly dimorphic, with females being twice the size and tending to lose the dark ocelli that juveniles have. In the wild A. s. spinifera has a geographic range that encompasses the Mississippi River Watershed, with populations to the west of Nebraska and to the east of West Virginia being fragmented. Whether A. spinifera is a single species with several subspecies (A. s. spinifera being the one covered here) or a complex of species is an ongoing debate, and one that I frankly would not be able to comment on. When it comes to their captive husbandry this species is hardy if you can get a captive bred juvenile. The main issues you can have are that females can get huge (15’’+) and are sometimes ill-tempered. Getting a scar from a bad bite is a strong possibility. These issues are countered by the fact that watching such an awesome predator is well worth the effort of keeping them. They will hunt and destroy pretty much any aquatic animal you put in with them, from invertebrates to Bluegills. Weirdly enough, they also love bread – though I can’t say how good or not this is for them. Contrary to popular belief, these turtles do bask, so providing a dry basking spot is essential. Last time I went herping in the Midwest I saw several adult females basking on sand banks on more than one occasion. The mistaken belief that they almost never leave the water may be due to how incredibly alert, fast and shy wild specimens are. Juveniles and adults alike need silt or plant detritus to hide in at the bottom of their water. Humidity and temperature levels should be similar to those recommended for the Eastern Box Turtle, but be sure to check water temperature as well, as they’re often found in relatively shallow, warm water. 8
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#3 - The Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii
First and foremost, this species is endangered and in decline throughout its range, which is mainly the northern half of the Midwest, though small populations are dotted around as far east as Nova Scotia and as far west as Nebraska. This status makes it scarce in the hobby, but captive bred hatchlings are becoming more and more common these days so don’t rule it out just yet. These turtles are almost like a weird box turtle. They have a hinge that becomes reasonably mobile in adults, a high-domed carapace and only partial webbing between digits. Where they diverge is in the fact that they have a flat, frog-like head with high-placed, forward facing eyes and an incredibly long neck. These features allow them to focus on prey that passes directly in front of their snout and ambush it with a vacuum-gulp, not unlike the Matamata (Chelus fimbriata). They are damn good predators too - I have even observed one taking a mouse in shallow water. As far as their colouration goes, I think that the contrast between the black carapace and the mainly yellow underside makes them one of the most attractive species out there. Blanding’s Turtles have everything you could want from a pet turtle. They are active and intelligent, making for a truly interesting creature. Not only that, but in my opinion their ecology has not been studied nearly enough, and observations of their behaviour and habits can be of genuine scientific interest. If you consider keeping this species then remember that they spend a fair amount of time on land, so will require a sizeable dry area as well as water deep enough to hunt in. They are rumoured to be shy but adding plants and debris to their water will make them feel more secure and less likely to hide. As far as their dietary requirements go, they truly are carnivores and will eat anything you drop in the water! There’s a nascent myth that these turtles are omnivores, but I personally doubt this. More likely is that they only occasionally supplement their diet of live prey with aquatic plants – or that ingestion of plant matter is simply an accident on their part. As with all species in this article, replacing the variety of their natural diet is extremely difficult, so vitamin/calcium supplementation and UV lighting are a must. HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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#4 - The Alligator Snapping Turtle Macrochelys temminckii Last but certainly not least, is a species that probably should be avoided by beginners once it reaches a certain size. That said, it is an incredible animal, and about as dinosauric as a living reptile gets aside from Crocodilians. The bulk of their natural distribution is Louisiana and Mississippi, though they can be found as far east as the Suwannee River system in Florida and as far north as the southern tip of Indiana. Until recently M. temminckii was considered a single species, but some taxonomists now divide it into three, the other two being M. suwanniensis and M. apalachicolae. This division of a single species into several is something you will see a lot in the coming years – sometimes due to advances in genetics, and sometimes due to scientists being tempted by a little taste of notoriety. In any case, this turtle is like no other! It is, by most estimates, one of the two or three largest freshwater species on the planet, with one captive animal having weighed in at a whopping 251 pounds!. Though this animal was a record breaker, it’s worth remembering that 40lb+ for captives is the norm. On top of this huge size, they have some unique features. Their head is massive, with powerful jaws that can inflict a serious bite. Inside their mouth they have a pink, worm-like appendage that they use to fish for prey. This tongue-based worm mimicry is a predatory tactic known as lingual luring and it is pretty convincing (to a fish at least). If you have a little patience, then watching an Alligator Snapper eat is a real treat. The afore mentioned size and potential for inflicting injury do make this turtle more challenging as an adult. But consider this, it can take them over ten years to reach sexual maturity, in which time you can save up for bigger tanks and grow your setup in line with the animal’s size. Also, adults of this species almost never leave the water, meaning that the potential for them to injure you is generally less than many other bitey animals. For day to day husbandry, simply give yourself a set distance at which your hands must remain from the turtle’s head and respect it - ALWAYS. For example, if you have a 12’’ Snapper, then during feeding or maintenance never get your hands closer than 20’’ from the animal’s head. When you feed, do it with long utensils like the tongs used for feeding snakes. And if at some point you do need to remove the animal from its tank then use heavy duty gloves and learn from an experienced keeper how to handle them correctly. I’m sure you’ve seen the photos of people holding them up online, but its always so much better to have someone show you in person! That said, a lot of Alligator Snappers get pretty chilled-out after years of captivity and make fascinating pets. Respect their space and they will be good as gold. Again, make sure their air humidity is high, it is their lungs that require it even if they are surrounded by water.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at four of my favourite American turtles! These species all make great pets if you take the time to research them and care for them properly. I aim to read care sheets from at least five different sources when learning about a future pet and this method has helped me avoid a lot of mistakes over the years. Don’t forget that flashy websites filled to the brim with in-text product links are often full of sh*t! Sometimes the best information comes from boring-looking websites and forums that are created purely with education in mind, rather than profit. As always, be sure to check local and state laws on what species are legal in your area before buying a hatchling. Special thanks to Brock at allturtles.com for help with photos!
