Ribbon Question

[Cobravenom]

Normal for ribbons to have these hints of black in the labials?

[Stefan-A]

I don't think it's common, but it's well within what could be considered normal.

[guidofatherof5]

I agree with Stefan.
Any chance we can get a close-up of the face. Is this a wild caught ribbon?

[Cobravenom]

No I didn't but will next time. Yes these are a few of the numerous WC Thamnophis I've photoed this year. I know garters don't grow white scales behind the eyes like ribbons and the racer but the labials had me thinking. Is there a pic out there of a ribbon with a few black lines besides this one?

[gregmonsta]

One of my first two ribbons (eastern), back in the day, showed some faint hints of labial markings too.

[Cobravenom]

Awesome! Well I plan on breeding Thamnophis when we get a home with within the next five years and my boys are a bit bigger. I run an educational Facebook page and obsess over teaching as much as I can to children and adults alike. You never know what type of animal you will save by posting a simple article about a wolf spider or a ribbon snake! I am getting the Nokia 1020 camera phone for Christmas so next spring I will share some pics here of the species we have in Oklahoma.

[guidofatherof5]

How about a link to the wolf spider article? I'd like to read it, love Lycosidae.

[ConcinusMan]

Had wolf spiders in my house down there in the SoCal high desert. Scary and huge to say the least, but quite harmless I'm told. Mostly I'd find males the size of a half dollar in the house and OMG can they run fast. Exterminator assured me that that males have no venom and bites from females are extremely rare and less harmful than a mosquito bite . He said if you have them in the house they are quite efficient at exterminating pest insects such as roaches and scorpions so they're good to have around. Whatever dude, they give me the creeps, I don't like them! lol.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/wolf_spider_cyprus_alex.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

That is a gorgeous spider. I love them.

[ConcinusMan]

Fine, I won't argue against that. But when you're sitting in your living room and one comes down from the ceiling, lands on your neck and runs across your bare arm doing 60mph then we'll see how much you love them. :P

[guidofatherof5]

That would be cool.

[Cobravenom]

Hey so sorry! Just realized I had comments. The wolf spider article was just a short list of facts and nothing extensive. I was just throwing that out there as an example and apologize if I led you the wrong direction. Im far from an arachnologist! An amateur naturalist that reads too much and obsesses over anything that moves? Yes I am guilty! The page I run is educational/entertaining. I have written a few detailed articles about cottonmouths and venomous snake identification. Currently I am researching and writing about what to do if bitten by one of the 7 pit vipers in Oklahoma. Most have no clue what to do and haven't even heard of Crofab!
As far as Lycosidae in the home goes it is a case of mistaken identity more times than not. Most sightings end up being a large house spider of the genus Tegenaria. Not a single wolf spider in the country is classified as a house spider. Under indoor conditions a wolf spider will succumb to death fairly quickly.
Will not let me post link here. You can google Oklahoma critter identification and it will pop up. Thanks so much for your help. I will post all of my Thamnophis pics here next year!!!

[guidofatherof5]

Hey so sorry! Just realized I had comments. The wolf spider article was just a short list of facts and nothing extensive. I was just throwing that out there as an example and apologize if I led you the wrong direction. Im far from an arachnologist! An amateur naturalist that reads too much and obsesses over anything that moves? Yes I am guilty! The page I run is educational/entertaining. I have written a few detailed articles about cottonmouths and venomous snake identification. Currently I am researching and writing about what to do if bitten by one of the 7 pit vipers in Oklahoma. Most have no clue what to do and haven't even heard of Crofab!
As far as Lycosidae in the home goes it is a case of mistaken identity more times than not. Most sightings end up being a large house spider of the genus Tegenaria. Not a single wolf spider in the country is classified as a house spider. Under indoor conditions a wolf spider will succumb to death fairly quickly.
Will not let me post link here. You can google Oklahoma critter identification and it will pop up. Thanks so much for your help. I will post all of my Thamnophis pics here next year!!!

CroFab - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CroFab)

[Cobravenom]

Crofab needs a lot of work. It's extremely expensive and has numerous negatives. Even the preparation instructions on the packet need changing. It recommends mixing with 10 ml of sterile water for injection (SWI) but this is in real time situations much too thick. Anyone experienced in Crofab preparation will use 25-30 SWI as this cuts prep time down. Many also say hand swirling to dissolution of the antivenin is more effective than mechanical means. When envenomation occurs it is crucial to administer antivenin ASAP so any time wasted is a shame. Scratch tests are controversial and you get mixed responses from experts. Anyways, I believe we need another alternative to Crofab and competition in the market. Currently they are the only company I know of that produces the drug and this means they control the pricing. It is not uncommon to be presented with an $80-$100k or more bill after a snake bite!!

[guidofatherof5]

Crofab needs a lot of work. It's extremely expensive and has numerous negatives. Even the preparation instructions on the packet need changing. It recommends mixing with 10 ml of sterile water for injection (SWI) but this is in real time situations much too thick. Anyone experienced in Crofab preparation will use 25-30 SWI as this cuts prep time down. Many also say hand swirling to dissolution of the antivenin is more effective than mechanical means. When envenomation occurs it is crucial to administer antivenin ASAP so any time wasted is a shame. Scratch tests are controversial and you get mixed responses from experts. Anyways, I believe we need another alternative to Crofab and competition in the market. Currently they are the only company I know of that produces the drug and this means they control the pricing. It is not uncommon to be presented with an $80-$100k or more bill after a snake bite!!

Thank goodness garters are just "warm":D

Duvernoy's Glands and "Warm" Herping (http://www.anapsid.org/duvernoygland.html)

[Cobravenom]

Very cool article! Amazing news for me too as I am a huge fan of the garters. They excite me at every find ��

[guidofatherof5]

They are the best kept secret in the snake hobby. Those that know are the lucky ones.

[ConcinusMan]

These were definitely not Tegenaria. I have those here on the west side of WA but the east side is far too dry for them. East side you'll find wolf spiders. I do know the difference between the two genera but you're right. A lot of people in WA call this a wolf spider but it isn't. Here's a Tegenaria I found in Vancouver WA a few weeks ago. Note the hairy appearance and tendency to walk with "knees" high.


http://youtu.be/ZzJm6kL--BE


This was in the high desert of SoCal where I had wolf spiders. Very dry climate. They aren't as hairy and tend to walk and rest with legs flat. This is identical to what was in the house in CA. I don't think they take up permanent residence in the house since I don't find webs. They tend to start showing up inside, in the winter when it starts freezing at night. I've seen them run on the ceiling. That's something a Tegenaria can't do/would never do.

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQa1VbIsbvoEI1-rveK0bX0FaK-FurLlM-NUWfufCz2omyGpi8gqQ

Sorry guys. Maybe stefan will move the spider talk to the "oh so quiet" thread?