I'm such a sap...

[Velvet]

Here are some pics of my latest addition...Not 100% I will be keeping her just yet but 99% sure I will be. hehehe

So this is "Sprout", She is an African Brown House snake. This is my very favourite indigenous snake and honestly, I have always wanted one. You might say these are the snakes that started my passion for snakes and lead me to buy my very first corn.

The story behind "Sprout":

I went to the local petshop today to buy pinks (that's ALL I swear! lol), a woman was standing at the counter with a mayonnaise jar, talking to one of petshop people. I noticed an ADORABLE little snakeling in the tub and I was like "Oooh CUTE! A little brown house snake!". I asked the woman where she found her she said she found it at her house and wanted to bring it in because she was afraid it might be venomous because it was VERY aggressive. I told her that this was quite normal in ANY hatchling snakes.

Then I asked her what she was going to do with it, she shrugged and said her dad was going to KILL it as soon as she took it home, so naturally I couldn't allow that to happen! So Sprout (name just popped in my head when I saw her!) came home with me.

So, now I have a brown house snake and did a good deed. She'll be much safer and happier with me!

I have offered her a tiny live pinkie, so hopefully she will eat without any problems. She's so small I don't even know if she's had her first shed yet.

She's a lovely DARK little Brown house snake, I don't remember ever seeing one so dark before. She also has a broken stripe on her side...guess this is normal BHS patterning, I have only seen babies once before.

 

[Toshiro]

What a totally selfless good deed

Hurray for Sprout.
She'll couldn't be luckier with you as keeper

 

[Cat_Eyed_Lady]

Such a rich color and the face markings stripe is really pretty

 

[Velvet]

Thanks Toshiro.

She's actually not very aggressive at all, certainly not NEARLY as bad as some of my corn hatchlings! hehehe

I will of course be getting all the relevant permits and stuff to keep her.

 

[Susan]

What a gorgeous little snake! I love the head pattern and nice dark chocolate color. Is the belly as light and plain as I think it is?

 

[Velvet]

Hi Susan!

Yes, her belly is plain, sort of off-white colour, very pretty!

I really, really like her! She is almost black and I really haven't seen many this dark before. What I like about housies is that they shine beautiful blues and greens at certain angles.

 

[Hunter2011]

WOW I wish there were kool wild snakes arround here, I live In Ohio in the U.S. and there are only garter snakes arround me that I know of, and possibly rat snakes I think

 

[Nanci]

That's so cool! Have you ever seen one before? It's like cornsnakes here- Florida is supposed to be teeming with them, but I've only seen one (alive).

 

[Jrgh17]

Wait... she was afraid it might be venomous, so she caught it and brought it into the petshop to CHECK before killing it?

Then again, anyone who would support killing something that cute has a few screws loose. And you came out good in the deal. :cheers:

 

[diamondlil]

Adorable! Sprout would be a great addition to any addiction- whoops I mean collection!

 

[Skaaglore]

Well done!!!!!
I too have never seen a BHH that dark, but then again, I've only seen once that are bigger than that. I think the chances of finding a wild BHH that size is very small.

 

[Nanci]

Wait... she was afraid it might be venomous, so she caught it and brought it into the petshop to CHECK before killing it? :

That's the opposite of how people handle snakes in Florida- kill first, ask questions later.

 

[Velvet]

What makes me mad is that this woman found out that it was completely harmless and then was still going to kill her! That's just stupid! Besides, these snakes are protected!

 

[Skaaglore]

Just a thought.
Since house snakes are colubrids and there have been successful crosses of other species, what is the likely hood of a corn X house snake?
wonder what it would look like

 

[Ohana]

What a lovely snake.. thanks for sharing, I have never heard of them before. I love the education I get here!

 

[Hunter2011]

I would have let it go if I was not going to keep it, but I agree that that is rediculous of her still going to kill it

 

[Drizzt80]

Correct me if I'm wrong . . . please . . . but doesn't the brown house snake come in a brownish red color phase as well as an olive phase? Could this be an olive phase one?! I notice in one of the pictures (4th from the top) that it looks green. :shrugs:

Either way, congrats!
D80

 

[DaGiant]

Very Lovely little girl Meg! I love both of my House snakes too.
Mine is very dark brown too, so may be a baby thing.. LOL

Brent,
That is definitely a Brown Housie, My Olive IS green and has no
marking on the head.. Some will lose the "Lace look" pattern as
they get older.

 

[Drizzt80]

Brent,
That is definitely a Brown Housie, My Olive IS green and has no
marking on the head.. Some will lose the "Lace look" pattern as
they get older.

Cool, thanks. I have no direct experience with them so just going with what I've seen!

D80

 

[Velvet]

D80, The olive house snake and the brown house snake are two different species. In fact there are four species of house snakes indigenous to South Africa that I know of:

Lamprophis Fugilinoses (I keep wanting to type "fugli noses) - Common Brown house snake, that you call the African Brown house snake.
Lamprophis Capensis - Cape house snake
Lamprophis Aurora - Aurora house snake
Lamprophis Olivaceus - Olive house snake

There are a few other species indigenous to Africa but not to South Africa itself.

My little one is either a very dark L.Fugilinoses (Brown house) or a cape house snake...I am currently doing research and trying to find out how to tell the difference. Will let you guys know what I find out!