Photo courtesy of Travis DeLagerheim HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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Pro Tip of the Month: Carlos Michaelsen of Tropical Reptiles & Exotics What would be your pro tip for deciding what breeders you use in a given season? "I look for signs in the females and males. We look for overall weight, posture, and comparable sizes with their mates. Some females are given seasons off depending on how many eggs laid and how well they bounced back from it. Based on the genetics and visual traits we pair them up in the beginning of the season. Some brumate together based on their behavioral traits. We observe for compatibility during the beginning of the season and if they seem to not tolerate each other, we look for another compatible counterpart within our collection of the same genetics and visual traits to try with the female."
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/Field Collecting A Debate of Ethics/ By Phil Wolf
Phil Wolf gives his perspective on the ethical debate of brining field collected animals into captivity. HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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"It took me a long time and a good amount of growing up to understand the concepts of renewable resources and carrying capacity."
Finding animals in the wild is always an amazing thing. Especially if the person witnessing comes from a more urban environment. Be it bird watching, scuba diving, or herping, we as animal lovers aspire and dream for the moment we get to see our target species in the wild. For some, it’s taking a photograph of a particular species in the wild. For others, it’s finding a desired species to bring home; adding it to their breeding project or even just as a desired pet, presuming it's allowed by law. But when is it ok, and not ok, to remove an animal from the wild and sequester it to captivity? This is a question almost every person reading this has asked themselves at one point or another in their life. And if it is ok, when is ”ok” too much? My name’s Phil, and I’m a herper. When I first moved to south Florida in the year 2000, I had wild fantasies of flying on fan boats, swimming with dinosaurs, and catching every cold blooded critter I could find. But I would never take them out of the wild! Or so I thought. Clearly my thought process on captive wildlife and herpetoculture has evolved since I was 15. Back then, there weren’t half the field herpers in south Florida that there are today. TV, Instagram, and a general love of reptiles has blossomed south Florida into a treasure trove of seeing and catching herps in their native, or non- native habitats. Television shows about invasive pythons has people stoked to get attacked by mosquitoes and deer flies just to see the “Florida” python. Pro-
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fessional internet personalities who’ve cut their teeth on “almost” getting bit or actually getting stung by something exotic, has folks enamored with wild and lethal species. And kids who grew up catching corn and ribbon snakes as a child, are now adults with children of their own. What better way to share a passion, then by educating the next generation of animal lovers. So when we go field herping, when is it ok to take animals out of the wild? And how many is it “ok” to take? Obviously in certain ecosystems, invasive plants and wildlife have run amok; Brazilian Pepper Trees, Cane Toads, and Lionfish, to name a few. Provided that these species were not introduced by a government for a particular or helpful reason (such as the Grass Carp in Florida) then these species should be collected in their entirety for the better of the environment. But what of our native animals we love so much? We as animal people can unanimously agree, that if scientific fact, data, and physical research indicates that a species is in decline, then that species should NOT be removed from its ecosystem. However, if no laws are in place, and not enough physical data is available, then we need to make a moral and educated decision. Some years back, a particular road out in the Everglades on public land, was famous for being ridiculously full of snakes each night. Almost every species of Florida snake could be found. Over 100 water snakes (Nerodia ssp.) could be seen in a two-hour span. And every so often, there would be no snakes at all. One might hypothesize weather patterns, or overly hot
daytime temperatures were to blame. Nope. It was because two men had caught every single snake they found that night and sold them all to a wholesaler the very next day. It took me a long time and a good amount of growing up to understand the concepts of renewable resources and carrying capacity. Looking back at those two guys who kept all those snakes to sell, week after week, year after year, made me realize that they weren’t wrong for doing it. They were wrong for the way they did it. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion. Some people just don’t care and others are misinformed or were never educated to the topic. Presuming that these individuals who caught snakes legitimately on that special road were within the law, then there’s no problem. Or is there? One might hypothesize that the snakes removed from the road are but a small fraction of the snakes found in the entirety of the thousands of acres of public land. Others may preach that these individuals tainted or even ruined field herping on that road for others who intended on seeing snakes conveniently. It’s this author's opinion, that these snake catchers weren’t wrong for doing so. But they should have spaced out their harvesting, so as to not over collect these renewable resources to give nature (and other herpers) time to rebuild and replenish. A more modern concept in conservation is that of carrying capacity. An area of sustained wilderness, usually surrounded by urban development, is only capable of maintaining a finite number of individual animals. Once that number exceeds this capacity, species die off, move out of the area, or assume the role of a species they’ve taken over and extirpated. Wildlife management programs factor these capacity numbers through research studies and people in the field making educated decisions on the number of animals that can be harvested or collected. Deer, fish, migratory birds, and reptiles, are all species regulated by state and federal laws to eliminate overcrowding of wildlife areas, as well as to help prevent overharvesting by people. HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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So when is enough too much? Some folks may say, leave it be and let nature sort it out. Don’t remove any flora or fauna from a “natural” area. But by that thought, would it be ok to remove fauna from private property that’s kept natural? Is there a difference?
as a herper need to decide. What will our field collecting actions mean for the future of wild reptiles and amphibians? We’ll never know until we act them out. I hope we choose wisely.
