# Blue Colubrid



## Sephira

Does anyone have any suggestions for a blue colubrid? The way I understand it a lot of green snakes can have a Blue Phase morph (Which I assume is basically an Axanthic green snake). I have done some research, but I wanted to start reaching out on the forums to see if there is something I missed or if anyone could shed more light on the species that I have found already. I would like something that is handle able and not super "bitey". Also it has to be non-venomous for sure. I would vastly prefer captive bred. I am in US also if that makes a difference on availability.

Here are the ones I have found so far:

1. Australian Common Tree Snake (_Dendrelaphis punctulatus_) - A blue phase CTS is actually my dream snake, but since I don't live in AUS I am pretty sure that they are impossible to get. If anyone has any information for a breeder that is outside of AUS I would be very interested.

2. Blue Racer (_Coluber constrictor foxii_) - I have heard these guys are extremely aggressive and bite a lot and are therefor not very handle able. Also I understand racers are actually very "darty" quick snakes.

3. Buttermilk Racer (_Coluber constrictor anthicus_) - Same as the Blue Racer I hear they are not good for handling. 

4. Rein Rat Snake (_Gonyosoma frenatum_) - I have heard that they can also not be good for handling and can be aggressive, but I couldn't find a ton of info on their temperament.

5. Blue stripped Garter Snake (_Thamnophis sirtalis_) - These are a bit smaller than what I was looking for and are less blue and more blue stripped. I am unaware of any pattern less blue garter snakes.

6. Rough/Smooth green snake (_Opheodrys aestivus/Opheodrys vernalis_) - I hear these do very poor in captivity. Because of that most seem to be wild caught and therefor very rare to get blue phase. These are also smaller than I was looking for, but I wouldnt mind that if everything else was good about them. 

7. Baron Racer (_Philodryas baroni_) - I dont know a lot about these. Mostly because the head shape distracts me from the rest of the snake. I am not throwing any shade/hate toward them, but they arent ideal for me because of this. However since they are racer snakes I assume they have similar temperament as the other racers though i could be totally wrong about this.

8. Vietnamese blue beauty (_Elaphe taeniura callicyanous_) - These seems more gray/blue than blue, but I suppose that could just be the few pictures I have seen. I didn't see a ton of info on these regarding temperament.


Unfortunately it seems like most blue snakes tend to be morphs of green snakes and most green snakes tend to be bad pets. If there are any other green colubrids that I am missing that make good pets I would also love to know about those as well as they may have blue phases. Also I know there are some green/blue pythons, but I am looking for a colubrid. Any additional information on any of these snakes or suggestions for things I have missed would be awesome.


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## wilkinss77

Sephira said:


> Does anyone have any suggestions for a blue colubrid? The way I understand it a lot of green snakes can have a Blue Phase morph (Which I assume is basically an Axanthic green snake). I have done some research, but I wanted to start reaching out on the forums to see if there is something I missed or if anyone could shed more light on the species that I have found already. I would like something that is handle able and not super "bitey". Also it has to be non-venomous for sure. I would vastly prefer captive bred. I am in US also if that makes a difference on availability.
> 
> Here are the ones I have found so far:
> 
> 1. Australian Common Tree Snake (_Dendrelaphis punctulatus_) - A blue phase CTS is actually my dream snake, but since I don't live in AUS I am pretty sure that they are impossible to get. If anyone has any information for a breeder that is outside of AUS I would be very interested.
> 
> 2. Blue Racer (_Coluber constrictor foxii_) - I have heard these guys are extremely aggressive and bite a lot and are therefor not very handle able. Also I understand racers are actually very "darty" quick snakes.
> 
> 3. Buttermilk Racer (_Coluber constrictor anthicus_) - Same as the Blue Racer I hear they are not good for handling.
> 
> 4. Rein Rat Snake (_Gonyosoma frenatum_) - I have heard that they can also not be good for handling and can be aggressive, but I couldn't find a ton of info on their temperament.
> 
> 5. Blue stripped Garter Snake (_Thamnophis sirtalis_) - These are a bit smaller than what I was looking for and are less blue and more blue stripped. I am unaware of any pattern less blue garter snakes.
> 
> 6. Rough/Smooth green snake (_Opheodrys aestivus/Opheodrys vernalis_) - I hear these do very poor in captivity. Because of that most seem to be wild caught and therefor very rare to get blue phase. These are also smaller than I was looking for, but I wouldnt mind that if everything else was good about them.
> 
> 7. Baron Racer (_Philodryas baroni_) - I dont know a lot about these. Mostly because the head shape distracts me from the rest of the snake. I am not throwing any shade/hate toward them, but they arent ideal for me because of this. However since they are racer snakes I assume they have similar temperament as the other racers though i could be totally wrong about this.
> 
> 8. Vietnamese blue beauty (_Elaphe taeniura callicyanous_) - These seems more gray/blue than blue, but I suppose that could just be the few pictures I have seen. I didn't see a ton of info on these regarding temperament.
> 
> 
> Unfortunately it seems like most blue snakes tend to be morphs of green snakes and most green snakes tend to be bad pets. If there are any other green colubrids that I am missing that make good pets I would also love to know about those as well as they may have blue phases. Also I know there are some green/blue pythons, but I am looking for a colubrid. Any additional information on any of these snakes or suggestions for things I have missed would be awesome.


