Extreme color change!

[CrotalusR#1]

This is an adult male Arizona black rattlesnake (crotalus Cerberus)

This snake dose something sorta interesting. I can walk into my reptile room and look at this snake and he'll be jet black like in the first picture. I can walk back in 30min later and he looks like he dose in the second picture. In the second picture he was sprayed down but that was after he had already looked like that for an hour. He will do this color change a couple times a month. Some months it's a couple times a week.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8621/16400642158_4e095931a9_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7391/16586665141_9cfee6f647_b.jpg

[D Grade]

My dream snake! No rattler is cooler than Crotalus Oreganus Cerberus. Funny because I just asked on the rare species thread if anyone had one and I should have guessed you certainly did.

Anymore pics? Hows him temperament? Fairly easy on the poles? Where did you get him?

Your collection is simply awesome and inspiring. Are you in AZ by chance?

[inv3ctiv3]

So cool! Love those buzztails.

[CrotalusR#1]

My dream snake! No rattler is cooler than Crotalus Oreganus Cerberus. Funny because I just asked on the rare species thread if anyone had one and I should have guessed you certainly did.

Anymore pics? Hows him temperament? Fairly easy on the poles? Where did you get him?

Your collection is simply awesome and inspiring. Are you in AZ by chance?


So cool! Love those buzztails.

Thank you very much!

In my experience there a pretty calm species but of course there are going to be ones that aren't. I can post more pictures later.

[herplover]

whats the reason for this change? Is it a seasonal thing or stress...? very cool just wondering what the reason is.

[CrotalusR#1]

whats the reason for this change? Is it a seasonal thing or stress...? very cool just wondering what the reason is.

I am not exactly sure, ever one I know who has Cerberus from this local notices this.

[RAD House]

My guess would be that it is just the way the light reflects of his scales. With keeled scales I would imagine the reflection is highly variable.

[millertime89]

My guess would be that it is just the way the light reflects of his scales. With keeled scales I would imagine the reflection is highly variable.

Not really.

Some snakes have shown the ability to undergo color changes related to body temperature to help them thermoregulate. That would be my guess as to what's going on here.

[RAD House]

That is interesting and I might have to look into that. I would also be surprised if that were the case in this situation as I assume its husbandry is pretty well controlled. Organism don't tend to waste energy on unneeded processes. Also just to clear any color change is just a change in the way light is refracted to our eyes. So unless the snake is changing its skin cell structure, which is possible but unlikely in the animal kingdom, my guess still stands.

[millertime89]

Snakes will move from one side of the cage to maintain a consistent body temp. I don't know how OP has his set up but I would think (like most keepers) he has a temperature gradient to allow his animals to pick whichever temp they want.

I'm sure someone with more experience in this species will chime in regarding the way light hits their scales.

[D Grade]

Thank you very much!

In my experience there a pretty calm species but of course there are going to be ones that aren't. I can post more pictures later.

Thank you for the info, and thank you for the response PM bud!

[CrotalusR#1]

Snakes will move from one side of the cage to maintain a consistent body temp. I don't know how OP has his set up but I would think (like most keepers) he has a temperature gradient to allow his animals to pick whichever temp they want.

I'm sure someone with more experience in this species will chime in regarding the way light hits their scales.

He has tones of options for thermoregulating as in maybe around 8 hides that are mad out of rock so they stay cool and a nice hot spot. I have probably had around 10 Cerberus and the ones from this local seem to be the only ones that I have noticed do this.

He also did this in the previous keepers care to.

[CrotalusR#1]

I don't think it has anything to do with him not doing well, he eats, drinks, healthy poops, mated last season and did the deed lol and is all around appearing to be doing very well so I don't think it's a health issue... Possibly thermoregulation but he has many ways to escape any heat.