The term “Public land” is used frequently in conventional hunting. Land that is governed by the state, but owned by the people. If no laws are in place, should it be looked at as state land or our own private property? And should we field collect from said lands? An opposing thought would be, take whatever you want (within the law) and let nature repair itself. In theory, if there are no animals left in an area, humans will stop going there. And in time, more animals will return to use that land like they have for millennia. A popular philosophy amongst modern herpers is the “age rule.” Essentially, a herper won’t remove a mature animal from the wild. The idea being, that this animal has had a full life, or will have a full life. It’s reached sexual maturity and has possibly already produced offspring, creating the next generation. Making them vital to the sustainability of the ecosystem for the years to come. However, a juvenile or neonate specimen could be removed and personally kept. The thought behind this is, that most reptiles never make it to adulthood. That’s why mom has so many babies. Most of these babies die from predation. Some will die from human causes. And others will make the full life cycle to adulthood to produce offspring of their own. By this rule, herpers keep the baby or juvenile because the likelihood of that baby becoming a statistic are pretty high. We then could presume that the adult will continue to contribute to the ecosystem for years to come. What’s better, taking one adult, capable of producing hundreds of offspring, or collecting six babies that have never even seen what’s across the street? The morals of this topic are for you, the reader, to decide. We as naturalists, hobbyists and conservationists respect the laws and regulations set in place to protect our beloved animals. We should follow the laws and not exploit them when facts are unfounded or unavailable. “Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.” You
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"We should follow the laws and not exploit them when facts are unfounded or unavailable. “Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.”
- Herp Book Review -
The Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons and Boas By Gerald Marzec and Richard A. Ross The Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons and Boas is a must have for anyone interested in breeding pythons or boas. This is a 270-page wealth of knowledge from top herp researchers of that time. This book did come out in 1990 so some things are outdated but 98% of what is in here still applies today. Right off the bat when you see the table of contents, you realize that this book is going to go into detail of every topic covered. Every possible thing you can think of, this book hits on. This book does read as if you already have a good grasp of keeping the species you are attempting to breed already. Which should be true if you are thinking about breeding. This book is separated into two sections: section one covers Reproductive husbandry, Disorders, Egg management and incubation, Husbandry of Neonate boids, and Genetics. Section two is broken up into two sections: Reproductive data for pythons and Reproductive data for boas. So, they have a couple pages for each species to go over anything that is specific to that species. Tons and tons of useful information that can still be used today by any breeder. One of the things I enjoyed about this book is that since it was released in 1990, a good amount of the taxonomy is different from what it is now. The Liasis genus was a lot bigger back then. And some of the pictures showing how they use to do things is very interesting. Keeping neonate gtps in planted mason jars for example. I like to see where we have come from as a hobby so we can continue to better how we do things. I have learned a lot of tips and tricks from this book and it lays out the reproductive cycle of boids in a way that is very easy to comprehend. I do highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to breed boids. This book is out of print now but if you come across it, definitely get it. HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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Varannosaurus Rex
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Big Doesnt Have to be Bad! I’ve always been a sucker for a big lizard. Like many reptile people from the 80s and 90s, my love of keeping started with a pair of green iguanas back in 1994. I originally wanted a Nile monitor because they were, in my best kid voice, “big and cool.” My mom felt like a Nile was a bit much for a 7 year old because of their history of being wild-caught and mean. Read: she didn’t want to have to take care of it if her seven year old daughter didn’t. So for my 7th birthday we ventured to the pet store for my first pair of reptiles. My parents encouraged my herping hobby even though neither of them kept reptiles in captivity. My father was a K9 patrol dog trainer for the Houston Police Department specializing in aggressive cases. So naturally, I grew up with some “unfriendly” dogs. Compared to a 120lb German shepherd, big lizards just didn’t rate high on the Scare-OMeter and my want for a monitor never went away. Twenty-five plus years later... reptiles are still at the core of my being. Finally, I have the opportunity to keep my true dream animal the Asian water monitor, Varanus salvator. Fully grown salvators can reach 5-7 ft long on average, weighing in at 15-50+ pounds. That cute little bug-eyed hatchling will grow big, and with an attitude to match if left unsocialized. Fortunately, water monitors are highly intelligent. That intelligence eclipses the majority of other animal life, not just reptiles. Even though water monitors have been bred in captivity for years, these reptiles are still very much wild animals at heart. Learn to speak their language and watch your relationship with these amazing lizards flourish.
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Building Blocks Part of the allure of owning water monitors is building trust. The best way to start your journey is with a captive-bred and born (CBB) hatchling. Wild-caught, juveniles, and adults are more likely to come with unwanted behavioral (not to mention parasitic) baggage. If you do find yourself owning a cantankerous adult monitor, these methods still work, just use more caution. Ok - so you have your CBB hatchling. Now what? Baby salvators will likely fall into three main categories - fearful (flight), aggressive (fight), or rarely, curious (super rad) right out of the egg. Every individual has a different personality of course, but these basic types will point you in the right direction.
