Average Lifespan: 25 to 30 Years
Average Length: 15 Feet
Habitat: Central and South America
Usual Diet: Young birds
Captive Diet: Small chicks, and rats
Mating: Both males and females have spurs at the end of their tails, which are used to stimulate each other for mating.
Reproduction: Young are born alive, and average in length of 20 inches. Usually 20-60 young in each brood.
Special Features: The boa's reaction to danger is either to flee or to threaten by hissing, a noise like escaping steam that can be heard over a distance of 100 feet. Despite all the hair-raising stories told about boas, they prefer to live a quiet life and only as a last resort defend themselves by biting.
Bella in French means "beautiful". This snake deserves her name because, not only is she beautiful, but she is very vain. Bella likes nothing more than to show off, and is very disgruntled when another snake is chosen over her to do a program. To keep her happy, we must feed her first on feeding days. Bella is not shy and will show us when she is upset by pretending to strike. Please don't laugh at her, because if she gets really upset, she escapes from her cage and hides in a dark corner to sulk!
Average Lifespan: Not known, but Burmese Pythons have been known to live in captivity for over 25 years.
Average Length: Usually reach a max. at 18-20 feet, but can grow up to 27 feet
Habitat: These snakes are found in woodlands, swamps, marshes, grasslands, river valleys, rocky foothills and open jungle of Southeastern Asia (India, China, and East Indes)
Usual Diet: Mainly mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Captive Diet: Rats and baby chicks.
Mating: Mating occurs seasonal, and usually is random. Mating takes place when a male and female find each other in the wild.
Reproduction: Burmese pythons lay 8-100 eggs approximately 3-4 months after mating. The mother incubates the eggs with muscle contractions, but parental care ends when the 2-foot long hatchlings break from their eggs.
Special Features: Boas and pythons do not crush their prey to kill them. Instead, the coil around their prey, and each time the prey exhales the snake squeezes tighter, until the animal cannot take a breath and suffocates.
Cheddar is our biggest snake, at a length of more than 6 feet. He is a very friendly fellow, and we use him frequently for many of our programs. Cheddar likes to be worn as a belt, and will wrap around the waist of the caretaker who is handling him. He always lifts his head to say hello when we change his water.
Average Lifespan: 25 years
Average Length: Usually no more than 3 feet.
Habitat: Lives in rock outcrops, semi-desert, brushy hillsides, or pine forests. Found in the western US from Baja California to Arizona to Texas.
Usual Diet: Mice, lizards, birds, other snakes
Captive Diet: Mice
Mating: Mating takes place from March to June, and king snakes do not mate for life.
Reproduction: Lays about 2 dozen eggs in rotten logs. Hatchlings emerge about 2 months later.
Special Features: King snakes are wholly or partially immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and will kill and eat them. In the presence of a king snake a rattler will neither strike nor rattle, but will lay with head low and raise center part of its body in a loop, with which it will strike heavy blows to the king snake.
Elvis is a star here at CNC. He loves hiding under his bark, most likely to get away from all of his adoring fans. He is a beautiful snake, with a great pattern of yellow and black. And don't let his small size trick you, he would fight any of our other snakes, if he had the chance. We don't call him "The King" for nothing!
Average Lifespan: 25 years
Average Length: 3-6 feet
Habitat: Found in prairie environments in central US. It is often found near rocky outcrops and clumps of vegetation, as well as under rocks, logs and debris from sea level to 7000 feet.
Usual Diet: Feeds on other snakes, lizards, birds and their eggs, small mammals, turtles and frogs.
Captive Diet: Mice,
Mating: Mating takes place from March to June.
Reproduction: Females lay 4-20 eggs, which hatch about 2-3 months later.
Special Features: The King snake locates and identifies rattlesnakes at night with its sense of smell. It immediately bites and surrounds its victim with suffocating coils, as a Boa Constrictor would do. When the rattlesnake is well exhausted, the King snake simply swallows it whole, while still alive.
Henry is a very regal animal. He is our larger king snake, and like Elvis, he enjoys hiding under his bark. Henry also likes to spend his time looking at the other snakes in our display. Luckily, we feed the snakes well, so Henry probably wouldn't really try to eat any of his friends. Probably...
