Slug Eating Snakes, a dream come true!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by MP.

I've read about 'handedness' in the Sibon genus, have you actually seen this happen? Or is this relaying something you've read?

Currently it is just something I've read, but there's good reason to believe this is true. I have caught a few snails where the orientation of the coil of the shell is only on one side (I believe it's clockwise). But since they're too small, I can't feed them to the snakes yet. They also have the disadvantage of being rather slow growing.

Most of the snails that I've fed them to, are what I believe to be the Brown Garden Snail (Helix aspersa). They will only eat individuals that are approximately between 1 cm and 2 cm in diameter.

For slugs, they will eat individuals that are approximately between 2 cm to 4 cm in length when fully extended. I cannot identify the slugs I feed them to down to species, but I believe the genus is Deroceras.

Originally Posted by MP.

You could try popping them. Also there's a method involving wetting a finger and sliding it from the vent toward the tail tip and feeling for the pop of the hemipenes as they slide away from pressure. There's a .gif somewhere on the internets showing the idea behind this. Although I have a feeling it won't work with an older animal.

I don't know how old they are. These are to my knowledge quite possibly wild caught specimens (I could be wrong). The seller did not give me an age or date of birth, so my assumption leans towards the fact that they are wild caught specimens.

The seller didn't feel comfortable sexing them in the manner in which you speak of, because of how slim these animals are.

I do not feel comfortable either, considering that I'm not a very experienced snake keeper, and the fact that these snakes are not only very slim, but very nervous creatures. They do not stay very still when handled. They always want to slither away.

To give you an idea of how slim these snakes are - where the vent is, it's only about 5 mm wide. I believe the widest part of the snake is only about 1 cm wide.

Below are new photos of one of them eating. The other snake was feeding as well, but it was in the back of the tank and my camera lens cannot get a good focus on it. In both instances, the snail's shell was pushed to the right side of the snake's mouth. You can look at the pics and judge for yourself whether there is truth in the right handedness of Pareas carinatus.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Une assiette pleine d'escargots!!!

English translation from French: "A plate full of snails!!!"

These snakes are masters at extracting the entire snail clean from their shells.

The snail shells in the last pic are roughly all the snails the 2 snakes ate from the time I got them till today.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Baz in Oz

Philip, what you REALLY need is a few of our Oz snakes running loose. Oz boasts (?) of having ownership of most of the top 20 venomous snakes in the world.
Nothing like having a western taipan or two in your vicinity to keep your reflexes at their best.

Baz

I have considered keeping venomous snakes. Particularly the arboreal true vipers and pit vipers. But they're too dangerous to have around, and they're too expensive and troublesome to obtain.

In the meantime, I think I'll settle for the Mock Vipers (Psammodynastes pulverulentus or Psammodynastes pictus), or any of the snakes in the genus Boiga, in the future.

Although, if Psammodynastes pictus is available, that'd probably be a snake I can do. Feeding them fish, and prawns, along with the occasional frog is easier than feeding Psammodynastes pulverulentus lizards.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Alright! Finally found my first piece of Keeled Slug Snake turd! I'm happy.

It looks like a huge snail laid it, but it's not snail poop.

I opened the tank and got the camera inside to take a photo of it to show the world! Muahahahahahaha!

Here it is! I think it's the first time the internet has seen the likes of this!

[Tindomul]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

It looks like a huge snail laid it, but it's not snail poop.

Thats right, its poop made of snail.

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Here it is! I think it's the first time the internet has seen the likes of this!

Yup looks like its a first.

[MP.]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

Currently it is just something I've read, but there's good reason to believe this is true.

I've seen videos of this, It's really interesting to watch.

I don't know how old they are. These are to my knowledge quite possibly wild caught specimens (I could be wrong). The seller did not give me an age or date of birth, so my assumption leans towards the fact that they are wild caught specimens.

The seller didn't feel comfortable sexing them in the manner in which you speak of, because of how slim these animals are.

I do not feel comfortable either, considering that I'm not a very experienced snake keeper, and the fact that these snakes are not only very slim, but very nervous creatures. They do not stay very still when handled. They always want to slither away.

To give you an idea of how slim these snakes are - where the vent is, it's only about 5 mm wide. I believe the widest part of the snake is only about 1 cm wide.

No, I wasn't saying to pop them. Simply slide your finger with slight pressure down the tail and see if you feel sort of a 'pop' that's the hemipenes. Here's a quote from someone else.

"Just start at the cloaca with your thumb, press lightly and slide it towards the tip of the tail. The "pop pop" you feel from males, but not females. It'll happen around the 10-15 subcaudal scale. Try it on a known male you have. Really simple, and much less invasive to the snake than popping, or probing."

They've been successful with this method on boas up to two years old, so it's worth shot, you have nothing to lose. Either that you're left to sexing by tail taper.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Pareas carinatus sleeping on the ground amongst the cover of a Peperomia griseoargentea 'Silver Dollar'. Evidence that they are not 100% arboreal.

This is not the only time they've slept on the ground.