Fearful Think like a lizard. You emerged out of an egg just a few weeks or months ago, giant scaleless creatures keep staring at you and trying to pick you up. Holy $h!t - RUN HIDE BURROW CLIMB AHHHH! Hatchlings are low on the food chain and naturally fearful. It is your job to continually reinforce that you are not a threat by limiting your own predatory behaviors. No, this has nothing to do with white, unmarked vans and everything to do with body language. Avoid leaning forward or
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towering over your monitor, baring your teeth, staring at or facing directly, and making swift movements. All of these communicate, “I want to eat or challenge you.” Top tip: you can leave an item of your clothing in your new monitor’s enclosure to get them familiar with your scent. Start the handling process by being present in the room and assume a neutral body position for 10-15 minutes each time. Sit next to the enclosure, preferably with your side or back facing your monitor. If space allows and they can still see you, use a submissive body position by lowering yourself under them while avoiding facing them directly. This communicates you are not a threat. You can then place your arm in the enclosure, taking care not to grab at the monitor. It needs to be the animal’s choice to climb on you. Beyond just being present and using body language, food is an excellent motivator for an opportunistic feeder like your water monitor. If your animal is healthy and in a proper habitat, it’ll likely have a good appetite. Use that to your advantage and let the lizard associate food (good) with you (good). When introducing food, start with simply being present when they eat. Many monitors will not eat in front of people at first; eating distracts
them from being able to watch for predators or defend themselves. So don’t be discouraged if your monitor refuses food while you’re around. Sometimes wiggling the insect or rodent with tongs helps stimulate a feeding response.
seem so scary. Generally the bigger monitors get, the slower and more confident they get. Patience.
Try to get your monitor to take feeders off of tongs from a distance. Once they are comfortable with that, try using the tongs to lure them near your outstretched hand. The goal is to make your monitor realize you are not a threat. Using food helps distract them enough they do not realize they’re touching you. Be sure to limit hiding places in case they bolt. Keep dogs, kids, background noise, etc. to a minimum. Keep a close eye on your monitor’s body language to gauge your progress. Good signs a monitor is starting to calm down are tongue flicks, licking along the side of the mouth, and fluid movements instead of quick, jerky ones. Negative body language signs are inflating the throat, standing tall, recoiling the tail, and sharp intake or exhale of breath. Also watch for freezing. This is when emotionally overloaded (flooded) monitors become so afraid they stop moving. No breathing, no movement, no tongue flicks...stiff as a board...eyes wide. A keeper could mistake this as “oh look, my baby is starting to like me because they aren’t running away!” Nope. That monitor is so afraid it stops functioning. So be careful not to push too far, too fast. Repeat positive interactions daily until you see distrust develop into curiosity. Some monitors will come around over weeks or months, some might take years, some may never tolerate handling. I have a captive-born double het hatchling who to this day hates me, and would probably spit on my grave if given the chance. Time can be your friend, it breeds familiarity and sometimes you just have to wait until your monitor gets big enough that you do not
Aggressive Often the difference between a fearful lizard and an aggressive one is the use of fight vs. flight. Biting and scratching throws a big ‘ol wrench into the taming process especially if you are working with a larger juvenile or adult. Aggression comes in several flavors - puffing or inflating the neck and body to make themselves look bigger, hissing, front or side bluff charging, tail recoiling and whipping, scratching, and biting all to make you (the predator) go away. Top tip: try not to recoil. Once you give that inch, you open the door for an emboldened monitor to take a mile. There seem to be two camps within the large reptile community - gloves or no gloves. I prefer not to use gloves in most cases, especially with hatchlings because gloves make your hands look bigger and more menacing, which in turn breeds more fear in the monitor. On the flip side, monitor nails are naturally sharp for climbing and shredding prey. Scratches are a real issue. Mid-arm and elbow-length gauntlet gloves help to tremendously reduce having the “cutter” look. Where gloves can, and should, be used are HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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with an aggressive monitor. One who not only hisses, puffs, and tail whips, but bites. Welders gloves are great for detering biting since they are so thick that you will feel bite pressure, but usually no teeth. A water monitor bite on bare skin is no joke even from a hatchling! Their teeth are made for ripping flesh; unprotected fingers and hands stand little chance. If you do get bitten without gloves, *try* not to jerk your hand (or whatever body part) away from the bite. Your recoil will not only probably rip your skin further, but teach the smart little lizard brain that, “hey, biting makes this scary creature leave, maybe I should do it more…”
Always keep in mind that even with the best intentions, you’ll have setbacks. When working with monitors there is such a fine line between doing the right thing to show you are not a threat, and scaring the animal further. That's why the process takes so long. Just remember - when you see a positive response, repeat, repeat, repeat! Make patience your best friend.
Curious The lucky few of us will land a fairly bold, curious hatchling right out of the egg. Some breeders work with their CBB animals before sending them to you. Yes, for a first-time big lizard owner, socialized CBB hatchlings are worth the extra money to not have to trudge through some of the taming process yourself. And still potentially fail.
"A water monitor bite on bare skin is no joke even from a hatchling! Their teeth are made for ripping flesh; unprotected fingers and hands stand little chance."
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School is in Session Now that you’ve tamed the beast the world is your oyster! Some keepers stop at this point and just enjoy the animal as it is. Or you can step into behavior modification and enrichment where the real fun of keeping salvators begins. Their intelligence is astounding. While there are entire books on animal behavior written by people far more learned than myself, I’d like to share some of my monitor behavior and enrichment methods to spur your own creativity with your monitor.
