# C. albolabris - White Lipped Viper



## salvatoruk (Apr 28, 2009)

I know a couple of guys here keep this species and I have a couple of questions for you. Recently my Male has started to get blue scales scattered in patches all over him. Personally I love it, imagine an all blue albo! Has anyone else noted this in the specimens they keep? Or do any of yours have any blue in them? It may be far more common than I am aware of but I've gone through all my books and no photos show blue on them...

Any input will be appreciated 

Oh yeah and some photos...



























Laurie


----------



## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

wow thats very cool, my little male doesnt.


----------



## Piraya1 (Feb 26, 2007)

When I got my white lip as a young one she was all green, and a light green at that with the typical red tail, over the last year and a half she has developed a blueish ****** line down either side of her body from underneath her neck. Now it looks like a male, but probes don't go in very far.


----------



## salvatoruk (Apr 28, 2009)

Piraya1 said:


> When I got my white lip as a young one she was all green, and a light green at that with the typical red tail, over the last year and a half she has developed a blueish ****** line down either side of her body from underneath her neck. Now it looks like a male, but probes don't go in very far.


 Thanks for the replies. 
That is very odd. How old is she now? What's her history-Cb/wc? If you could put some pics up that would be great.


----------



## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

Hi Laurie,

I've come across what maybe the same thing in another Asian 'green' species.

I've had an adult _Gonyosoma oxycephalum's_ scales change from green to blue and then to black and eventually back to green.
Supposedly the colour change, in Gony's anyway, is down to some sort of stress. Possibly a dietry stress?? who knows, but the animal was healthy,as your clearly is, never had any problems while it had the blue scales or after.

Here's a pic (not great quality... sorr)y









Maybe it's just an ontogenic colour change in your particular animal_??
_
Fantastic animal by the way 

Cheers
Rob


----------



## salvatoruk (Apr 28, 2009)

RMG said:


> Hi Laurie,
> 
> I've come across what maybe the same thing in another Asian 'green' species.
> 
> ...


Hi Rob,

I don't know where to start with Gonyosoma oxycephala... This picture helps though:


These were 3 I got in the same shipment last year. Since then I have had another 3 or 4 colour variants. One individual even had grey, green, blue, yellow and orange colours.
Once upon a time there were actually a couple of recognised Gonyosoma oxycephala sub species but these are no longer accepted on the basis they may vary hugely in colour but genetically all variants are very similar.
Very interesting about your one that changed colour and I can't say I can explain that, very strange indeed.

Laurie


----------



## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

yeah I had a pair of the Silver 'Javans' also  
same all over as the tail of that one in the pic...silver/grey with yellow (and some red scales)

a great genus of snakes


----------



## salvatoruk (Apr 28, 2009)

RMG said:


> yeah I had a pair of the Silver 'Javans' also
> same all over as the tail of that one in the pic...silver/grey with yellow (and some red scales)
> 
> a great genus of snakes


I'm taking my own thread completely off track now but anyway... they certainly are, have you kept any of the other species from the genus? I had my first janseni last year and wow they caught me off guard! I was expecting them to be like oxycephala and I was seriously wrong.


----------



## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

Haven't kept but have some experience with a few _prasinum_ (docile as a corn) and one _janseni_ total nutter.

SO back on topic to your_ albolabris _..

hopefully it's an unusual colour change from juvenile into adult and you'll get nice blue snake...


----------



## salvatoruk (Apr 28, 2009)

RMG said:


> Haven't kept but have some experience with a few _prasinum_ (docile as a corn) and one _janseni_ total nutter.
> 
> SO back on topic to your_ albolabris _..
> 
> hopefully it's an unusual colour change from juvenile into adult and you'll get nice blue snake...


I really hope so. It is only coming through stronger currently and he has been mating with my female albolabris this month so fingers crossed for blue babies maybe


----------



## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

if you look on flickr theres a pic of a blue viper from Komodo (supposedly a white-lip) 

Blue babies would be awesome! here's hoping :thumb:


----------



## salvatoruk (Apr 28, 2009)

RMG said:


> if you look on flickr theres a pic of a blue viper from Komodo (supposedly a white-lip)
> 
> Blue babies would be awesome! here's hoping :thumb:


Without looking I know what that'll be- Cryptelytrops insularis. They were first considered a sub species of white-lip but now have full species status. Their common name is often Wetar Island Viper which is confusing as they are found throughout Indonesia... I have had two localities of this stunning viper. Bali (green) and Wetar (bright yellow).
Komodo locality are sometimes blue with deep red eyes. There are none of this colour in captivity that I am aware of and collection on Komodo is restricted but I do have a supplier in Indonesia trying to source me insularis from Rinca (a neighbouring island) which should be a similar colour. I'm not holding my breath though...

Here are two from my past collection:



























Laurie


----------



## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

stunning snakes


----------



## RMG (Jun 10, 2007)

Stunning animals Laurie...


----------

