Here is a list of native Arizona species we are working with. We cannot sell these, but enjoy working with these snakes as well.
- Sonoran Bullsnake (Pituophis sayi): These gentle snakes are abundant throughout the southwest. These constrictors get very large with some specimens exceeding 8 or 9 feet. The female we have is about 6.5 feet long and about 4 lbs. She has a beautiful orange head and a thick body. The male is about 4 feet long, typical sayi, with dark brown pattern on lighter background. Both are super mellow for wild caught animals and are garbage dispose-alls when it come to eating. One of my favorite snakes.
- Tucson Shovelnose (Chionactis klauberi): This is my favorite native species..bar none. These are gorgeous tri-colored rear-fanged colubrids. The adults average 12-16 inches in length and eat crickets voraciously. The female I have is 14 inches long and has yellow, black and red babnded. The male is about 14 inches and is only yellow and black, with very few red bands near his tail. In July 1999 i was fortunate enough to get 3 eggs out of my female. All the babies hatched 56 days later in perfect health. These are the smallest baby snakes I have ever seen. All babies were between 3 and 4 inches and half as thick as a pencil. They shed 10 days later and proceeded to eat pinhead crickets without any fuss. I have 2 babies still( one i lost in a move..still heartbroken) and are now double their length.
- Desert Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis splendida): These kingsnakes are super variable in pattern. Some of them resemble eastern kings with very thin yellow bands across a black background. Others resemble California kings with alot of yellow bands. If you are wanting a great pet snake....these are for you. They are very friendly, handle very easily for a king, and seem to thrive in captivity. I am still looking for a female for the 4 males I currently have.
- Western longnose (Rhinochelius lecontei ssp.): These snakes are very commonly found throughout the southwest. We see most of ours laying on the roads at night soaking up the heat so they can go on their nightly food hunt. They are very beautiful and variable snakes. Most typically they have a black ground color with orange, tellow or red bands. Some have patterns like cornsnakes, and others like desert kings. About half way up the side of the black bands, the dark scales are tipped with a cream or white color. This lighter color also outlines the red/orange bands as well. The head is wide at the base of the neck and almost sharpens to a rounded point at the nose. I have been told these snakes are hard to get to eat in captivity. Normally taking lizards. Of the few we kept this season, only one refuses mice, and he was a baby no bigger than newborn cornsnake. All of the adults take mice with no fuss, the trick is feeding then about half the sze mouse you think they can eat and giving tem access to a secure hidebox. I hope to produce c.b. babies in the year 2000.
Other native species forums and sites:
Field Collecting Forum
Arizona Herpitological Forum
