Cooks question

[dead bob]

I just picked these two up today along with the ATB in my other post. Now I do not know enough yet to tell the ssp apart and I know Cooks are rare, so any opinions? The male is quite large, leading me to believe he is an ATB. Any help would be appreciated.

Female
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1190cooksfemale-med.jpg

Male
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1190cooksmale2-med.jpg
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1190cooksmale1-med.jpg

The male is still in the enclosure and not out because he's big and he bites..lol I've already been tagged by the ATB and he/she is small but I've already got a feel for how long and sharp their teeth are..hehe

Anyways, if they are not Cooks and are in fact ATB's, it wont bother me, I got all 3 for $140US so it was a great deal anyways...hehe

[dead bob]

Better pic of the male, man is he big...hehe

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1190cooksmale3-med.jpg

[dead bob]

So no opinions?:confused:

[marisa]

I can't give an experienced opinion but from what I have heard, since collection on the island Cook's come from is illegal, its almost impossible to get an actual cooks from some classifieds if you know what I mean. Very few people have them (true cooks) in their collections apparently. Scale counts are the only reliable way to know if they are cooks, and even at that the scale counts over lap I believe so its hard to say. Also since ATB'S are so variable that adds another problem in the mix.

But one thing that is a fact, they are stunning! And like you said you can't beat that deal you got! I would be very pleased with them! :)

Marisa

[Ed_r]

To be honest it's next to impossible to truely tell them apart. While it IS possible it is a Cooks because of its drab pattern, by you saying how Large it is leads me to believe its an Amazon and not a cooks. Cooks are the smallest spacies in the Corallus complex. Too many people worry about if they are a Cooks or not. They are all awesomesnakes, and even the trues of cooks can be bred in the wild with other species of Corallus.

[Clownfishie]

Very nice! :) Congrats on the new additions....

[Linds]

As everyone has mentioned, the only way of truly distinguishing Amazon's from Cook's is by scale counts, but I would be willing to bet that all of them are Amazons since true Cooks are extremely rare. Either way, congrats on your new boas! :D

[dead bob]

Thanks for the opinions everyone. I kinda figured the scale count was gonna be the only way. It's gonna be fun doing that on the big guy. He's so nasty to the point he's even struck at me with the enclosure between us. Lucky for him he's in a rubbermaid and just bounced off the plastic. I have never heard a snake hiss as much as he does..lol And I've learned that the next arboreal I get, I will make the perches removable and not screw them on permanentely. Makes for an exciting time trying to get him out for cleaning and not get tagged...:D

[Ed_r]

The bad thing is scale counts overlap. So thats not even a fullproof way. Dont sweat it.
I have removable perches in mine but a good way to get them out is to first wear a glove to hide your body heat from them. lead their head up with a snake hook, then grab them right behind the head. They release the perch and coil your hand. And or course Pee all over you. :D

[dead bob]

The yearling ATB has already shown me the joys of a peeing snake.lol He/she was wrapped all around one perch and absolutely refused to let go. I had a hold of it about a third of the way down its body and was trying to unwrap the rest. Thats when the peeing started, quit a bit too, lol. And then it took a look at my forearm and decide it would be a good place to bite. It wasnt a quick strike like I expecting but it just sort of opened its mouth and then clamped down. Luckly its still a small snake, didn't hurt, and only welled up with a few pin drops of blood. It gave me a good idea of what a bigger snake is capable of though. :eek:

[vincenzo]

i understand about the removable perch thing i screwed mine in too and have a snake that sounds like yours she won't stop trying to attack me .. nice looking snakes you have!!