#collected snakes

[collectedsnek]

Mexican Alligator Lizard

Abronia Graminea

Habitat: the highland cloud forests of Veracruz and Pueba in Mexico.

Length: almost 10 inches

Diet: they hunt diurnal insects such as crickets and grasshoppers along with other insects when in captivity like meal worms and even snails.

Venom toxicity: none

Cool Facts

They are viviparous meaning their babies are fully grown and functional when they exit their mother. This species can have 7 to 12 babies each year.

They are found in densely vegetated forests in elevations around. 4,500-9,000 ft above sea level. The forests they primarily reside are also thick with a type of plant called a bromeliad.

They are a highly arboreal species that like to be 130 ft above the forest floor.

They are an endangered species but have been successfully bred in captivity.

[collectedsnek]

Yellow Headed Calico Snake

Oxyrhopus Formosus

Habitat: Primary and Secondary Rainforests, and cultivated gardens in South America, Colombia, Venezuela, Northern Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

Length: 31 1/2 - 35 inches (2ft 7 inches-2ft 9 inches)

Diet: Lizards and potentially other vertebrates.

Venom Toxicity: They are a rear fanged species with a mild slow acting venom. Its not known to be harmful to humans.

Cool Facts

The Microteiid Lizard is the only thing that the Yellow Headed Calico snake has been documented preying on. Other calico snakes will prey on frogs, snakes, and rodents so it is assumed they dont primarily prey on lizards.

They are also known as the Beautiful Calico Snake. This species is not well known in the wild. They may be terrestrial or semi arboreal and they may be nocturnal or crepuscular.

They are Oviparous and can have up to 17 eggs.

[collectedsnek]

Crested Gecko

Correlophus Ciliatus

Habitat: Rainforests in New Caledonia.

Length: 6 1/2-8 inches.

Diet: They eat vegetable material as well as fruit and nectar along with the usual gecko diet of insects.

Venom Toxicity: None.

Cool Facts

They are very popular in the pet industry because of their docile nature and many color morphs they come in.

They are rarely seen in the wild and were at one point thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in the 1990s.

They are a nocturnal species that hides in crevices during the day then come out to explore the forest canopy at night.

Their main threat in the wild is an invasive species of the little fire ant. Their numbers are still being assessed so we can have a better idea of their endangerment.

Some captive bred morphs include...

Bicolor

Red Harlequin

Dalmatian

Lily White

[collectedsnek]

Flying Gecko

Ptychozoon Khuli

Habitat: rainforests with high density of greenery in NE Cambodia, S Thailand, Myanmar, NE India, Malaysian peninsula, Nicobar islands, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Length: 4-7 inches

Diet: mainly crickets with mealworms, silkworms, phoenix worms, and earthworms in captivity.

Venom toxicity: none

Cool facts

They are very popular as pets given they rarely ever bite and come in beautiful colors. They will live 5 to 8 years.

They can glide up to 200 ft using their extra skin as a paracute.

This species also goes by gliding geckos or parachute gecko.

Note* the picture above is a luecistic flying gecko.

[collectedsnek]

Cape Cobra

Naja Nivea

Habitat: Arid grasslands, deserts, semi deserts, rocky hills, river beds, and coastal fynbos. They range from Eastern, Southern, and Central South Africa, Lesotho, Southern Namibia and Botswana.

Length: Males can reach 5ft 7 inches while females can get 4ft 7 inches.

Diet: Small mammals, snakes, lizards, amphibians, and weaverbirds.

Venom Toxicity: Dangerously venomous with postsynaptic neurotoxins, cytotoxins and potentially cardiotoxins.

Cool Facts

The Cape Cobra is a highly variable species that can be bright yellow, orange, brown, or reddish in color that is often speckled in black or brown. Totally black specimens have been spotted.

They are also called the Yellow Cobra although not all of them are yellow. Although they are a terrestrial species they are extremely agile climbers that tend to steal weaver bird eggs and chicks.

This species has one of the most toxic venoms of all african cobras. In some parts of the cape they are responsible for the deaths of sheep and other domesticated animals.

Bites to humans are rare but are extremely dangerous and can end tragically if not given antivenom.

They are oviparous with clutches of 8-20 eggs. Every individual can have different speckles or can be bare of speckles.

[collectedsnek]

Ringneck Snake

Diadophis Punctatus

Habitat: woodland, fields, and scrub in north america.

Length: 10-32 in dependent on sub species.

Diet: mainly feeds on invertebrates but some of the larger species also eat salamanders, lizards, and other snakes.

Venom toxicity: considered mildly venomous the rear fangs however are very small and located to far back in their mouth to penetrate human skin.

Cool Facts

It is a very secretive snake that is usually found under pieces of bark, flat rocks, or cowpats.

If disturbed they release a strong musk and then coils the latter half of its body and tail into a tight spiral, exposing its brightly colored belly.

They do not do well in captivity.

[collectedsnek]

Gharial

Gavialis Gangeticus

Habitat: Wide slow moving rivers in South Asia.

Length: They can get up to 20ft long and can weigh from 350-550 plbs.

Diet: Adults will eat mainly fish while juveniles also hunt insects, crustaceans, and frogs.

Venom Toxicity: none

Cool Facts

They have very long narrow jaws so they can quickly move it in the water to help them catch their prey and thekr 100 ish teeth also help them hold on to the slippery fish.

They were on the brink of extinction in the 1970s and even now their current range is only a small fraction of what it was. Many steps have been taken to preserve the species such as harvesting wild eggs then reintroducing the young back into the wild. The process ensures that almost all of the young survive the most dangerous part of their life so they have a greater chance of reaching adulthood.

Predation is not the biggest reason of their number decline. People have depleted the fish stocks in many river so much so that even with the egg harvesting and reintroduction that many of the young cant survive.

The Gharial is also known as a Gavial because of Europeans misreading. Gharial is derived from the word ghara meaning mud pot.

[collectedsnek]

Amazon Banded Snake

Rhinobothryum Lentiginosum

Habitat: Tropical rainforest in Northern South America, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Length: 2ft 7in-5ft 2in long

Diet: Lizards

Venom Toxicity: They are rear fanged with a mild venom that is harmless to humans.

Cool Facts

They are rarely encountered in the wild. They tend to spend a lot of their time in the canopy far above the forest floor.

They are an arboreal and nocturnal species they primarily prey on arboreal lizards such as geckos, anoles, and tree runners.

This species is in the pet industry and are said to be decently docile when handled.

They are oviparous with small clutches of up to 3 eggs.