hey guys this sat. i killed a big 4.5ft black snake and this thing was black like a black snake but it was also painted up like a copperhead you know the litte dimoind(spelling)look a likes on copperheads my question is it possible for a blacksnake and a copperhead to cross breed?-patrick
Here's a milk snake with a pattern like you described. Tim
Here's a black Kingsnake. they are black with a chain-like pattern (diamond, sort of?)
Definition of a Species = a group of animals that are reproductively isolated. Copperheads and blacksnakes are different species, and therefore cannot interbreed. Much like gorillas and humans cannot interbreed even though they are both primates.
that black king snake looks like the snake i killed -patrick
One time I caught three milk snakes that were in a archery butt.. I put them in an aquarium .. One was really agressive and was killing the others.. So I took him down the road and let him go.. Two days later I drove over to where I found him and this guy yells hey there is a snake coming out of your car..I would put a lot of money that it was the same snake.. I know its hard to believe but I swear that snake waited for me to give him a ride back home..
Copperheads give birth to baby snakes. Black snakes lay eggs.
Might be a black ratsnake. (elaphe obsoleta) They are patterned as juveniles, much like other members of the rat snake family, but most loose the pattern as they mature. Some however never entirely loose it. Usually apparant only on the sides, and can show up much more clearly if a full belly has the skin stretched out a bit. Often times a red color to the skin in between the scales.
Some snakes CAN cross breed. Although I don't think it's ever been done between an egg layer and a live bearer. (All north american pit vipers are live bearers). I've seen from along the kansas nebraska border, great plains rat snake (emory's rat snake, subspecies of the common corn snake, elaphe guttata) crossed with prairie king snake (geuns-lampropeltus, the king and milk snake family). The animal was quite interesting to look at. Hobbyists and herpetologists alike agreed, it was a crossbreed. And I've heard of other folks finding them as well. It happens occasionally in the wild.
In recent years for the pet trade, numerous breeders have crossbred various kings and rats deliberatley. (DANGER Will Robinson! King snakes are difficult to work with, called "king" because, like the king cobra, they eat other snakes. Whether breeding their own or some other genus, it's good to keep their bellys full before introduction. Never house them together until you know they're ready for breeding and are full up). In captivity they make them crossbreed by rubbing the vent area of a female against the other female smearing pheromones, then introduce to the male. He knows what his nose tells him and that's all he cares about, it smells right so he mounts up.
This has also been done with reticulated and burmese pythons, by accident as well as deliberately. They're quite different from one another but can successfully produce offspring. Another very interesting animal to see.
InHim. I've had similar behavior with our local milksnakes. One time a male milky really beat up the female while breeding her. Had her head in his mouth for over 6 hours and had her pretty well wrapped up so as not to escape. (having no arms and legs isn't as big a disadvantage as we think :) What you saw was probably breeding activity, otherwise they rarely are found hiding together. it could however have been preparing to eat.... If it was spring time though, my guess is it was breeding acivity. If it was, do you blame him? I'd have wanted a ride back too! :)
Heres the story of how I found them .. me and my pastors kids were shooting at the target and they said we saw a snake in there.. So I reach in and pulled out three snakes with one grab.. I told them to run and get a bucket when I reached in again I pulled out 7 more.. They were all in a ball 7 garter snakes and the three milk snakes.. I let the garters go but as mentioned above I put the three milks in the aquarium. (ps in case your wondering this was in upstate Ny where I have never seen a poisonous snake)
Quote " Much like gorillas and humans cannot interbreed even though they are both primates. " I guess you never met my Mother-in-law.
Why did you kill him? You afraid of a little snake are ya! I hope you ate him anyway, wouldn't want his death to be a total waste.
King snakes kill other snakes and can actually eat a rattle snake. They are immune from snake venom.
Unless someone kills them first Shuteye.... Its a shame so many people are so afraid of snakes...
bushmaster i was walking a loggin road and bout stepped on him and he struck and almost got me on the knee mabye i over reacted i normally let non poisonous go but i was unshure about this one guess i know better next time-patrick my appologies go out to all who love snakes
If its not poisonous why kill it ?? That snake would have eaten way more mice and rodents alive than dead. Ive caught snakes including rattlers and have never been afraid of snakes. They are "cool" in my book....Jeff
Good one Stumpounder! I hope your father-in-law doesnt bowhunt, or visit this site:)
Buck26, where are you located? Near any wet areas? Like the guys said above, it could be a dark rat snake, or though unlikely if you are not near water a cotton-mouth. They can have all sorts of colors, but their body characteristics give them away, shorter thick bodies with shovel shaped heads.
Just a thought,
As Stated above no way that a pit viper can interbreed with a blacksnake, they are as different as cows and sheep, (maybe even as differnt as cows and horses)genetically.
Agreed on the "NO way" part.
Some closely related species will interbreed but they produce 'Hybrids'. And much like horses and donkeys, the result is an infertile animal ie. mule.
So the pythons, boas etc... placed in the same cage in captivity m*a*y interbreed. Two different species of w*i*l*d snakes are not likely to seek each others company.
Exactly, Tyflier. It's usually a result captivity that wouldn't occur in the wild.
I've never talked to anyone who attempted to breed the next generation of hybrids. I automatically figured the offspring of the first generation hybrid would be the standard infertile "mule" but never did seek further info.
Troy, my grandad was a horse/mule breder/trainer. He said that a mare mule would sometimes breed and produce a foal, and he "stood" every mare mule he ever had when they came in season, to a stud-horse a couple times. He said that the offspring of a saddle-horse mule mare and a saddle-horse breed stallion were rare but prized riding/light harness animals in his day. His dream was to fins a mule mare that would breed. He had one he was convinced was bred, that was struck by lightning once. All the darn luck!