You’re Not My Mom Monitors have the ability to distinguish one person from another. Like dogs, they get used to certain people based on experiences and vary behaviors accordingly. Call me a crazy lizard lady, but I talk to my monitors not only because I enjoy calling them stinky-butts, but because science! The last thing you want to do is make your monitor feel like prey. How do predators hunt prey? Silently. Don’t be silent. Surprises might be good for gift-giving, but not for a 7 foot salvator. Over time my endless chatter caused my monitors to associate my voice with the appearance of my body. I bring the food, I clean, and I let them explore new areas. All positive interactions which cultivate curiosity. On the other hand, people who do not regularly interact with my skittish monitors get mostly negative behaviors out of them. Like a dog barking at an outsider, Jax greets others with a hiss or tail flick while Dex usually scurries off to hide.
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Be My Tree Along with being able to distinguish certain people, monitors seek out interactions with approved humans. As monitor keepers we capitalize on their natural curiosity for our own benefit and entertainment. Love and emotion in reptiles is a subject that gets tossed around a lot on the Internet. Do they actually feel love toward their keeper? Whether humans like it or not, a monitor’s interaction with us is likely to fulfill needs like hunger and exploration. For example: My boy Dexter will roam around his room, come over to me, and climb up just to perch on my head or shoulders to get a better view of the room. He doesn’t want to spend time with me out of love, he wants to explore. I become more of a moving tree at that point, and I’m fine with being upgraded from predator to tree!
The Conditioned Lizard Monitors can recognize and use humans for their benefit, now it is time to put that curiosity into practice. The key with such instinctual reptiles is to base your training off of natural behaviors like climbing, feeding, etc. I’ve had success teaching my water monitors that offering my hand means they get to come out of the enclosure. This target training technique draws on operant conditioning, which is the practice of associating a behavior with a reward (or punishment). My end goal was for the monitor to come out of the enclosure to explore (reward) when they placed a foot in my hand (target). I started the training process by tapping on the door frame to get their attention. The sound in itself meant nothing at first, just a tap. As their natural curiosity took over, they’d come over and investigate. Each time I offered my hand for them to climb on. Only when they put a foot in my open hand were they allowed out of the enclosure. If they walked past my hand I wouldn’t let them come out (easier said than done). At first, putting their foot in my hand was a convenient accident. After many repetitions of tap + foot in hand = out, tap + foot in hand = out, and so on, the monitors associated my open hand with the only way to get out of their enclosure. Find what your salvator wants, and have them perform a behavior to get it. Does your monitor lunge at you thinking you have food every time it sees you (beware if you are a rat)? You can use target training to quell a monitor’s strong feeding response.
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Herpetoculture Magazine
Secure a ball (large enough the animal can’t swallow or break) on the end of a dowel. This is the target. Introduce the ball on a stick every time you feed. The goal is to get your monitor to touch their face to the ball to be fed. No ball, no food. Like the foot-in-hand to get out of the enclosure, nose-to-ball equals food. This kind of behavior modification is always a work in progress and must continually be repeated. I’ve had my share of setbacks and you will too; nothing worth working towards is easy. Keep going!
Time for Recess If behavior modification training feels too complicated at first, maybe dip your toe in by adding in enrichment to their environment. This can take the form of objects or structures the animal can interact with inside of the enclosure. After all, captive monitors spend most of their time in their enclosure. Habitat enrichment lets them use their natural curiosity. Similar to children who do not get recess, a bored monitor can be foul-tempered and destructive.
Add in sturdy, but thin natural branches leading to key places within the enclosure. These skinny branches force the monitors to use more muscle groups to balance and grip. Natural branches, with the help of cement blocks, bricks, and rocks, can keep wicked sharp monitor claws filed down.
Interior Decorating I use both reptile safe fake plants and pesticide-free processed live plants for my water monitors to lay amongst, or more often, pick at and dig up. Plants give natural hiding spots while keeping up humidity and generally liven up the enclosure. Speaking of digging, substrate for your monitor to root and dig in is a great, cheap way to enhance their habitat. Having an area to dig is especially important for females who can lay infertile eggs as they reach breeding age.
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Toy Time Us monitor keepers generally aren’t a squeamish crew, so I think you’ll find the following true scenario quite humorous. Imagine having a treat ball made for dogs. Yep, the big rubbery ones with holes. Instead of cramming it full of boring, hard dog treats, you get the opportunity to shove insects, chicken giblets, or frozen thawed feeders inside for your monitor to discover and eat. How fun! All joking aside, supervised play time with treat balls and other dog toys is a great way for your water monitor to exercise instinctual hunting and foraging behaviors. Play toys force monitors to engage both mind and body to discover how to free their food by rolling, clawing, or shaking the object. Always use toys larger than your monitor can swallow, and tough enough to withstand their hungry fury.
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Herpetoculture Magazine
With patience and time, the possibilities are endless. Water monitors are highly rewarding to keep and can be an absolute joy as long as you work on properly socializing them from the start. Remember consistency is key and patience is crucial. After
all
–
big
doesn’t
have
to
be
bad.
Product Review: ARS Hybrid Rack By Billy Hunt
When I decided to take my hobby to the next level, I had a decision to make. My collection was growing and I was starting to produce animals, which also means holdbacks. Both of those things meant I needed more caging. My options were purchase racks or make them myself. I had made racks in the past and let’s just say it wasn’t difficult to make the choice to buy professional racks.
each size rack so it took some time but overall it was very easy. The directions they give are incredibly clear and easy to follow. All you need is a drill and a rubber mallet for assembly.
I decided I wanted a metal rack that would last me as long as I needed it to. After looking for awhile, I decided to go with ARS. I got the 5040 and the 7030 hybrid models. Their hybrid line is made from 83% recycled materials. This also makes those models a little more cost effective. I looked at these racks as investments for grow outs and sub adults before they graduate to 4ft cages.
