Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

Kaida · I've settled in... Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 28

Does anybody here keep these? I am looking into gettin dasypeltis atra next year, and want to know what their temperament is like. For example, are they handleable? I have read a couple of care sheets (there aren't many around), but now I want to hear from people what they're like to keep.
Lucy

Ailurus · Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 9:16 pm Post subject:

i have heard they are extremely hard to keep, and young ones require quail eggs or even finch eggs. Also only some adults will eat chicken eggs
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Tom

Snakes: :Pantherophis: :Coelognathus: :Lampropeltis: :Heterodon: :Antaresia:
Lizards: :Rhacodactylus: :Pogona: :Goniurosaurus:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Ailurus27

juliewoos · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:32 am Post subject:

Hi, I have a pair of D.atra, your right there isnt much info on them.
My female isnt really handleable at all she really doesnt like it she is twitch and bluff strikes and gets really moody if i handle her any more than necessary, however my male is ok just a bit skitty on times.
I wouldnt say they are hard to keep as long as you have an established feeder and have a good supply of eggs.
I am led to believe that Atra like cooler temps than other Dasypeltis and i keep mine at the low 80's. I have a 2x2x2 for my pair with two levels .... lots of damp moss boxes and fairly deep aspen as substrate as they like to lie under the substrate sometimes. My female is often out and about and climbing over the top areas before she lays eggs apart from that i hardly see her and have only seen her eat on a few occasions and i have never seen my male eat.
My adult female eats chicken / small duck eggs / several quail eggs and my male is only small (because its a male) and eats quail eggs, however i believe young eggeaters need smaller eggs like GAL, finch or budgie.
As sometimes i cant get fertile eggs i suppliement the water with biotin (from holland and barrett).

Male ...

Female ....

Kaida · I've settled in... Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 28

Quail eggs wouldn't be a problem as I am also thinking of getting a pair of Chinese painted quail, such cute little things, but eggs for youngsters might be more challenging.
Your female is gorgeous Juliewoos. Well, they both are, but I have a thing for black snakes! What are the two little spikes on her lower jaw in the second picture?
Do you breed them?
Lucy

andyj · Contributing Member Joined: 22 Jan 2006 Posts: 58

I belive thats the snakes tongue! Very Happy

juliewoos · Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 11:46 pm Post subject: ::)

yer andy is right that is her tongue .... she has laid eggs for me yes but i havent actually had any success as im not sure they were fertile and i have had a few incubator disasters this yr Sad

however next weekend the male is moving in with the female as he will be out of quarenteen then, so yes the intention is to breed Smile

lol93 · Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 12:51 pm Post subject:

Love that photo of the female with her mouth open! Laughing

davo · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:51 pm Post subject:

Julie, i know the female is dasypeltis atra, but the male, is that the colour when they are young, and then they change or is it a different species of egg eater?

juliewoos · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:07 pm Post subject:

Hi, they are both adults and both the same species ... hes just a diff colour ... its like you get diff colours of most snake. Just like how an amel corn is the same species as an anery.

davo · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:50 pm Post subject:

o rite, ive just only seen the black variety of this species of egg eater. is it a locality thing or..?