Complete Suboc, A Comprehensive Guide to the Natural History, Care, and Breeding of the Trans-Pecos Ratsnake - Hardcover

Dusty Rhoads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0978897951 ISBN 13: 9780978897956

Publisher: ECO Herpetological Publishing/ Serpent's Tale NHBD, 2008

Synopsis

Written with a true completist approach, this book is a tour de force account of the elegant Trans-Pecos Ratsnake of the Chihuahuan Desert. It is the first and only book ever written about the most divergent and beautiful of all the many colubrid snake species of North America, the Desert Ratsnakes -- including the Trans-Pecos Ratsnake (Bogertophis subocularis) and their West Coast "cousin", the Baja California Ratsnake (Bogertophis rosaliae).  The Complete Suboc is a monograph of these beloved bug-eyed beauties of the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Here is a sample of what is included:

• 288 full-color photos.
• 291 glossy pages of text.
• Range maps for all species and subspecies.
• Lengthy, detailed chapters on natural history, captive history, choosing a Trans-Pecos Ratsnake, color and pattern morphs, geographic variation and localities, caging and housing requirements, diseases, feeding, breeding, egg-laying, and incubation of eggs.
• Over one hundred full-color images displaying animals from more than 25 different geographic localities, including specimens from Texas, New Mexico, Mexico, and representing all known color phases, with several rare images of wild-caught Albinos, Axanthics, Green Blondes, and other varieties.
• SPECIAL chapters on how to make exciting, zoo-quality naturalistic vivaria for Desert Ratsnakes, AND on providing zoo enrichment methods for ratsnakes.
• BONUS chapter by award-winning authors, biologists, and snake breeders, David and Tracy Barker, detailing their special "no brumation" technique to breeding Trans-Pecos Ratsnakes -- an alternative breeding method sure to be a hit for those who do not or cannot hibernate their animals during the winter!
• A second BONUS chapter detailing the natural history, husbandry, captive color morphs, geographic variation, and breeding of all other species of North American ratsnakes unique west of the Pecos River, including Baja Ratsnakes (Bogertophis rosaliae), Baird's Ratsnakes (Pantherophis bairdi), and Western Green Ratsnakes (Senticolis triaspis). Over 41 pages in this chapter, alone.
  
• The first-ever color photos of the Trans-Pecos Ratsnake's poorly known Mexican subspecies, the "Durango Suboc".
• An extensive 23-page bibliography.
• "My Search for Subocularis",  a special field-herping chapter paying tribute to -- and in the style of -- the legendary Carl F. Kauffeld.

About this title

About the Author

Dusty Rhoads has had a lifelong interest in reptiles. Like most academic herpetologists, he kept many species of reptiles and amphibians as a youth, starting at the age of five, and hatched his first herp, a Leopard Gecko, at the age of 15. As a herpetoculturist and naturalist, he has focused on the genus Bogertophis -- the Trans-Pecos and Baja Ratsnakes -- for the past decade.

After serving a two-year mission for his church from the age of 19-21, he worked as a veterinary technician at small and exotic animal hospitals, and he attended Brigham Young University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrative Biology. While at BYU, he also worked in the BYU Evolutionary Genetics lab and as a curatorial assistant in the Reptiles and Amphibians Collection of the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum.

Dusty is currently a graduate-level scientist, pursuing his PhD in Biology at Ole Miss (the University of Mississippi) studying the evolution, biogeography, phylogeography, and conservation of tropical reptiles and amphibians. He is a proud native of Texas.

From the Back Cover

The Trans-Pecos and Big Bend region of West Texas attracts more herpetologists, herpetoculturists, and reptile aficionados than any other part of the United States for one very simple reason . . . there are more snakes. Of all the snakes found there, however, very few have inspired species-specific fans and followings. The Trans-Pecos Ratsnake is such a snake.

Commonly called the suboc, the Trans-Pecos Ratsnake (Bogertophis subocularis) is a bonafide Southwestern favorite - a snake hailed by award-winning authors and herpetoculturists, David and Tracy Barker, as "cute...with the face of a Disney character". A Trans-Pecos Ratsnake is credited as Bindi Irwin's first snake experience and the one that got her hooked on snakes. Interestingly, this snake was also the favorite of acclaimed author Carl Kauffeld. Subocs have a morph price range that rivals those of designer pythons and boas, and finally, they have their own book.

Written with a true completist approach by ratsnake breeder Dusty Rhoads, The Complete Suboc presents an unprecedented wealth of knowledge about this handsome serpent. All of the known color and pattern morphs that have ever hatched are displayed, as well as images of 25 specific localities of animals spanning the species' vast Chihuahuan Desert range. Ratsnake fans will also appreciate a bonus chapter covering the other western ratsnakes of North America: The Baja Ratsnake, Western Green Ratsnake, and Baird's Ratsnake are all reviewed with the most up-to-date information concerning their history, husbandry, breeding, and color morphs. With all of this - plus notes on breeding techniques by David and Tracy Barker, detailed chapters on both natural and captive history, untouched herpetocultural topics such as natural vivaria design and zoo enrichment methods, an impressive bibliography, and much, much more - the reader is sure to find great value from this pioneer work on the most beautiful of the western ratsnake species of North America.

Edition details

• Publisher: ECO Herpetological Publishing/ Serpent's Tale NHBD
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0978897951
• ISBN 13: 9780978897956
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 291