what is a trinket ratsnake?

i saw one for sale and i can honestly say i've never heard of it where are they from and what is it...?

THE INDIAN SNAKES – TRINKET SNAKE (Elaphe Elena)

(di Romulus Whitaker)

Distinctive features : Medium-sized, slender; smooth, glossy scales; light fore body and dark tail.

Average length : 70 cm ; At birth : 25 cm. ; Maximum : 1.5 mt.

Description : The Trinket Snake is tan and chocolate-brown with two prominent dark stripes on the latter part of the body and light bands and checks on the forepart. The long head is unmarked, the eyes are prominent and round-pupil led. The two short dark lines on either side of the neck may join medially to form an inverted “V” . The underside is pearly white. The scales are smooth and glossy. The scales in front of the eye are scattered with pores, which may be sensory. There are 9 species of trinket snakes in India. The typical one is a quiet-natured snake found at times of cooler weather on the plains and in the hills.

Distribution : Throughout India. The Green Trinket is found in the Andamans, and the Mandarin Trinket is found up to 4000 mt. In the Himalayas.

Habitat : During the hot weather, trinket snake live deep in termite mounds, rock piles and crevices. In the cool season they emerge and are found in leafy trees and bushes.

Habits : Trinket snake are active both night and day. Though generally well-mannered and calm when handled, some will swell their necks, rear back open-mouthed and make quick strikes at an aggressor. Sometimes they will vibrate their tail in defence, which reminds one of the highly specialized rattle snakes of the Americas.

Young : The female lays 6 to 8 long eggs. The young’s resemble the adults. Breeding seems to be year-round; one at the Madras Snake Park laid 8 eggs on 14 February, which hatched on 11 April; another laid in mid-December, and yet another at the end of August.

Food : Like the famous rat snakes of the United States, the adult trinket is mainly a rodent eater, killing its prey by constriction. Occasionally, birds and their eggs are also eaten. The young take insects and small lizards.

Status : Trinket Snakes are nowhere very common. They favour farmlands as well as forest, so the rapid increase of cleared agricultural lands seems to have little effect. Though beautiful and often large, they are not plentiful enough to be in demand by the skin trade.

I love trinkets. They're very close to the top of my "Snakey Wish List".

texastailfeathers said:

I love trinkets. They're very close to the top of my "Snakey Wish List".

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Again, you are not allowed near my collection.. lol

Here is a picture of our male. Our female did not do well for us and passed on. WE are hoping to pick up a few females this up coming year.

oooo pppeerrrttyyy i like them tooo now ty

tanner123 said:

oooo pppeerrrttyyy i like them tooo now ty

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yeah, mine were a pretty gentle pair of snakes. They also look like 2 snakes smooshed into one.

tricksterpup said:

Again, you are not allowed near my collection.. lol

Here is a picture of our male. Our female did not do well for us and passed on. WE are hoping to pick up a few females this up coming year.

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You're so cruel!

A guy in east Texas breeds them (Dr. Neil Ford...famous herper), and he will be at the local show next month. I've already made up a list of snakes to buy from him. These are on top!

texastailfeathers said:

You're so cruel!

A guy in east Texas breeds them (Dr. Neil Ford...famous herper), and he will be at the local show next month. I've already made up a list of snakes to buy from him. These are on top!

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how about a pair of texas red bulls as well??

tricksterpup said:

how about a pair of texas red bulls as well??

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Are you offering to buy them for me?

and a pair of milks and maybe even some MBKs?

texastailfeathers said:

Are you offering to buy them for me?

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haha.. i am not your husband. My girl already has a list of animals at the next show she wants. And she wants to go to Tinley park to get them.

tricksterpup said:

and a pair of milks and maybe even some MBKs?

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Yes and maybe. But definitely the trinket if he has one. And a house snake. I doubt I'll buy any pairs. I don't really know if I want to breed snakes. Since I'm so busy with the birds that I raise, it might be nice to have some animals that don't reproduce. I'm actually thinking about thinning out my cornsnake collection and getting a few different species...just for fun. The bird thing has become a job...I don't want that to happen with the snakes.

This summer's big show happens to fall on my birthday. I'm taking my husband and my dad, so I'm guaranteed to get lots of cool presents. :crazy02:

I can't believe I didn't buy the trinket at the last show. :bang:

texastailfeathers said:

The bird thing has become a job...

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Well, if you get really tired of them, I think you have some boarders that will take them off your hands! One for sure!

Nanci

Nanci said:

Well, if you get really tired of them, I think you have some boarders that will take them off your hands! One for sure!

Nanci

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I may take you up on that offer once the 40 button quail and 15 bourke parakeets hatch.

Just kidding...I love my birds...but I am constantly aware of the fact that there is a fine line between "hobby" and "burden"...especially when there's money changing hands. I'm being very careful to keep the snake hobby from becoming burdensome.

texastailfeathers said:

Yes and maybe. But definitely the trinket if he has one. And a house snake. I doubt I'll buy any pairs. I don't really know if I want to breed snakes. Since I'm so busy with the birds that I raise, it might be nice to have some animals that don't reproduce. I'm actually thinking about thinning out my cornsnake collection and getting a few different species...just for fun. The bird thing has become a job...I don't want that to happen with the snakes.

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I haven't bred my snakes as of yet either.. remember you can keep your snakes separately. :shrugs: This way your collection can keep on growing.. lol
My girl is getting into Uromastix, we havent bought any yet but she wants a small colony.

I did a lot of googling when DaemoNox put up pictures of Cave Dwellers, walked into local shop a couple days later and he had a Trinket hatchling. I looked and was interested but got the idea they were kind of bitey. Now I'm interested again, Hum! may have to go back and check it out. susan

A customer brought a trinket rat snake into the petstore I worked at. Apparently it came off of some plants he had acquired. The little thing was sooooo cute! He was worred for the little guy and didn't really want to keep it. He offered it to me if it wasn't going to eat for him...guess what...It ate for him lol!

Okeetee_Corn_Snakes said:

A customer brought a trinket rat snake into the petstore I worked at. Apparently it came off of some plants he had acquired. The little thing was sooooo cute! He was worred for the little guy and didn't really want to keep it. He offered it to me if it wasn't going to eat for him...guess what...It ate for him lol!

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Trinkets are from India. Were the plants imported???

susang said:

I did a lot of googling when DaemoNox put up pictures of Cave Dwellers, walked into local shop a couple days later and he had a Trinket hatchling. I looked and was interested but got the idea they were kind of bitey. Now I'm interested again, Hum! may have to go back and check it out. susan

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I have seen those Cave Snakes up close and personal. I was there the day one gave her a little kiss on her forearm.