More water snakes

[crimsonking]

From one of my 5 female mangrove water snakes. She gave birth to 14 little guys last night.
:Markhttp://gallery.reptilerap.com/data/529/196waters1.JPG

[Katt]

OOh I want the red one!!

Congrats Mark!!!

[Vanan]

Awwww! Too cute!

[Sean_.E.]

Nice... Good luck with 'em!

[Linds]

Congrats! That's awesome! :D

[Smilts]

nice little ones congrats

[Zoe]

heehee I want the blue one!!!


Beautiful :)

Zoe

[crimsonking]

ha ha ha! Female #2 just gave birth to 14 also. Here's a shot of a half dozen. Does anyone else keep these snakes or watersnakes in general? They are really tiny newborns!
:Mark

[Sean_.E.]

hah, more eh? Baby water are nippy little bastards! Have ya got bit yet?

Good luck!
Sean

[crimsonking]

Sean, as I've said before here, these guys are the nicest water snakes there is. It may be just a laid back population I deal with (LOL!) but really only a few are nippy. I posted a pic a while back of one biting me, but heck, I had just surprised him and picked him up for a pic. No doubt disturbing his mating urges with the females nearby.
:Mark

[Bencb3]

so cute! how long are they? i was thinking u went herping and u found them, but u hachted them, thats good too, great pic man

[Sean_.E.]

Pretty cool Mark! I dont blame the poor guy for biting you..lol

Are you expecting young from all five females?

Ben, water snakes give birth to live young so technically Mark didn't "hatch" them. :)

[crimsonking]

Yep Sean, 3 more to go! I'd say within the week.
:Mark

[Sean_.E.]

Awsome, You'll be over run by the beasts! Send some over here for me and I'll take care of that problem! :D

[crimsonking]

Actually, I am keeping only a very few, taking pics, documenting gestation, etc. and then releasing them where I found the adults. There aren't many people out there keeping them (yet) and so not many takers for the babies. I will have some pairs though.
:Mark

[Sean_.E.]

Awsome...thats a great plan! Not too many of them here in canada. Ive never dseen CB here!

[reptiledude21]

ad

[Sean_.E.]

What are you saying reptiledude21?

[snkmn]

wow they look great. congrats

[crimsonking]

.... babies too. 14 just like the first 2. Hmmm.
:Markhttp://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/151waterz2.jpg

[RaVeNo888o]

what do those things eat? do they use one of those vivs with the large tub of water? They seem like fun

[crimsonking]

They mainly eat small minnows they catch near the shoreline under the mangrove trees. In captivity they'll take most any feeder fish or anything scented with the fish. The babies are tiny (3.5"-5") and are really cool. you have to be careful with any snake (including the watersnakes) of them staying too wet. I will remove their large water dish (a shoebox) for a few days at a time so they can "dry off". Of all the waters I have had, these mangrove salt marsh snakes are the calmest and handleable. They will wrap around your hand like a king with their prehensile tails.
:Mark