Rufous Beaked Snake - African Colubrid?

[MelissaFlipski]

This one is for anyone, but maybe Jack Spirko can help the most...? I read about it on his website blog in an entry called "Five Underrated African Snakes" (scroll down on http://www.housesnakes.net/blog/). It left me wanting more information. Sounds like an awesome snake to add to our collection... MAYBE.

Tell me ALL you know.

Thanks!

[fishmommy]

hey, that's a great find!

[MelissaFlipski]

It's an interesting sounding snake and I want to know if I should eliminate it as an option out-right, or consider it. It's rear-fanged but there are no reports that it's harmful. No news is good news? Or am I kidding myself considering anything with fangs in the first place?

[jjspirko]

There is no reason to eliminate them as an option if you are willing to take care of them. They just need a big viv for their size because they love moving around. They are one of the most docile snakes in existence and they are no threat to humans. If you have any doubts where gloves. Simple cloth gloves and long sleeves are the only protection needed from rear fanged snakes. They have no fangs only rear large teeth the cloth absorbs any venom before it gets into the blood.

Even so Rufous are one of the most docile animals on the planet and their venom is considered to mild to have any real impact on humans any way. They have the intelligence and charisma of a mamba and the temper of a Ball Python.

I wrote an article on 5 under rated snake and these guys were one of the five for more info read it here, Rufous Beaked Snake Article

[jjspirko]

Like duh you mentioned my article in the OP, Anyway I stand by my statements and thanks for reading my blog.

[SPJ]

Simple cloth gloves and long sleeves are the only protection needed from rear fanged snakes.

Not if that rear fanged snake is a boomslang.

[jjspirko]

Well SPJ that is true, here is a VenomDoc thead that brings that up, http://www.kingsnake.com/toxinology/...8d1b5d37297fa0

[SPJ]

Calling them rear fanged is a bit misleading.
They are very close to the front of the mouth (and quite large).
I'm gonna have to check out the link you posted.

[jjspirko]

SPJ, you are the one lumping Boomers in with the rest of the "rear fanged" snakes. To me they are not quite that easy to put into one group or the other. They do not have traditional fangs (hollow) but you are correct they are very big and as you said not all that far back.



To me Boomers are an anomaly. They don't have hollow fangs but they are quite large and unlike most colubrids their "rear fangs" if we must call them that are folding due to their size the way vipers are.



They inject very large amounts of venom and are highly toxic to humans. To me they just don't get included in the general world of rear fanged colubrids at least in the hobbiest world.

Perhaps when I said, "Well SPJ that is true" you did not realize I was agreeing with you that indeed Boomers are not something you can just handle by wearing gloves.

[fishmommy]

this is fascinating info
if the Boomslang's fangs are not hollow, how does it inject venom? Does it bathe the area and just get in the wounds that way?

Colubrids are so interesting