le serpent des blé
The snake of corns for a long time was known under the Latin name Elaphe guttata guttata , but recently, the classification of this snake was modified appellant Pantherophis guttatus guttatus now . On the other hand, since this change is recent, the majority of information concerning the snake of corns are available only under its old Latin name.
DESCRIPTION
Very appreciated amateurs of reptiles everywhere in the world, the snake of corns is high in captivity since now of many years, making it thus available on the market under a multitude of reasons and colors.
The original form is characterized by a series of orange spots, generally surrounded by a thin black line, like by bands more sunk on the sides of the head. Ventral surface is of a white or cream-coloured white provided with broad black squares changing into small lines under the tail. The young specimens, in addition, are coloured than the adults, but there exists now, since the man made of this snake an animal of terrarium, phases different presenting from the atypical drawings, as well as varied specimens of color which hardly resemble to their wild ancestors. Indeed, it is now easy to find on the plain market of the snakes of lined corns or even of color and without reasons.
To also see: [ Phases of the snake of corns ]
As about all colubridés, the snake of corns has at the top of the head of large cephalic scales and the shape of plate. Its large eyes with round pupils offers a rather good sight of day to him, although it is especially twilight, and even night.
TEMPERAMENT
The snake of corns has a very good character and lets itself handle without showing the least sign of aggressiveness. Nevertheless, like the majority of the reptiles, the youthful ones are often more apprehensive than the specimens of a more advanced age and so they often are agitated.
It is significant to know that a bite of snake of corns is completely inofensive and almost without pain. It often results in simple small very surface scratches.
To also see: [ the handling of the snakes ]
LONGEVITY
The hope of lives of this snake is approximately 15 years, although more and more of alive specimens in captivity reach 20 years the sizeable age. The record of longevity in this snake is of almost 22 years.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
It lives in the south-east of the United States, passing from Maryland and the New Jersey in Louisiana, the Caroline and Virginia. Attending a very large variety of terrestrial habitats, this snake lives especially in glazing bar close to the river or to the rock escarpments. It is also often to find in the arable lands, which him with vallu its common noun of snake of corns. By aillor, certain farmers reproduce this snake in captivity slackening theborn ones in their corn fields in order to débarasser of the many rodents which harm their production.
It is a very nimble species which has a certain facility to climb with the low branches of the small shrubs. It however is not concidérée as being a arboricole but rather terrestrial species.
FOOD
In its natural habitat, the snake of corns nourishes especially rodents, although it catches some times of the small birds when it can it. In captivity, it has a good appetite and very accepts volontier of the dead preys and will refuse only very rârement a meal. An adult snake of corns can generally live all its life while nourishing itself of one or two mice, of size adapted to the snake, by week according to its size. To note that certain more imposing specimens will have beings nourishes small rats once at the adulthood.
It is strongly advised to take the practice to nourish the snake with died preys, coldly is killed or frozen and heated. In this manner, the snake will have the practice as soon as he is baby, will not balk and there will be thus no potential danger vis-a-vis the reptile. A rodent frozen up to 6 months will not perdera any of its food values. However, last this lapse of time, it is better to demolish itself some, because the bacteria can easily invade food.
When the snake is maintained on a substrate other than the paper or the carpet of felt, it is of primary importance to nourish it outside its terrarium in order to make sure that it does not introduce a substrate. Indeed, the shavings or another substrate of this kind are not digestible for the snake and can cause in certain cases of the serious obstructions of the bowels, often carrying out to died of the animal. Normally, a plastic vat will be amply sufisant since it there is simply to introduce its prey and then gave in its primary terrarium.
It should be noted that the snakes do not have a very good vision and trust their sense of smell especially. So it is significant to wash the hands when one has just handled a rodent and that one intends to touch the snake. Indeed, the hand which will have touched the rodent will have imprégniée on it small odorous particles and that the snake will quickly have made detect them and to take the hand of the person for a rodent.
* It should be noted that it is not advised to nourish a snake when it is in period of exuviation.
CARE IN CAPTIVITY
The snake of corns is without any doubt the snake more répendu in captivity. Celà is especially due to the fact that it asks only very little maintenance and has a very good character, which makes the snake by exellence of it to begin in the dommaine. Asking only very little space, it is possible to maintain a snake of corns all its life in a terrarium of 15 or 20 gallons. A couple will require a larger terrarium on the other hand, that is to say approximately 25 or 30 gallons.
