# Tentacle snakes



## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

yep.

I love a challenge.

I think i need a Macro lense... these snakes have extremely small heads.. LOL

Most keepers have had bad luck with these snakes.. so its only fair i give them a try. anyways here are the pics.


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

thats a trippy lookin snake, whats all the general info on that guy


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Nice pattern on that one (pic 2). How many total?

I'd say with that kingsnake info I PMed Peacock and any other info he can find there could be a good profile (right up Freez's alley! ).


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

....feeding vids soon?....


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Yes.. Feeding video and profiles are soon to come.

I need about a month or so to right up an OK general info article.

There is little info out there and most of it is jargon.


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

Peacock said:


> Yes.. Feeding video and profiles are soon to come.
> 
> I need about a month or so to right up an OK general info article.
> 
> ...


i will help find good links if you want


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

MR.FREEZ said:


> Peacock said:
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> > Yes.. Feeding video and profiles are soon to come.
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No Thanks. I want my article to be soully ME and no one else.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Update.

They are hand feeding. i probably shouldnt be messing with them so much but this is to much fun.


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

ok man, i understand the pride in your own work









let me know if i can do anything,


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Here is a video clip of one snapping at a fish.

http://imageevent.com/neal/tentaclesnaketa...l=0&w=1&s=0&z=2


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Goldfish and snakes= Bad idea

Future convulsions and death could occur.

There are some good links to these snakes....

(thanks to PACK)

http://www.geocities.com/hanneskei/Snakes.html

http://www.whozoo.org/Intro2002/StephReder...tacledsnake.htm

http://www.curator.org/LegacyVMNH/WebOfLif...acled_snake.htm

http://www.learningcommunity202.org/PHS/in...earchindex.html


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

I might be able to work these guys on none live.. adding calcium and vitamins will be a bitch though.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Peacock said:


> MR.FREEZ said:
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Freez is the man with profiles, I wouldn't refuse his help...


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Peacock said:


> I might be able to work these guys on none live.. adding calcium and vitamins will be a bitch though.
> [snapback]1024156[/snapback]​


Live is fine (see the vid/pics in the links), but avoid goldfish and their relatives.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

acestro said:


> Peacock said:
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> > I might be able to work these guys on none live.. adding calcium and vitamins will be a bitch though.
> ...


that really leaves no alternatives.. guppies are about the only thing other then goldfish..

hmmmmm.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Frozen silver sides might do the trick.

Can you give me more info on why not to feed goldfish?


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

Peacock said:


> Frozen silver sides might do the trick.
> 
> Can you give me more info on why not to feed goldfish?
> [snapback]1024161[/snapback]​


this is what i know

also would it be a consern if the snake starts to take the fish backwards, get caught

or anything? thats the only other thing i can think of


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Great link Freez. The thiaminase problem is even more well reported in the snake hobby, I've lost snakes this way, it's HORRIBLE. The spine is another problem that is a good point!


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

that is easily overcome with a thiamine suppliment injected into the bellies of the gold fish.

I used to do with this with my preds who only ate live.


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## o snap its eric (Feb 19, 2003)

how active are they and how big?


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

they act as sticks most of the time.. moving to new positions and getting air. one dark one i have moves alot actually and is quite personable.

they are 16 inches.. but very long and slender..


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Cool snakes, Neil









I've never heard of them before... Are they toxic, and to what species are they related (if any)? How big do they grow, and in what size tank do you keep them? Also extra aquarium hardware necessary?


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## jan (Apr 24, 2004)

I thought they aren't toxic and can reach sizes of 3'

Great pics and great looking snakes. Hope to see more pics in the future


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

Judazzz said:


> Cool snakes, Neil
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we breif profile will be posted shortly.

i will go into detail.. but first i need more experience.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Judazzz said:


> Cool snakes, Neil
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They are slightly venomous but only enough to immobilize small fish.

The species is Erpeton tentaculatus, closely related to Homalopsis, a quite odd Asian genus of water snake. Cerberus rynchops is another oddball that they are related to. Also Enhdris bocourtis.

I've seen them kept in giant jars before (I dont know if I'd do it that way). The key is to keep a pH at around 6 and it seems that they have a symbiotic thing going on with algae on their skin. Skin problems can be lethal and are a number one killer.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Peacock said:


> that is easily overcome with a thiamine suppliment injected into the bellies of the gold fish.
> 
> I used to do with this with my preds who only ate live.
> [snapback]1024191[/snapback]​


How can you not know what was bad about goldfish but know about injecting thiamine?