The racks hold humidity fine as well. I live in Florida so I honestly never have an issue with humidity in any cage. They also come with a 4ft power strip that all the heat panels plug into and you just zip tie the strip to the back support on the rack to keep everything together.
One thing I like about these ARS racks is that they give you the option for grey or clear tubs and either with cup holders or no cup holders. I opted to go with the grey tubs with cup holders for 16 oz deli cups for both racks. ARS ships the racks unassembled on a pallet and you have to put the rack together. I got the biggest model of
Both racks came with 5-inch heat tape connected to panels to distribute the heat evenly. That is something that these racks do is keep constant temps. Once I dialed in temps, they stayed consistent for me.
I run these racks on a VE-200 D thermostat. I personally like these thermostats due to the fact that they can run as proportional thermostats and have safety shut off features. Two things that I feel are very important for any thermostat you use for any rack. Last thing I want to talk about are the tubs themselves. They are high quality tubs; food grade was what came to mind when I first started using them. They are very easy to clean. All rounded in the corners so you don’t have to HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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worry about a mess getting into the corner seams. I’ve had mine for about 3 years now and the tubs have held up great to the abuse I have put them through. The tracks that tubs slide on and have to support their weight have held up great as well. ARS uses high quality materials, even in their hybrid models to make sure their product lasts. So overall I really like both of these models from ARS. They are very easy to put together. They are easy to work with, cleaning a whole rack takes no time at all. I do plan to get more of their products in the future and highly recommend any of their racks to anyone looking to step up their caging if they are looking for a professional rack system.
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Herpetoculture Magazine
Industry Spotlight Andy Rea of ARea Reptiles
Andy Rea of ARea Reptiles is a guy with an awesome collection, a lot of positivity, and has been a part of the community for a number of years. Up until recently, with the release of his podcast with co-host Riley Jimison, Andy has remained a fly on the herpetocultural wall. If you spend any amount of time talking to him or hear episodes of his show you will come to find that he is likely one of the coolest people in the hobby! HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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HM: You’re one of many in the hobby that has a very diverse collection. Do you find it hard to focus on one project in particular or do you focus on different species each year? AR: I really enjoy having multiple species of herps. I have always enjoyed keeping a diverse collection. For many years, I simply focused on keeping a collection without a specific focus on breeding or producing animals. I was perfectly content with my collection of random species. It was not until maybe 6 years ago that I decided I wanted to start acquiring animals for breeding projects. It has definitely been difficult to focus on projects due to the simple fact that I get excited about a species or project and it pulls my attention away. It inevitably ends up delaying other projects…like every year! HM: If you had to focus on only one project out of what you do, what would it be? AR: There is an ongoing debate with the voices in my head about this. We argue about it all the time and the people at the grocery store look at me funny when I answer my own questions! I am not sure I could answer that question honestly. It goes against my style to only have one project. In the near future I will likely be reducing my collection, again. I've said and done this before. Then I end up picking up another species that quickly turns into a dozen more and a new project. Was that a good non-answer?! HM: What are you most excited to produce this year? AR: Speaking of new projects. I have a couple Florida kingsnakes that I was fortunate to acquire last year. They have the potential to produce Pink Pearl Snows. The pairing is a Lavender Whitesided het Axanthic to an Axanthic het Lavender Whitesided. Besides the possible pink pearls they can produce a bunch of other cool combos. Definitely excited for the chance to see those pipping. HM: As someone who admits to not being super active in the community, do you think that that has helped fuel your passion in the hobby since you have “the blinders on” in a sense?
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Herpetoculture Magazine
AR: I have spent a lot of time interacting in forums in the past and even in the last few years on platforms like Facebook. A while back, maybe 8 or 9 years ago, I started a herpetological society. It was an attempt to garner more excitement and involvement in my local reptile community. That opened up more opportunities to meet people online. I did a better job of "staying connected" with folks back then and trying to help build the online reptile community early on. Other people help fuel my passion for reptiles. The past few years I have also been involved regionally as a vendor at our reptile shows. That is a good opportunity to connect with my local community. Being disconnected from social media though brings me back to my early years of keeping where it was just me and my animals. Much less drama and issues when all I need to do is focus on the animals. Distancing myself has also allowed me to put things into perspective and think about what I want to accomplish in this hobby.
Don't do that to the animals or yourself. If you are not happy with a decision and simply are not connected to the animal or project then attempt to move on and get the animal(s) into the hands of someone else that would like them. Nothing wrong with being wrong or making a bad decision. Just need to learn to accept it and be willing to make the difficult choice of finding a different home. HM: And for someone who has been breeding for a long time, what would be your advice for changing things up a bit?
HM: How has it been being new on the podcast scene with the Reptile Room Podcast? AR: It has been a fun adventure! We are still new to it and figuring out our style and routine. My friend and host of the show, Riley Jimison, started the idea from a sense of necessity. Not that there were bad podcast shows but he felt there was still an opportunity to connect with other reptile keepers without being glued to a phone or tv to watch something. Him and I had a random brainstorming session. I like to support my friend's ideas and if I can help, I try to. We were just throwing ideas around and then it just kind of happened, he asked me to be the co-host. I didn't think I was going to be doing it with him. I was trying to help with ideas for him and someone else to do it. Somehow he wrangled me into it and now people are stuck having to listen to me ramble on. We may overthink it at times a bit because we really want to produce a fun and informative show. HM: Because you have such a diverse collection, what would your advice be for someone who wants to pursue breeding but isn’t sure what species they should do it with? AR: Start slow! Reptiles are exciting and it can become overwhelming quickly if you start acquiring too many animals. Which animals excite you and why? Really dig deep for those answers. It will mean the difference between having animals in your collection that you enjoy or some you aren't too fond of. In the end, the animals suffer if you are not prepared. It has happened to me and it feels horrible.
