This is Winston........

............he's an 18 month old Rhamphiophis Rubropunctatus.

Very docile - but rear fanged venomous. Currently Rhamphiophis are classified as colubrids, but there is some chatter that they, along with other Psammophiidae should be reclassified as elapids.

Also very hard to photograph, this guy really moves.........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...n/DSCN0508.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...n/DSCN0514.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...n/DSCN0516.jpg

You sure do have a lot of interesting snakes! Fantastic. Thank you so much for taking the time to post the pictures and educate us a bit.

Yea, they are great, aren't they? My little guy a few threads down is hard to take pictures of because of how quick and how much he moves.

He is a Ramphiophis Rostratus though.

How long have you had him, and is he WC? Mine was a WC juvie(only thing I could find at the time) but he's never even made any sort of sign of being anything but docile. When you put your hand in his tank, and more or less pet him? Does he crawl up your hand?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Neal

Yea, they are great, aren't they? My little guy a few threads down is hard to take pictures of because of how quick and how much he moves.

He is a Ramphiophis Rostratus though.

How long have you had him, and is he WC? Mine was a WC juvie(only thing I could find at the time) but he's never even made any sort of sign of being anything but docile. When you put your hand in his tank, and more or less pet him? Does he crawl up your hand?

---

He is WC. He still has a small scar from the noose they used to capture him.

I have never seen anything but a docile rhamp - be it rubropunctatus, acutus or rostratus.

Once you get them calmed down, you can rub their chins...............and yes - they will often just crawl right into your hand.

Very alert and interactive snakes.

I have a couple of scientific papers I've downloaded that discuss the neurotoxic properties of rufoxin - an isolated protein from rhamphiophis venom.

The summaries of these studies conclude that in equal doses, rufoxin has a similar t90 (time at which prey muscle twitches are inhibited by 90%) as Australian elapid venoms - namely taipans, death adders and tiger snakes.

Luckily for us - they are disinclined to bite, have an inefficeint delivery system and don't produce venom in the same amounts.

I was aware that one of the species had a pretty bad bite, wasn't sure if they all had the same type.

I can pet my guy under the chin, and sometimes I can pet him on his head, but a lot of the time if he sees my hand coming, he moves his head out of the way.

He's a pretty guy Skip!

Wow, amazing! Are there any other elapids that are rear-fanged or is the potiential change in classification based on the level of toxicity and the venom structure?

Skip how much risk is there for a HOT bite from a rear fanged venemous? Always been curious about that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seru1

Skip how much risk is there for a HOT bite from a rear fanged venemous? Always been curious about that.

---

The dispholidines - especially dispholidus (boomslangs) and thelatornis can kill you. Thrasops belong to this group and possess the same venom. Theoretically a bad bite from a thrasops could end up with the same result. The venom from this group is one of the most toxic in the world.

Philodryas (of which baroni, or Baron's Racers, are a part of) have been implicated in deaths - but these have been from olfersii.

Rhabdophis have also caused fatalities and Macrophistodon have been categorized as being capable of delivering a fatal envenomation.

The risk from the dispholidines remains high - with boomslangs being one of the deadliest snakes - front or rear fanged - in the world.

The dispholidines also provide an illustration on how the delivery system is so critical in lethality. Remember, boomers and thelatornis are considered true hots. Thrasops, which possess the same venom but a more primitive delivery system, are not considered as dangerous.

Very cool snake! Thanks for the pics and info. :) D. Typus is near the top of my favorite snakes, and it's nice to see one of his cousins and to hear more about them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aeries

Wow, amazing! Are there any other elapids that are rear-fanged or is the potiential change in classification based on the level of toxicity and the venom structure?

---

Taxonomy is constantly changing - mainly due to the fact that a great deal of the current taxonomic classifications were based on some weird defining characteristics.

Case in point, texas indigos were originally classified as spilotes and later changed to drymarchon.

Historically, the colubrids are a family in which anything that wasn't a viper or elapid was placed. Genetic testing is clearing up the picture and the psammophinae, of which rhamphiophis are a member - are more closely related to elapidae - specifically cobras than to the rest of the colubridae family. They have very large venom glands, relatively large fangs and a lot of behavioral similarities.

Also, the venoms of these snakes are as complex as elapids and are true venoms - none of this toxic saliva crap bandied about.

To answer your question, all elapids are front fanged bit there are variations in mobility, size etc. On the same token, dentition on rear-fanged colubrids varies greatly - from highly mobile big rear fangs with compressor muscles (boomslangs) to smaller fixed rear teeth (hydrodynastes).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

I have never seen anything but a docile rhamp - be it rubropunctatus, acutus or rostratus.

---

I have four R. rubropunctatus and they are quickly becoming one of my favorite snakes.

Have you actually worked with R. acutus? They were on African exporter's lists back in 2008 but none came in as far as I know.

OMG what a beautiful animal. Love the salmonish color.