Who else has a ribbon snake?

[Elliot]

Pics! (I'll format mine tommorrow so I can post them)

[GarterGuy]

I don't have any, but since you do....here's some Q's for ya. I see in your avitar pic, that it looks like your ribbon is eating a pinky? I've seen redstriped ribbons at local reptile shows, but never got any since I didn't want to have to deal with something that always ate fish. If that is a pink it's eating....did it take long to get him over to eating them? There are some really beautiful ribbons out there and if they can be converted over to mice I might have to reconsider getting some.;)

[abcat1993]

Looks to me like he's eating YOUR pinky. I do want to see some pics though.

[Elliot]

I don't have any, but since you do....here's some Q's for ya. I see in your avitar pic, that it looks like your ribbon is eating a pinky? I've seen redstriped ribbons at local reptile shows, but never got any since I didn't want to have to deal with something that always ate fish. If that is a pink it's eating....did it take long to get him over to eating them? There are some really beautiful ribbons out there and if they can be converted over to mice I might have to reconsider getting some.;)

Yes, that's a thawed out pinky (it looks funny because the tail snapped off). Anyway, mine was very easy to switch over. The first time I fed him a pinky, I scented it with a rosy red, and he took it almost instantly. The second time, I didn't scent it, and he has eaten non scented pinkies ever since with no problems at all!

[Elliot]

Here's a pic of his setup:

[Elliot]

And here's a picture of him taking a swim:

[Cazador]

Looks nice, Elliot.

[Elliot]

Thank you.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I would like to get a couple breeding pairs of red striped ribbons.....

[Elliot]

I'd like one too, but I've never actually seen them for sale anywhere.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I'm hoping to get some this year and start breeding...

[Elliot]

Nice keep us posted on how it goes if you go for it!

[Cazador]

I'm hoping to get some this year and start breeding...

Out of curiosity, would you have to do your own herping in an area with a good population of red-striped ribbons in order to start a breeding program, or do know of somebody who already works with them?
Rick

[GarterGuy]

I've actually seen them for sale a couple times this last summer and fall from a dealer at a local reptile show. I'm sure they were wild caught (they were adults), but they looked in really good shape. I'll have to keep an eye out for them as the shows start up again this spring.;)

[Elliot]

Cool, I'm sure mine was wild caught, I got him from the dreaded PETCO, but I've had him for close to 10 months and have hm eating mice with no problems so far so we'll see.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I'm gonna have to get them from someone....all I have here is wandering garters....

[abcat1993]

Wait, you got a ribbon snake from PetCo? Or maybe I misunderstood that.

[Elliot]

Yes, it's the only place around here with snakes, it's not an awful petco but it could be better.

[Cazador]

I also saw a ribbon snake for sale at my local Petco (in Alaska). It was listed as a garter and certainly didn't have a red stripe, though.
Rick

[abcat1993]

Hmm, maybe I should look at the ones in my (funny how we're saying my when we don't own it) PetCo to see if they have them too.

[El Nino]

Isn't there a Blue Ribbon (Floridian, if I remember correctly)?

[Elliot]

You guys know just to look in front of the eye for the little rectangle to tell if it's a ribbon or not right? I'm not sure about the blue ribbon but I'm pretty sure there is. I know there's a northern and redstripe and western, and there are a few more I don't remember.

[GarterGuy]

There are basically two species of ribbon snakes, T.proximus (Western Ribbon) and T.sauritus (Eastern Ribbon). Each has it's own group of subspecies too. The ones most often seen in stores are Westerns. This was the only ribbons we ever got in while I was managing the pet store many years ago. I think mostly what we got was the Western Ribbons (T.p.proximus), but I'm not entirely sure of that.....never really checked them back then to see what subspecies they were. The blue stripe ones from Fla. are a subspecies of the Eastern ribbon (T.s.nitae) and the redstripe ones are a subspecies of the Western ribbon (T.p.rubrilineatus). The other Westerns are the Aridland (T.p.diabolicus) and the GulfCoast (T.p.orarius) and the other Easterns are the Eastern (T.s.sauritus), the Peninsula (T.s.sackeni) and the Nothern (T.s.septentrionalis).