2 & 3: Not necessarily aggressive or bitey, they are however nervous, skittish & dislike being handled. They can also be finicky feeders.
4: Not particularly aggressive, but I know of no blue variants.
7: Racer in name only, this is in fact a rear fanged tree snake. Not particularly aggressive, but I've never heard of blue ones.
8: These get pretty big (6'+) & can have nasty temperaments.


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## Sephira

wilkinss77 said:


> 2 & 3: Not necessarily aggressive or bitey, they are however nervous, skittish & dislike being handled. They can also be finicky feeders.
> 4: Not particularly aggressive, but I know of no blue variants.
> 7: Racer in name only, this is in fact a rear fanged tree snake. Not particularly aggressive, but I've never heard of blue ones.
> 8: These get pretty big (6'+) & can have nasty temperaments.


Thanks for the info on these! I suppose I should have figured out the Baron isnt closely related to the other racers due to its latin name and appearance. As for the blue variants of Rein and Baron I have attached a couple pictures I have found. The rein are maybe more turquoise than pure blue I guess.


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## wilkinss77

Sephira said:


> Thanks for the info on these! I suppose I should have figured out the Baron isnt closely related to the other racers due to its latin name and appearance. As for the blue variants of Rein and Baron I have attached a couple pictures I have found. The rein are maybe more turquoise than pure blue I guess.
> View attachment 350034
> View attachment 350035
> View attachment 350036


Then your best bet would be a blue phase rein or Baron's, if you can source one.


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## Sephira

wilkinss77 said:


> Then your best bet would be a blue phase rein or Baron's, if you can source one.


Thanks for the suggestions! Im still hoping there is something I dont know about, but right now I am leaning towards the Rein.


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## The science snake

Japanese Rat Snakes (_Elaphe climacophora_) can come in some rather stunning shades of blue (especially the Kunashir locality). They’re also non venomous, handleable and very interesting to keep. It also helps that they have an agreeable temperament similar to that of many other beginner friendly rat snake species such as corn snakes.


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## Sephira

The science snake said:


> Japanese Rat Snakes (_Elaphe climacophora_) can come in some rather stunning shades of blue (especially the Kunashir locality). They’re also non venomous, handleable and very interesting to keep. It also helps that they have an agreeable temperament similar to that of many other beginner friendly rat snake species such as corn snakes.
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 350042
> View attachment 350043
> View attachment 350044


Thanks for the info!! Ill look into these more. They are really pretty.


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## mick g

Can anyone tell me more about the blue phase Baron's racer?. Is it a totally random colour phase or does blue x blue = all blue clutch?. Is there such a thing as het for blue?. Thanks


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## LiasisUK

I believe you have to have a blue to make more blue but a blue to blue pairing makes a mix of offspring. It's not a simple recessive mutation. 

Contact Rainforest-Exotics in Ross-On-Wye, they breed the blue phase, sure the owner will be able to tell you.


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## mick g

One of my friends is buying one from rainforest exotics and I was just interested myself about how it worked. Thanks for reply 🙂


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## ian14

mick g said:


> Can anyone tell me more about the blue phase Baron's racer?. Is it a totally random colour phase or does blue x blue = all blue clutch?. Is there such a thing as het for blue?. Thanks


There are also brown and yellow phases.


