Fordonia leucobalia

[dihsmaj]

Is it legal in any state to keep these beautiful colubrids?
The photo I saw on AROD is amazing!

 

[matt1084]

i dont know why you couldn't keep them but finding a captive specimen for sale might be your downfall.

 

[dihsmaj]

it was more to the question of 'does anyone here keep them?'.

 

[Waterrat]

Plimpy, all the mangrove species are extremely difficult to keep and feed. They live in tidal / brackish water and don't tolerate fresh water too well. Have you got any experience with brackish water aquarium set up? Also, F. leucobalia feeds almost exclusively on crabs, most probably on soft-shelled crabs. Where are you going to get them? Even Little file snakes are very difficult to keep.

it was more to the question of 'does anyone here keep them?'.

I don't think there are any in captivity, at least not in private collections.

 

[dihsmaj]

I meant the second question, and thanks for answering it.
I got that it would feed on crabs by the common name.
Brackish water is mixed salt/fresh yes?

While I'm on the topic of keeping colubridae btw, does anyone here keep Dendrelaphis calligastra? They're on our keeping list but I haven't really seen anyone post anything about them.

 

[monitordude]

i know some one with bockadams and mcleays' no one keeps F. leucobalia because of diet they are no differrent to bockadams in keeping just the diet, a few people have them but you'd never see them for sale.
only a few peole keep D. calligastra, but you'd never see them for sale.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Out of curiosity type interest not out of 'I want them' type interest what are Macleay's like in captivity? Requirements, diet and such?

 

[Waterrat]

Out of curiosity type interest not out of 'I want them' type interest what are Macleay's like in captivity? Requirements, diet and such?

They are probably the easiest of all the aquatic species, mainly because they live in fresh water (files do to but ...). They take small to medium size fish such as rainbows, purple-spotted gudgeons, etc.. They like their privacy inside a hollow log or under flat rock but they don't hide all the time. I's a good idea to give them some driftwood into the tank, they like to anchor their tails, unfortunately, they like to anchor on live plants too and they are very good at unrooting them.

They swallow the fish very fast.

 

[gillsy]

I have a Macleays I find them awesome to watch. A lot more active then files snakes and tend as mention to anchor themselves with their heads stretched out waiting for fish, except if u chuck and whole heap in at once and then it's a feeding frenzy!

Interesting colours WR. is it a QLD or NT

 

[snakeluvver]

Cool, gillsy I love macleays.

Correct me if I'm wrong but havnt all the mangrove snakes been reclassified to a separate family (no longer Colubridae) ?
I recognise that second pic from your book, Waterrat, am I correct?

 

[Waterrat]

You are right about the classification but don't confuse mangrove snakes with Macleays, the latter live exclusively in freshwater.

 

[gillsy]

Yeah they have now, I think there may be one aquatic snake that isn't I can't remember which one though.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Very nice Water Rat!
Gillsy care to post pictures? I'd love to see the set up

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Thanks for the info they sound really great, things that live in water do not quite do it for me though I like to be on the dry dry land.

 

[snakeluvver]

You are right about the classification but don't confuse mangrove snakes with Macleays, the latter live exclusively in freshwater.

But have both been removed from Colubridae or is it just the mangrove snakes?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

They have all been moved together into Homalopsidae.

(All being Cerberus, Enhydris, Fordonia, and Myron.)