Welcome to Vertically Challenged Exotics

We are Chicagoland's premier breeder of select Colubrids, including King Snakes, Milk Snakes, Rat Snakes and Gopher Snakes, And soon to be Boas and Pythons. We also have a breeding facility in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Check out our Animals for Sale page to see what we're currently offering. Feel free to call us or contact us via our Contact Page at any time if you have any questions or if you're interested in purchasing some of our high quality, captive-born animals.

If you're new to the hobby, check out our Care Sheets to help you get started. If you need assistance, we're happy to help out.

Visit our Updates page frequently to see what's new at Vertically Challenged Exotics.

 

The Boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) is a large, heavy-bodied species of snake. It is a member of the Boidae family found in Central America, South America and some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although some of these are controversial. This article focuses on the species Boa constrictor as a whole, but also specifically on the nominate subspecies Boa constrictor constrictor.

Python regius is a non-venomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular in the pet trade. No subspecies are currently recognized.[3]
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Adults generally do not grow to more than 90–120 cm (3.0–3.9 ft) in length,[2] although some specimens have reached 152 cm and even 182 cm (5–6 feet), but this is very rare.[4] Females tend to be slightly bigger than males maturing at an average of 4-4.5 feet. Males usually average around 3-3.5 feet.[5] The build is stocky[2] while the head is relatively small. The scales are smooth[4] and both sexes have anal spurs on either side of the vent.[6] Although males tend to have larger spurs, this is not definitive, and sex is best determined via manual eversion of the male hemipenes or inserting a probe into the cloaca to find the inverted hemipenes (if male).[7]

The color pattern is typically black or dark brown with light brown or gold sides and dorsal blotches. The belly is a white or cream that may include scattered black markings.[4] However, those in the pet industries have, through selective breeding, developed many morphs(genetic mutations) with altered colors and patterns.[8]

Kingsnakes are a type of colubrid snake that are members of the Lampropeltis genus, which also includes the milk snake along with another four species and 45 sub-species.

Some species of kingsnake, such as the Scarlet Kingsnake, have coloration and patterning which can cause them to be confused with the venomous coral snakes. There are mnemonic rhymes to help people distinguish between the coral snake and its non-venomous look-alikes, including "Red and yellow kills a fellow. Red and black is safe for Jack."

Kingsnakes are commonly kept as pets, due to their ease of care. Kingsnakes are overall hardy and simple to care for. Their captive diet usually consists of appropriately sized rodents, prekilled. Giving live rodents is an illegal offense in some countries and may be bad for the snake's health, as live rodents are capable of delivering powerful bites, potentially injuring the snake. Kingsnakes are generally docile, curious and gentle.

The Corn snake (Elaphe guttata), or Red rat snake, is a North American species of rat snake that subdue their small prey with constriction.[1] The name "Corn snake" is a holdover from the days when southern farmers stored harvested ears of corn in a wood frame or log building called a crib. Rats and mice came to the corn crib to feed on the corn, and corn snakes came to feed on the rodents[2]. The Oxford English Dictionary cites this usage as far back as 1676. Corn snakes are found throughout the southeastern and central United States. Their docile nature, reluctance to bite, moderate adult size 3.9–5.9 feet (1.2–1.8 m), attractive pattern, and comparatively simple care make them popular pet snakes. In the wild, they usually live around 15–20 years, but may live as long as 23 years in captivity.[3]

There are two subspecies of Elaphe guttata:

* The Common Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata) lives in the southeastern United States, and is distinguished by having brownish-orange skin with orange/red saddles, the saddles having black borders, and usually a black and white underbelly.from the similarity of the belly markings to the checkered patterns of kernels of Indian corn.
* The Great Plains Rat Snake or Emory's Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata emoryi) is found in the United States from Nebraska to Texas, and into northern Mexico.

The Pacific Gopher Snake adults range in size from 2.5-7 feet (76-213 cm). However, most of the subspecies reach a length of 4.5-5 feet (137-152 cm). The hatchlings are relatively long, and they have been recorded at lengths upward of 20 inches (51cm).

The Pacific Gopher Snake has a base color ranging from yellow to dark brown and has a grey coloring on the sides of the body. It is a spotted snake, with the spots being dark brown. Usually there are 41 to 99 spots on the body, while the tail spots range from 14 to 33 spots. The side of the body shows 2 or 3 rows of alternating rows of black and brown spots.

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