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## Thrasops

Sephira said:


> Does anyone have any suggestions for a blue colubrid? The way I understand it a lot of green snakes can have a Blue Phase morph (Which I assume is basically an Axanthic green snake). I have done some research, but I wanted to start reaching out on the forums to see if there is something I missed or if anyone could shed more light on the species that I have found already. I would like something that is handle able and not super "bitey". Also it has to be non-venomous for sure. I would vastly prefer captive bred. I am in US also if that makes a difference on availability.
> 
> Here are the ones I have found so far:


Before we start, a note on 'blue' animals of a species that should be green.

The big issue with green snakes - and this applies to the green species on here as well such as _Philodryas_ and _Opheodrys_ - is that many that are said to be 'blue' are in fact actually 'mint green' and suffering from a vitamin deficiency. To understand why this should be one needs to understand how the colour green comes about in reptiles. The colour yellow is expressed by a variety of chromatophores in the skin known as iridophores, guanophores, xanthophores or erythrophores. Different chromatophores use either pteridine pigments (which are yellow) or carotenoids (which are red or orange) in conjunction to create a yellow colour. When the yellow pigments are overlaid over a crystalline substance in the reptile's skin called guanine, which is blue, the refraction of light from the skin is what creates the colour green.

If there is a deficiency in carotenoids (which are associated with vitamin A), what happens is that the yellow pigment does not express well and you get a green animal that instead appears distinctly bluish or mint green. For the record this is also why dead green reptiles become blue after a day or two as the yellow pigments break down or leak away and the blue crystals remain giving that pretty 'powder blue' colour.

Good examples of reptiles that should be bright grass green but instead often appear a dull mint green or bluish if not fed correctly are various Lacertids such as green and ocellated lizards and _Gastropholis prasina_; Iguanids such as _Laemanctus spp._, and even frogs and toads (Oriental firebellies, _Bombina orientalis_). Baron's racers also frequently suffer from this and many (but not all) of the 'blue' animals sold are in fact just mint green through malnutrition.

What this means is that among green reptiles and amphibians, there may well be a blue morph (which is the case in Baron's racers) that can be bred from... but there also is always the possibility of animals appearing 'bluish' through deficiency in one or more vitamins, which will have nothing to do with genetics. Worth remembering.

Also worth noting - if the coloration is down to a vitamin deficiency, it can often return to the expression of a bright, beautiful yellow-green in a matter of weeks if the diet is corrected! In fact in _Lacerta bilineata_ it can happen in as little as a week.

It is difficult to give advice on whether a species is suitable as some of the ones listed are quite specialised species. But I will take each suggestion one by one.




Sephira said:


> 1. Australian Common Tree Snake (_Dendrelaphis punctulatus_) - A blue phase CTS is actually my dream snake, but since I don't live in AUS I am pretty sure that they are impossible to get. If anyone has any information for a breeder that is outside of AUS I would be very interested.


These are to my knowledge not in the hobby. They are an Australian species so will not be exported. They can also be found on Papua New Guinea so theoretically it may be possible to source them via Indonesian shipments and I am aware of several people that have done so in the past - but this could by no means be considered a common occurrence. In any case, _Dendrelaphis_ is not always the easiest genus to acclimate, although some like _D. pictus_ can do well with patience. Others like _D. formosus_ are more delicate. It should be noted _D. punctulatus_ is not even always blue, they can be yellow, brown, green or greyish too. I would resign myself to the fact you are never likely to find these - and certainly not as captive bred.



Sephira said:


> 2. Blue Racer (_Coluber constrictor foxii_) - I have heard these guys are extremely aggressive and bite a lot and are therefor not very handle able. Also I understand racers are actually very "darty" quick snakes.
> 
> 3. Buttermilk Racer (_Coluber constrictor anthicus_) - Same as the Blue Racer I hear they are not good for handling.


True blue Racers (_foxii_) are virtually impossible to get, mainly because it simply is not legal - they are protected across almost the entirety of their range. It is a fond pipe dream of many (including myself) to keep some but the legal ramifications of doing so are weighty.

An alternative might be _Coluber constrictor mormon_, which are usually brown or greyish but in some localities can be a pretty blue (in fact some of the ones I have seen images of have been bluer than most foxii). They also are not always protected and quite common in parts of their range, and ostensibly are the easiest subspecies of _C. constrictor_ to adapt to captivity. The odds of getting a really nicely coloured specimen are slim though as most people would keep the truly blue ones for themselves (I am aware of a really nice blue specimen caught just recently). Short of going out to California, purchasing a fishing license, finding a locality where blue specimens are around and catching one yourself then legally exporting it (which actually is possible), I would doubt it will be possible to get a blue one. Would be a kickass trip either way though, California has some great herping. The chances of getting a captive bred animal are also very slim indeed, although I have seen captive bred 'normal' _mormon_ for sale in the last few years on American boards.