I think conditioning shiners, although they are cyprinids, would work. Actually raising mollies might be the best for species choice and breedability.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

thats a amazing snake man, i have never even heard of em before. also nice setup up. lookin really good, can't wait to see some more pics.









J-Rod


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

those snakes are awsum. whered you get em???


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

acestro said:


> Peacock said:
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> > that is easily overcome with a thiamine suppliment injected into the bellies of the gold fish.
> ...


You made it sound like feeding gold fish was a huge deal, when in reality its just the V-B problem..

easily overcome.

I dont want to set up a huge breeding facility of mollies... The growth rate and Litter size is a bitch.. I would need over 30 adults. these snakes eat anywhere from 6-8 small fish a day.

I think the extremely low PH is what was effecting the skin. Im trying these 2 specimen in 7.8.

will be interesting to see what happens.

I got these snakes specially ordered from Jon Rare.


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

Peacock said:


> acestro said:
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what wasa the price if you don't mind me askin.

J_Rod


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## Carnivoro (Oct 12, 2003)

Nice color pattern.
i kept Erpeton tentaculatum in the zoo time ago,like acestro say, the best thing is dont offer goldfish. 
we had to breed mollies(are BW), as a staple diet, Tentacleds are found in Brackish water too, ive offer them frogs and pinkies ocassionaly.
Here i was working with a herpetologyst who stud. them., The last time i talk to him he had 37 tentaculatum.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Carnivoro said:


> Nice color pattern.
> i kept Erpeton tentaculatum in the zoo time ago,like acestro say, the best thing is dont offer goldfish.
> we had to breed mollies(are BW), as a staple diet, Tentacleds are found in Brackish water too, ive offer them frogs and pinkies ocassionaly.
> Here i was working with a herpetologyst who stud. them., The last time i talk to him he had 37 tentaculatum.
> [snapback]1025416[/snapback]​


Hmmm, getting a clue as to why goldfish are a big deal yet Neil? Let's not forget that these snakes use a lot of suction to feed on fish and that goldfish have those nice spines. Patching a problem feeder with supplements is like eating crackers with protein powder sprinkled all over them, it's not worth it and is not the same way vitamins are taken up in real life. If you saw what happens to snakes that eat goldfish, you'd never even think of feeding that way.

Carnivoro, if they're found in brackish water then they must also be able to live in high pH? Seems like there's conflicting info on that.

I did hear that once you get it right these snakes do great and crank out young.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Carnivoro said:


> Nice color pattern.
> i kept Erpeton tentaculatum in the zoo time ago,like acestro say, the best thing is dont offer goldfish.
> we had to breed mollies(are BW), as a staple diet, Tentacleds are found in Brackish water too, ive offer them frogs and pinkies ocassionaly.
> Here i was working with a herpetologyst who stud. them., The last time i talk to him he had 37 tentaculatum.
> [snapback]1025416[/snapback]​


That wouldn't be somewhere in Texas, would it?....


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## Carnivoro (Oct 12, 2003)

acestro said:


> Carnivoro said:
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> > Nice color pattern.
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Yes acestro,they're rarely found in BW.

These snakes are considered to be one of the hardest snakes to aclimate successfully, also wild caught tentacled rarely live more than 7 months in captivity.
Captive breed are hard to acclimate but not like a WC, but as you know, all animals are individuals.
~
i kept them in temp 75-80F, low ph 6.0 with Black Water Extract fot the Tanic acid, seems to be helpful. I never had a problem with them, they was very healthy,breeding,eating, ect...


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## Carnivoro (Oct 12, 2003)

acestro said:


> Carnivoro said:
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> > Nice color pattern.
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No, in Puerto Rico, small island in the Caribbean.


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## Peacock (Feb 23, 2004)

acestro said:


> Carnivoro said:
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> > Nice color pattern.
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All he said was "best thing is dont offer goldfish"

THat gives me NO information just personal opinion.

Also. I used to mix up a protein dip for my crackers... And also sprinkle protein powder over my cerial.

What other problems is there associated with feeding goldfish?


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Carnivoro said:


> acestro said:
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I just guessed Texas because I knew of a professor that had them there.

Great info on care, I heard about the death rate being bad with wild caught too. Did you have algae growth on yours?


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## TormenT (Apr 1, 2004)

whereve u been? haha nice snakes


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## Carnivoro (Oct 12, 2003)

acestro said:


> Carnivoro said:
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yes, their skin was covered with algae, that seems to be very helpful preventing infections, and gives them an added sense of security.


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

dam those are badest snakes i have ever seen and need to get some soon

i think i will wait for your profile to come up first so i can get an idea of them


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