Gepubliceerd in jaargang 71, nummer 4 van Lacerta
Tai-A-Pin, J.H. & R. Olivier
Een rode emmer met witte ratelslangen: Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus (Cope, 1866)
Tekstfragment
Ergens in 2006 kregen de auteurs voor het eerst veldfoto’s van extreem witte Southwestern speckled rattlesnakes (Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus) onder ogen. Vanaf dat moment hadden ze eigenlijk geen rust meer totdat ze dieren uit deze populatie in ons bezit zouden hebben. Verwoed werd dan ook gewerkt aan een goede basis om een serieuze kweekgroep op te zetten.
English summary
A red bucket with white rattlesnakes, Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus (Cope, 1866)
This article is based on Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus, which is an extremely colour variable rattlesnake. Here the focus is on the white coloured speckled rattlesnake, found at one specific (withheld) location. Some general species information is given and the author describes the acquirement of the animals as well as personal husbandry conditions, feeding and breeding experiences.
This locality type animal comes from an extremely hot and almost inaccessible mountain range. Like many isolated reptile populations they appear to be dwarfed and reach a maximum length of ± 80cm for a big adult female.
The author managed to breed successfully in 2011 and 2012, each time with a different female. From the juveniles half would start feeding without problem after their first shed, whereas the rest needed to be force-fed for a period of time.