I have seen _anthicus_ offered on American classifieds more often than most other Black racer subspecies, Dan Fryer who posted on here years ago also had some. It is highly unlikely - but not impossible - that you would find captive bred animals though. Although WC do get offered. In which case, as with any of the _Coluber constrictor_ subspecies, you are going to have to ask yourself 'do I have the space to dedicate to an animal like this' - a six foot enclosure is going to be a bare minimum as these snakes are flighty and active. One of the issues I have noticed most people that keep them suffer from is lack of humidity (and this may be the reason _C. c. mormon_ does better than the other subspecies as it actually can come from relatively arid areas; the others all exist in places with some degree of localised humidity and wide shifts in temperature). It is a fair bet that they will also need extremely high quality lighting (both UV and bright white, 'full spectrum' style lighting with colour temperature at least 6000k), low ambient temperatures and localised high surface temperatures to stand a good chance with them.

Dave Clemens and Ambrose Burton have succeeded with _C. c. constrictor_, it may be worth seeking their advice should you choose this species.



Sephira said:


> 4. Rein Rat Snake (_Gonyosoma frenatum_) - I have heard that they can also not be good for handling and can be aggressive, but I couldn't find a ton of info on their temperament.


Younger animals start out a slaty blue colour and become green, there are indeed some extraordinarily blue animals on record as well. Of the _Gonyosoma_ species, I regard these as most delicate - and that is saying something compared to _G. oxycephalum_, which at least are easy captives when captive bred. They can be very aggressive once fully acclimated and prone to leaping out of a high enclosure. The problem with this species is the wide range and diversity of climatic conditions they come from - usually though they are montane species with all the specialist environmental needs that entails (low ambient temperatures, high humidity, drastic night temperature drop but a localised source of heat that can create a basking spot to one side of the enclosure). A glass viv such as an exo terra is one of the best ways to keep them in my opinion, with halogen lighting directed to one side of the enclosure. They also need a lot of security.



Sephira said:


> 5. Blue stripped Garter Snake (_Thamnophis sirtalis_) - These are a bit smaller than what I was looking for and are less blue and more blue stripped. I am unaware of any pattern less blue garter snakes.


Garter snakes in general are easy snakes to keep and there is a nice variety available both in the UK and from European specialists such as Stephen Bol. You have a relatively high chance of finding captive bred examples too, not too long ago Snakes n Adders had some lovely _T. s. tetrataenia_ (San Francisco Garters) for example. There is some debate as to the genetic predisposition of that subspecies but the animals I saw looked very nice. Definitely one of the better options if you like that kind of thing.



Sephira said:


> 6. Rough/Smooth green snake (_Opheodrys aestivus/Opheodrys vernalis_) - I hear these do very poor in captivity. Because of that most seem to be wild caught and therefor very rare to get blue phase. These are also smaller than I was looking for, but I wouldnt mind that if everything else was good about them.


These can be found as captive bred, but the overwhelming bulk of those sold are still going to be wild caught. All the animals I have ever seen for sale that could be described to be anything like 'blue' have been down to vitamin deficiency (this is down to being fed nothing but crickets, which is usually the case for insectivorous reptiles and amphibians that turn from green to blue). _O. aestivus_ is much less difficult to keep than is often purported as long as you treat it like a well kept insectivorous lizard with all that entails. But still not a species I could really recommend.



Sephira said:


> 7. Baron Racer (_Philodryas baroni_) - I dont know a lot about these. Mostly because the head shape distracts me from the rest of the snake. I am not throwing any shade/hate toward them, but they arent ideal for me because of this. However since they are racer snakes I assume they have similar temperament as the other racers though i could be totally wrong about this.


Now we are talking. I have been keeping this species from about 1998 and started with both wild caught animals and captive bred animals imported from Germany. Of the species on this list, this and the following are the two I recommend most of all but one thing must be born in mind - _Philodryas baroni_ are venomous.