The temperature must be maintained between 26 and 30°C the day and to oscillate in the neighbourhoods of 22°C the night. This light fall is very significant, in order to return to the snake better a night life. It is significant to use a heating lamp if the desired temperature is not reached. This one must be lit approximately 12 hours per day. A film heating, placed under terrarium and connected 24 hours a day, will ensure a good digestion and will permettera with the snake to be heated where necessary. To note that the heaters always owe beings laid out so that the reptile cannot reach it and thus outside its captive habitat what thus prevents the risks of burns.
The presence of two hiding-places at least, one placed at the hot corner and the other with the fresh corner of terrarium, are essential. To omit this element causes a significant stress with the animal and will rendera it thus more nervous during handling. The size of the shelters will have to be adapted to that of the snake. Moreover, essence is to get dark places to him to hide during the day.
Like substrate, the large wood of bark or pallis of pruche facilitates cleaning largely and brings also with dimensions an esthetics and completely naturalness. When part of terrarium is soiled, it only remains to remove the part detected as well as the allentour and thereafter, to replace it by bark new. Wood has also quality to absorb the liquid and so the odors will be thus minimized. It is significant to nourish the snake outside terrarium, in order to avoid the ingestion of these matters nondigestible, because celà pourait to carry out until an obstruction of the bowels, which can entrainer the death of the snake. The pallis should be avoided cedar as substrate because the emanation of certain vapor are toxic for the health of the animal. Sand is also to proscribe for this species because it could ocasionner of the disorders of the breathing and/or the problems of bacteria.
It is also possible to use a felt carpet to cover the bottom with terrarium. It is on the other hand very significant to change this one at every week because it supports the proliferation of the bacteria largely and absorbs the odors. The advantage of this substrate is that it makes possible to nourish the snake directly in terrarium. On the other hand if the habitat is decorated with way naturalness this substrate can be désavantageux because it is necessary all then to demolish at each week in order to clean it.
It is significant to maintain the substrate always dry, to avoid the cutaneous problems, but to provide to the snake a vat water, changed every two days, which will permettera to him of drinking or beigner where necessary. By aillor, the water content should not be very high for this species. In general, it is only enough to vaporize terrarium approximately 2 times per week ensuring a rate of humidex thus adapted to the animal, which will help it at the time of the periods of exuviations.
To also see: [ the moult of the snakes ]
* It is advised to return terrarium functional a few days before arrived of a reptile. So one makes sure that the temperatures of day and night are adapted to the needs for the species selected
REPRODUCTION the snake of corn is without any doubt the snake easiest to reproduce in captivity. At the age of maturity, they is has to say approximately 2 years, the snakes are near for the coupling. It is significant to liberally nourish them during the summer so that it has a minimum of surplus of fat. Then let them fast all November. Then the time of the hibernation arrived. The temperature should be lowered gradually few degrees at each 3 days until approximately 12°C. Of this period to the period of the coupling, it is very significant to leave them in the black and to avoid handling. In the mid-February, it is time to make a gradual rise of the temperature. It is then possible to nourish them in their offering small rodents. Attention not to give of too large preys because they could then régurgiter their meal. Then, the couple will have to be maintained together during a period from approximately 2 or 3 weeks. If the female lays, it will make it that 2 months after the coupling, in a wet place. You will have to thus install one limps of laying. One limps rather large so that it can slip there easily. Vermiculite, or of the wet foam of sphaigne will have to be placed inside this one. About fifteen eggs generally compose the layings, with records of more than thirty eggs. Once the finished laying, it is significant to remove eggs of terrarium and to incubate them ata temperature from approximately 28 with 30°C and a water content from 80% to 100% during one period which can vary between 50 and 100 days. It is very significant never not to turn over eggs during the handling of those if not the membrane will quickly have made torn thus killing the embryos. Enter 24 and 36 hours after the beginning of the blossoming of eggs, the snakes left all and walks in the incubator. It is now a question of installing these new-born babies in one limps or a plastic dish which one took care to cover the bottom with an absorbing paper. A small water bowl must be installed inside each one of these dishes and must be cleaned at every two days. It is strongly disadvised placing more than one new-born baby in each one of limp because it happens sometimes that certain specimens can attack others. Indeed, at this age, the snakes of corns can beings ophyophages and thus to eat itself between-them. Theborn ones must be nourishes at every 5 days by delicately depositing small a souriceau in front of them. Some specimens can refuse any meal before their first moult.
quentin
serpent
lesard
anacondas