AR: I have not been breeding for a long time per se. I have tried off and on over the years but have never been too successful at it. Too many other life distractions and interests to be completely honest. Breeding reptiles is not something that I feel I have to accomplish in order to feel like an accomplished keeper. If things are feeling stagnant, I would suggest trying a new species that would acclimate well to your existing keeping conditions. Something that excites you! Not something to accommodate the latest trendy species.
your dream HM: Finally, what’s species that you may or may not add to your collection one day? AR: My dream species are pure locality and captive bred Corallus batesii, the Amazon River Basin Emerald Tree Boa. They are out there and not necessarily hard to acquire. Only a few people out there that are trustworthy enough though when the time comes to purchase animals. That makes it a difficult animal to acquire in my opinion. They are not a species for an average collector in my eyes. It is only a matter of time before I have some. I'm not in a place in my life though where I could dedicate the budget, space, and requirements for an ETB. The thing is, I want a gorgeous and very large bioactive enclosure that resembles a furniture piece. I want to showcase them in a way they deserve to be in my mind. Until I find myself in a position to do that, I will not own them. I have dreamt about keeping an ETB since I was 10 (30 years), so like I said, it is only a matter of time. Maybe I need to really downsize my collection so I can finally keep my dream species?! What a concept… Anybody interested in buying some Florida Kingsnakes by chance?
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The Supreme Serpent - The Northern Pine Snake By Noah Zeleznik
Every so often I ask myself; If I could only keep one species of snake, what would it be? At this juncture my mind goes through a mental serpentine rolodex of sorts stopping at such names as: Centralian python, (Morelia bredli), Gulf Hammock rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta williamsi), Kankakee bull snakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi), Okeetee Corn Snake, (Pantherophis guttatus) but without fail I always end up on Pituophis melanoleucus better known as the Northern pine snake. In the ensuing pages I will highlight this magnificent species, and hopefully offer some insight into keeping and caring for this remarkable animal.
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Herpetoculture Magazine
Northern pine snakes are a powerfully built coulbrid, routinely hitting the six foot mark, with certain specimens reaching seven, and even eight feet in length. Simply stating their length can be a bit misleading as this animal is heavy bodied and makes their presence known, making six feet seem more like sixty. Melanoleucus are most identifiable with their slightly pointed head augmented by an enlarged rostral scale that extends between the internasal scales, usually four prefrontal scales are visible. Their scales are somewhat keeled and earth toned, with brilliant hues of black white, gray, brown, and red present, there will be variance phenotypically within range and locality.
P. melanoleucus can be found throughout the United States as P. m. mugitus in Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and southern South Carolina. P. m. lodingi in southwestern Alabama to eastern Louisiana. However the jewels of the species are found in southeastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia, southern North Carolina, west through South Carolina, and to the northeast in Virginia, Delaware, and New Jersey. As I stated previous, there is noticeable variance in appearance across these various locales. The premiere representation of this species in my opinion can be found in New Jersey, specifically the Pine Barrens. This locale of the northern
pine snake from my experience tends to be the most vivacious not only in appearance, but in size and attitude as well. These snakes are truly a sight to behold, and pictures do not tend to do them justice. In the wild you will find pine snakes inhabiting pine flatwoods, woodlands, prairies, and brushlands where they use their slightly pointed head to burrow under soil, leafs, and other vegetation. Northern pine snakes, particularly those in the northwest region are beautiful animals, but if you ask any keeper (myself included) the main draw to them is their personality. Pine snakes like all members of the genus Pituophis (pine, bull, and gopher snakes) are known for their theatrical displays when threatened. These snakes will rear up, inflate, rattle, hiss, and strike. In fact this genus is literally built for this display as their namesake Pituophis indicates,
Pituophis roughly translates to mucus membrane, and refers to their overly developed epiglottis allowing this genus to be the loudest hissers of all the snakes in the world. With most Pituophis particularly bull snakes these displays are generally bluff, and mainly associated with cage defensiveness, more often than not these snakes will retreat when encountered and become dismissive allowing handling‌.this does not seem to be as common with northern pine snakes. Northern pine snakes are more likely to follow through with their threatening behavior with an actual strike, however once out of their cage they seem to calm down, and will subside with frequent handling. HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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numerous times throughout the week, so a scheduled cleaning day does not really work with them. This species is very active so a large enclosure is essential, however they are also very neurotic so a vivarium or other display caging seems to over-stimulate them and thus increases their stress level. I have had most success in keeping them in very large racks with ample hides in a substrate of aspen shavings or paper towels. I heat the room for an ambient of about eighty degrees.