They are not 'racers' but they are semi-arboreal and females in particular can get very large and impressive indeed. My males maxed out at about 52", females will hit 60" and some will grow past six feet. They will invariably be captive bred, which is good. Many of the animals you see sold as 'blue' are suffering from carotenoid deficiency. There is a bright, sky blue morph out there though. There was a persistent rumour that crossing a brown animal with a green animal led to some of the first sky blue animals, I am not sure whether that is accurate though.

Very hardy, very easy to keep. These are not rainforest species as commonly depicted, but experience a pronounced seasonal cycle. They like to climb but need plenty of horizontal space as well. Will eat extremely readily, and that feeding response has to be taken into account because if they think there is food and you have not target-trained them, they will attempt to eat you. Otherwise, very easy to keep and good pets as long as you are aware of their venom.



Sephira said:


> 8. Vietnamese blue beauty (_Elaphe taeniura callicyanous_) - These seems more gray/blue than blue, but I suppose that could just be the few pictures I have seen. I didn't see a ton of info on these regarding temperament.


This subspecies is variable, they can be bluish, greyish or yellowish. Very hardy and beautiful snakes but they can get absolutely _huge_. A seven to nine foot Taiwanese Beauty is already mighty impressive; _callicyanous_ can hit eleven feet. And they are very active snakes on top of that so would need the according amount of space; a Colubrid like this deserves the kind of enclosure normally reserved for larger pythons. This snake will need lots of horizontal space and lots of vertical space.

Often accused of being 'aggressive' or 'defensive' - and yes a wild and flighty animal can be freaking imposing (given a big one is capable of striking you on the face from the floor). But I find they can become incredibly passive and inquisitive as long as they are not restrained or constantly being picked up and allowed to move around on their own terms. Also can develop a tendency to feed aggressively.




Sephira said:


> Unfortunately it seems like most blue snakes tend to be morphs of green snakes and most green snakes tend to be bad pets. If there are any other green colubrids that I am missing that make good pets I would also love to know about those as well as they may have blue phases. Also I know there are some green/blue pythons, but I am looking for a colubrid. Any additional information on any of these snakes or suggestions for things I have missed would be awesome.


Lots of green snakes make absolutely great pets.
_Philodryas baroni _are very easy to keep - I would say beginner level were it not for the fact they are rear-fanged.

_Elaphe climacophora_ (Japanese rat snakes) also have a blue form called 'Aodaisho' or Blue General, which is most common in Kunashir Island locality animals. These can develop sky blue heads and have olive green bodies. _Extremely_ hardy and long lived snakes - I would rank them way up among the easiest pet snakes to keep alive and I have some now well into their third decade. Have a feeding response that has to be seen to be believed.

There are very rare blue specimens of the Rhino rat snake (_Gonyosoma boulengeri_), which is a relatively easy species to keep once the babies start feeding. Northern Lights Imports had some beautiful specimens in the last few years. I have not seen many at all but the species itself makes a great pet.

A bit more far out, you could win the lottery and buy _Boiga dendrophila divergens_, the Luzon Mangrove snake, which has electric blue markings on an otherwise black and yellow snake. They cost about £1500 though.

Aside from the obvious Blue tree pythons, you could also go for a DWA licence and then get access to _Trimeresurus insularis_ and _T. trigonocephalus_, both of which have blue/ turquoise forms.


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## Thrasops

All photos by Ashley Dezan


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## Jibbajabba

Obviously not colubrids - but still - I find them stunning ... had to share lol



















Trimeresurus Insularis


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## Thrasops

Oddly enough I have just seen a pair of CB _Coluber constrictor priapus_ being offered by Stunning Snakes for anybody interested... Certainly not something that comes around very often!


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## Thrasops

I came across these on my hard drive and was reminded of this thread.

These are blue_ Gonyosoma prasinum/ G. coelureum_ that were owned by Rainer Fesser.



















And a blue G. frenatum owned by Jurassik-Var.


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## Sephira

Wow. I somehow missed the notifications for this thread and missed a ton of info. Anyway thanks for the contributions Thrasops. Some really beautiful examples of blue snakes along with a ton of info. I am still on the hunt for the perfect blue snake for me so I appreciate the advice and information. Coluber Constrictor Anthicus has been taking most of my attention lately since giving up on the Dendrelaphis punctulatus, but I havnt seen anything for sale since posting this. It is however seeming to become more popular for people to sell black racers C.C.Priapus. I am guessing this is due largely to the fact they are in Florida.


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