Average Lifespan: 20-25 years
Average Length: 4-6 ft.
Habitat: These snakes inhabit a wide variety of habitats, from grassy prairies to coastal plains to rocky slopes, and inhabit Southeastern Arizona and Northern Mexico
Usual Diet: small mammals, birds, frogs, and lizards by swallowing; bigger prey is first killed by constriction.
Captive Diet: mice
Mating: These snakes tend to mate after hibernating.
Reproduction: Female lays 6-14 eggs 2-3 months after hibernating. The eggs usually stick together, and they will hatch 2-3 months later.
Special Features: They are heavily hunted for their hides, which are frequently turned into luggage, boots and other accessories, and may be used for meat. They are also commonly kept near houses of local people to control pests like rats or mice.
Indie is one of our favorite snakes here. He is always happy to be picked up and played with, and is great for educational programs. Many people tell us they have seen green rat snakes like Indie in their back yards here around Ithaca, but that isn't too likely, considering these snakes are found naturally in Arizona and Mexico.
Average Lifespan: 20 years
Average Length: 5 feet
Habitat: Equatorial Western Africa
Usual Diet: Rodents, small mammals, small birds, large insects
Captive Diet: Frozen and than thawed mice and chicks
Mating: Ball Pythons mate by chance; that is the males seek out females, but as they are a slow moving snake, it may take months or even years for two snakes to find each other in order to mate.
Reproduction: the mature female will lay 20-30 eggs once a year
Special Features: The Ball Python is considered a "mild" constrictor. It patiently waits for prey to find it and does not move very far from its chosen home except to find a mate. Snakes feel approaching danger through vibrations in the ground. While most snakes will seek a hiding spot or slither away when threatened, the Ball Python, true to its name, curls into a very tight ball with it head buried in its own curls.
Koosh is the typical Ball Python. He remains in his ball for most of the day regardless of the size pen we place him in. He avidly ignores the branches and rocks in his enclosure, preferring to sleep the day away in a corner of his tank. Koosh has recently placed himself on a diet and despite our efforts to make his food "yummy" he prefers to eat when he feels like it, which is about once a month.
Average Lifespan: Not known, but Burmese Pythons have been known to live in captivity for over 25 years.
Average Length: Usually reach a max. at 18-20 feet, but can grow up to 27 feet
Habitat: These snakes are found in woodlands, swamps, marshes, grasslands, river valleys, rocky foothills and open jungle of Southeastern Asia (India, China, and East Indes)
Usual Diet: Mainly mammals, birds, and reptiles.
Captive Diet: Rats and baby chicks.
Mating: Mating occurs seasonal, and usually is random. Mating takes place when a male and female find each other in the wild.
Reproduction: Burmese pythons lay 8-100 eggs approximately 3-4 months after mating. The mother incubates the eggs with muscle contractions, but parental care ends when the 2-foot long hatchlings break from their eggs.
Special Features: Pythons were a popular pet in South American countries. They are not kept in cages but rather allowed to roam the pantry in search of pesky mice who want to steal rice and grains.
Medusa is the newest snake at CNC. On her first day here she sat in her caretakers lap and put her head down to rest on her knee. Medusa is a great addition to our animal collection. One day soon she will be introduced to Cheddar, our Albino Burmese Python, and if they hit it off they will be allowed to share a cage together.
Average Lifespan: 10-15 years in captivity
Average Length: 3-5 feet
Habitat: Overgrown fields, forest openings, and abandoned or seldom used buildings in the United States.
Usual Diet: Mice, rats, lizards, and birds
Captive Diet: Mice and other small rodents
Mating: Corn Snakes usually breed in spring with females laying their eggs in early summer.
Reproduction: The eggs are not cared for by the adult snake, instead they are laid in rotting stumps, in piles of decaying vegetation or other similar locations where there is sufficient heat and humidity to incubate them. The eggs hatch in 2 to 3 months.
