Yellow faced whip snake, info anyone?

[hornet]

doesanyone know what yellow faced whip snakes are worth, i want either an adult pair or trio or some hatchlings, i dont think i have even seen them for sale but i do know there are a few keepers. Also can they be kept in a rack system like with other elapids or do they need room to move like tree snakes?

[Blackdog]

I havn't kept them for well over 30 years but they are an extremely active snake and I had much more success with them in outdoor pits than indoor setups. Obviously with their small size they don't make great outdoor displays, but they were certainly much healthier than those kept indoors. Based on that experience I reckon you would have to give them as much space as possible and a top quality uv setup or natural sunlight if possible. As far as price and availability goes no idea, sorry.

[hornet]

thanks, outdoor setup is no problem, are bubs hard to get on rodents?

[Blackdog]

I honestly don't know. I'm going back before legislation on reptile keeping and all we ever fed them were their natural diet of skinks. In those days we didn't have UV lamps and those that I tried to keep indoors went ok for a few months then stopped eating and had to be relocated outside or released. I think you would have to heavily scent the rodents to have any chance.

[GSXR_Boy]

Originally Posted by hornet

. Also can they be kept in a rack system like with other elapids or do they need room to move like tree snakes?

Haven't had them for about 15 years, but we used to set them up in old rabbit hutches outside with extra wire added. (skinny little buggers can squeeze through anything).
And i'll agree with blackdog about the skinks.(although i have seen one take a frog)
Some of their babies are still seen around my parents garden!!!
There very fast and jumpy and a guy at school copped a bite of a olive coloued one a bit bigger than a meter long on the webbing near his thumb and his whole arm swelled for days!!

[cyclamen]

i know someone who has one, i saw it today for the first time , its about 15 cm long. its so cute. it bit him 2 weeks ago and has left a nasty infectiion on his finger. he feeds his skinks and he said it takes it quite well. they are a very pretty looking snake. but as far as people selling them, i havent seen any for sale at all.

[Jonno from ERD]

G'day mate,

I have kept Yellow Faced Whips on and off for about 4 years now.

They are normally fairly cheap when available - $100-200 each. The hard part is getting them to eat anything other than skinks. They are incredibly active, slender snakes and will escape through ANY gap.

I have been swapping info with a few other people who are mad about small elapids like I am, and some have had success weaning them from skinks, to fish, and then onto mice. It is a long, tedious process though. I would recommend practicing on Tigers or Eastern Browns first, to get the knack of getting them feeding down. This may not be possible if you aren't permitted to do so? If not, try on species such as Green or Brown Tree Snakes.

Cheers

Jonno

[waruikazi]

Hornet if you find a supplier let us know, i am on the prowl for a small elapid species ATM too.

[gillsy]

I've been bitten a few times by whips, and never had any reaction.

Although it could have been a dry bite, but at least one occassion I don't think it was.

[MrBredli]

If you intend on keeping Whippies my advice would be to setup a breeding colony of some common frogs i.e. Striped Marsh Frogs, cull them as soon as they morph then freeze them, so you aren't under so much pressure to find a constant supply of lizards. It might seem easy enough to catch 1-2 lizards a week initially, but after doing it for a couple of years you will certainly lose that enthusiasm.

[cris]

You could always just feed it AHG's it would be easier than feeding on rodents anyway, would probably take a a bit to get them onto dead stuff though. Even if you had to feed it garden skinks it wouldnt be to hard to catch enough just setup a pit trap and empty it into the enlcosure every few days.

Would they eat fish? I have found most snakes will eat live fish flopping about in very shallow water.

[cris]

Originally Posted by MrBredli

If you intend on keeping Whippies my advice would be to setup a breeding colony of some common frogs i.e. Striped Marsh Frogs, cull them as soon as they morph then freeze them, so you aren't under so much pressure to find a constant supply of lizards. It might seem easy enough to catch 1-2 lizards a week initially, but after doing it for a couple of years you will certainly lose that enthusiasm.

just dont tell the EPA or are we allowed to feed frogs to snakes?

PS. i have heaps of marsh frogs(wild) in my pond they have laid more cluthes in the last 3 weeks than they did through summer

[Jonno from ERD]

G'day guys,

Unfortunately the majority of Whips tend to ignore both frogs and geckoes. This does make sense, considering Whips are a diurnal species that is very sensitive to movement. Frogs and geckoes are predominently nocturnal, so they wouldn't normally interact with Whips.

They do take fish thought. I am currently experimenting with alternative food sources.

Cheers

Jonno

[moosenoose]

Originally Posted by waruikazi

Hornet if you find a supplier let us know, i am on the prowl for a small elapid species ATM too.

Me three

[hornet]

unfortunatly jonno, i'm not permitted to keep vens, i'll keep an eye out for tree snakes aswell. Any idea if they would be easyer to get onto birds?