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Stone cages
Today 08:55 AM
Today 09:47 AM
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04-24-2006, 12:18 PM
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Heretic Prime
  
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Weird little squirmers.....
Ok.. these 4" to 5" reptiles were photographed near my home in S. Texas.. Who knows exactly what they are?
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.. if you think you know what they are, do you know what it is about them that is so special?
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Have fun.
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Gus.
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04-24-2006, 12:34 PM
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Can I get a hint?? LOL
Ok, I will probably get made fun of, but Im going to guess Texas Blind Snakes? Leptotyphlops dulcis?
Last edited by amercnwmn; 04-24-2006 at 12:40 PM.
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04-24-2006, 12:42 PM
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They look like Brahminy Blind Snakes. But I thought that they were primarily just feral in Florida. So interesting facts about it would be that it is an introduced species or that it reproduces by parthenogenesis. Which of course, makes it easier for it establish itself anywhere it is introduced.
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04-24-2006, 12:51 PM
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04-24-2006, 01:09 PM
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Heretic Prime
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There's always some know-it-all lurking around (or maybe just computer-savy, read the file-name on the pic, do a web-search).. knowing BW it's likely he is a 'know-it-all'..
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Yes, those are Ramphotyphlops, a type of blind-snake. They are all female and reproduce parthenogenically, as was noted. They supposedly also have the distinction of being the widest ranging terrestrial vertebrate in the world (aside from people and the more mundane animals we bring around with us).. Since it only takes 1 to start a new population just a single individual on a log or in a drifting root-mass does the trick..
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They are commonly referred to as 'flower-pot snakes'.. since they like that habitiat.. which is why after finding a way into Florida and their big nursery industry they have been spread to practically everywhere in the US without permafrost.. and maybe in some of those places too! They eat ant-larvae and eggs, mostly. I've encountered them near enough to fire-ant mounds to suggest they prey on them.. they're hardly the answer to that problem, though.
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Gus.
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04-24-2006, 01:13 PM
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Well thats cool, at least I said it was a blind snake LOL Ive had some blonde moments.. 
So they are NOT a native species to Texas, and just now popping up, or have they been seen around, just more often lately?
I think its interesting they are parthogenic.
I love these guessing games btw! Been able to learn a lot
Last edited by amercnwmn; 04-24-2006 at 01:14 PM.
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04-24-2006, 01:21 PM
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Did a little quick reading on it. There are a couple reports of them being both live bearing AND egg laying. Never heard of that before.
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04-24-2006, 01:22 PM
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by BWSmith
Did a little quick reading on it. There are a couple reports of them being both live bearing AND egg laying. Never heard of that before.
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That IS weird LOL...Is that even physically possible?!?
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04-24-2006, 01:39 PM
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It is certainly new to me. I thought that they were viviporous.
I wonder if Scarlet Kings would eat those 
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04-24-2006, 01:59 PM
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lmao..A bass probably would..
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04-24-2006, 03:39 PM
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Heretic Prime
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by BWSmith
It is certainly new to me. I thought that they were viviporous.
I wonder if Scarlet Kings would eat those |
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I've tried feeding them to small Coral snakes.. no go.
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Gus.
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04-24-2006, 04:05 PM
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Quote:
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They eat ant-larvae and eggs
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I've encountered them near enough to fire-ant mounds to suggest they prey on them
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This is interesting. I have seen fire-ants shred anything that comes near their mound. Does this snake have some sort of immunity to them or can the ants not get a bite due to the snake skin?
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Real knowledge is to know the extent of ones ignorance. (Confucius)
The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma. (Patrick)
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04-24-2006, 04:49 PM
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Not to get off topic but I hear we are starting to see those nasty lil fire ants in my neck of the woods..
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04-24-2006, 05:00 PM
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Heretic Prime
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by toker
This is interesting. I have seen fire-ants shred anything that comes near their mound. Does this snake have some sort of immunity to them or can the ants not get a bite due to the snake skin?
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Yes, that's the major evolutionary trick of the blind snakes (these included), probably by using the chemical tags (pheromones) of the ant eggs and larvae they eat, they become more or less invisible to the ants they prey upon.
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Gus
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04-24-2006, 11:18 PM
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Heretic Prime
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by amercnwmn
Not to get off topic but I hear we are starting to see those nasty lil fire ants in my neck of the woods..
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Question for you.. what exactluy does that mean in your signature "Western Ratsnake, E. obsoleta"?
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Just curious, Gus...
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04-24-2006, 11:20 PM
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i was thinking the same thing gus, sept i was on a dif tred... hehe weird...
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