Special Features: In the wild, Corn Snakes tend to be quite secretive and appear to be active mostly at night. During daylight hours they may be found hiding under loose tree bark and beneath logs, rocks, and other debris. If disturbed, they often strike repeatedly at the intruder while vibrating their tail. In dry leaves, the vibrating of the tail may resemble the buzz of a rattlesnake, fooling some predators in to leaving them alone
A beautiful and friendly snake, Mr. Cob makes a great snake to handle and take care of. As he would in the wild, Mr. Cob is often found coiled up under his loose bark, but he never rattles at any of his care takers. He loves to be taken out for programs and is careful to stay calm when being touched by lots of people.
Average Lifespan: 10-15 years, maximum 20 years
Average Length: 4 feet
Habitat: Mexico, abundant around edges of cornfields.
Usual Diet: Possum, rats, and squirrels
Captive Diet: Mice
Mating: Females have been known to mate with multiple males during a breeding period, just to make sure that fertilization will occur. They can also store a male's sperm inside of her for up to a year, if she has to wait that long for environmental conditions to be favorable to having babies.
Reproduction: Snake mothers do no take care of the young, instead she leaves them at birth. Hatchlings use a special tooth to break through their shell when ready to hatch, but sometimes wait for days to actually come out of their shell.
Special Features: Most milk snakes have the three ringed color pattern, like Stella, which is referred to as tricolor. Milk snakes got their name from farmers, who thought the snakes attached to their cow's udders and stole their milk.
Stella is one of two milk snakes we have, but she is the one we use much more for programs. She has a wonderful personality, and always likes to meet new people. Stella has been confused by some people for a Coral snake, which is poisonous, but she is quite harmless. Otherwise you would not see our animal caretakers handle her so much!
Average Lifespan: 20-25 yrs
Average Length: 36-96 inches
Habitat: All over the United States, from desert to grassland, to mountain forests.
Usual Diet: Small rodents, young rabbits, lizards, eggs, birds and occasionally other snakes. Prey is killed by constriction and suffocation.
Captive Diet: Baby chickens and mice
Reproduction: Six weeks after mating, females lay a clutch of eggs with 2 to 24 eggs each. Hatchlings emerge fully developed within 10 weeks, and are large enough to eat small mice. Gopher snakes in the wild reach maturity in 3 to 4 years.
Special Features: Keeled scales. Gopher snakes are very aggressive and will hiss and strike at disturbances. Mainly diurnal, cold-blooded Gopher Snakes often change their activity patterns to become nocturnal during the intense heat of the summer. Gopher Snakes may be observed sunning on the slick rock, or drawing heat from the pavement during the day, to ready themselves for active nights.
Terrto is another very friendly snake. He will gladly be picked up, and will turn himself into a bracelet on your arm. He is another very active snake here, and he likes lots of attention. Like most of our snakes, he is still adjusting to his new home in our new snake display, and he is happy to have caretakers that like playing with him.
Average Lifespan: About 20 years
Average Length: Maximum length is usually 3 feet long.
Habitat: These snakes are native to Northern Mexico, and are usually found in arid regions at elevations of about 5500 feet.
Usual Diet: These snakes eat small mammals, mice and small hamsters, and they also prey on small lizards, snakes, and birds.
Captive Diet: Fuzzy mice.
Mating: Mating is usually seasonal. These snakes mature at 2 years of age, and can mate any time after that.
Reproduction: These snakes typically lay 6-8 eggs in a clutch, but will lay 3-4 times a year, earning them the distinction of the "white mouse" of the snakes, for its incredible rate of reproduction. The eggs take about 60 days to hatch.
Special Features: Milk snakes tend to be very flighty and high strung as hatchlings, but usually mature with age, and tend to be easy to handle as adults.
Turbo likes to keep us on edge by escaping from his cage every now and then, and one time got as far as the office downstairs before we found him a couple days later. Because of his Houdini-like behavior, we have taken special precautions with Turbo to place an extra secure lid on his aquarium and we have also put extra weight on his lid. Although, when we have Turbo out of his cage for programs, he behaves excellently. Next time you come to visit him, make sure you can find him buried in his sand somewhere, and if you can't, tell a staff member!