I generally will use a hook to take an animal out of the enclosure, and will use my free hand to grab them mid body once they begin to retreat ,they will let you know when they are done being handled. Pine snakes have an insatiable appetite coupled with an incredible feeding response, making them good “garbage cans” of your snake room. I feed my pines a varied diet of mice, rats, chicken legs, quail, and duck necks, and they almost never refuse a meal, and almost always want more. I feed one to two items a week, which seems to work well with their insanely high metabolism. Speaking of high metabolism, they process meals within a few days and defecate
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Pine snakes will reach sexual maturity at about three years, but more importantly I look to make sure the female is of adequate size, as their clutch albeit relatively small in numbers are of substantial egg size. Post brumation around spring time I will introduce food regularly, and then increase intake to twice a week to females of breeding size. After shedding has occurred the male should be introduced into the female’s enclosure and monitor breeding, frequent re introduction seems to yield the best results. The gestation period is about twenty days, followed by around sixty days of incubation. Northern pine snakes are very large for colubrid standards right out of the egg, usually around 1.5 feet. I introduce hopper mice after their first shed, but some will not even want to wait that long. I would suggest this animal to a moderate to advanced keeper. It is hearty and forgiving, but does require patience and attention... and lots of groceries. Hopefully after reading this you will look into this remarkable animal further, or at the very least you should probably YouTube a Northern Pine Snake’s defensive display. Seriously go do it. -NZ
t h g i l t o p S a i l e r o M s t e p r a C r e g i T e Th By Jason Baylin
The “Tiger” morph of the Coastal Carpet Python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli) was established in California by Neville James back in the late 90’s from animals he acquired from Richard Quick in Alaska. This morph is characterized by a nearly unbroken, wide dorsal stripe and lateral striping that can be either unbroken or in a uniform oval/dash pattern. It is also characterized by a very defined solid black head pattern with one or more light blotches within the center of the head and a connecting neck
within the center of the head and a connecting neck stripe that descends the dorsal portion of the neck. These animals have light yellow to manila dorsal striping with a chestnut to dark brown background color.
stripe that descends the dorsal portion of the neck. These animals have light yellow to manila dorsal striping with a chestnut to dark brown background color. er” morph of the Coastal Carpet Python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli) was established in California by Neville James back in the late 90’s from animals he acquired from Richard Quick in Alaska. This morph is characterized by a nearly unbroken, wide dorsal stripe and lateral striping that can be either unbroken or in a uniform oval/dash pattern. It is also characterized by a very defined solid black head pattern with one or more light blotches HerpetocultureMagazine.com
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This
morph
was
once
believed
to be a co-
dominant mode of inheritance with speculations of a possible “super� form, but subsequent pairings have shown that it is a polygenetic trait that relies on pairing a Tiger with another carpet that has similar genetics. This allows the Tiger gene to better present itself in the offspring.
I have
found that breeding two visible Tigers together produces a clutch that yields 100% Tigers.
The original tiger pair, female above, male below
Whereas, breeding a Tiger to a non-Tiger parent produces offspring where the clutch is, on average, half normally patterned and half that are partially to fully striped. The offspring from the original pairings were so dark when first hatched, that the striping was barely discernable. However, after the first shed the stripes were clearly visible and lightened up after each subsequent shed cycle. I received my two original Tigers directly from Neville James back in circa 1997. I raised them,
Below: The first Tiger Jag
bred them together, and produced a clutch of all Tigers. The following year, in 2003, I sent my female to my partner to breed to his Jaguar. Only three viable eggs were produced and yielded the first Tiger Jaguar. This animal had a noticeably reduced pattern than any of the Jaguars that were being produced at that time. It was clearly displaying traits from both parents, including an interesting copper color in the ovals. These pairings went on to produce some amazing animals over the years which still serve as the foundation of many of my breeding projects that still exist today.
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Herpetoculture Magazine
The original tiger female bred by Neville James As noted previously, the Tiger gene also
of these two Coastal morphs in the states
pairs well with other Carpet morphs.
(Paul Harris has done this pairing in the
When bred with a Jaguar morph, the Tiger
UK using animals he received from me).
gene opens the Jag pattern even more
The female Tiger used is one of the best
and, in some cases, produces animals
examples of the Tiger Coastal Carpet morph
with a highly reduced pattern. Crossing
and the offspring from this clutch should be
it into the Axanthic, Red, Caramel, and
heavily striped with some amazing color.
Hypomelanistic genes has also yielded as
It is also relevant to note, the majority of
well. I am particularly looking forward
the Tigers in the hobby today originated
to a couple of clutches that have been
from one pair of animals. Although many
produced this year where Eric Koller,
were produced and bred back together in
Kyle Harper and myself, entered into a
order to confirm their genetic inheritability
breeding arrangement where we bred
and to refine the pattern of the offspring,
Kyle’s Hypomelanistic Coastal to one of my
outcrossing was necessary to maintain
Tiger females and a Het Axanthic Coastal
a viable gene pool. It is interesting, and
from Eric. The offspring produced from
more so gratifying, to see that the majority
this Tiger pairing should yield some really
of these pairings with other Carpets
interesting examples of how the Tiger gene
outside of this line has not diminished
influences the Hypo gene and vice versa. To
the overall presentation of this gene.
my knowledge, this will be the first pairing
Thanks to selective breeding, the overall
some
quite
remarkable
offspring
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appearance of the striping, head pattern, and other traits that were unique to the original animals from this line are present in animals that are being produced today. The Tiger gene has been a staple in the hobby for quite some time now, but continues to remain relevant due it’s predictable mode of inheritance and its ability to pair well with other pattern and color morphs.
As new morphs
emerge and others get refined, it’s a
Tiger Jag owned by Howard Redding
good bet the Tiger gene will be around to compliment them.
I have thoroughly
enjoyed working with this gene/morph and it will always be the cornerstone of my Carpet collection. I can’t wait to see what more we can do with them in the future.
Red Tiger owned by Dan Colgan
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Herpetoculture Magazine
In The Incubator...
- Snapping Turtles! - Vipera Berus - Chondros, chondros, chondros!
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