Very Large Rat Snake

[rolandslf]

Good Day All

I have just seen a very lively debate on FB regarding a Blue Beauty Rat Snake.
The debate surrounds the proclaimed 3.4m length of the Snake.

I am not taking sides, and do not want to start an argument, but I would like to post a photo of an almost 3m Taiwanese Rat Snake which was taken at Fitzimmons Snake Park in Durban, approximately 6 months before it closed down. I am the skinny oke holding it on the left.

So although doubtful, perhaps the guy on FB is not exagerrating too much.

[Westley Price]

That's a very good size!

I have not seen any of the Orthriophis sp. at that size, nor heard of any, but I wouldnt say it is beyond belief.

Was the debate about a captive specimen or a wild snake?

[Jedi Biscuit]

I don't fully understand why there are those who get upset about such claims, either take it with a pinch of salt or go on your way, but within saying that people need to understand that this is nature we are dealing with, there will always be that one specimen within a species that just doesn't fit, it has broken records of either being much larger or much smaller than it should be. Just think about all those super giant dogs that turn out to be the size of a cow
Just my two cents is that stranger things have happened than a snake going back to its triassic origins.

Marvel at the beauty rather than turn it into something ugly, and that, its a beautiful snake

[Superciliaris]

Awesome snake Roland !

[Chantel]

I would agree with you Roland. Someone we know bought a baby Taiwanese from us years ago, and after a good few years the snake died and he brought it to us.
I could not believe the size. The snake died from a very enlarged heart. It was way overweight, but I measured it, and it was exactly 10 feet which made it just over 3 meters so I would believe 3,4 meters is definitely possible.
Cheers
Gavin

[rolandslf]

Thanks everyone for the input.
A truly awesome representative of the species, sadly I don't know how large it could have grown, due to the Park being shut down.

[rolandslf]

Oh, and just to make a correction to my post, I am the small oke on the left. lol

[Superciliaris]

You must be about 1.7m Roland ! The snake is longer lol

[rolandslf]

Yip, I run out at 1,78m and that big boy has another meter on me.

[Superciliaris]

1.78 ? Nice !! That's a good height for a human male Roland , do you bask after braaing ?

[reptile]

Lol...
Amazing to see how big these guys can get!! And then still be so pretty

[moe]

I was part of that debate sadly because I saw the claims or so one would say the price at which the babies were sold.

R7500 for a baby is ridiculous claims which ofcourse leads one to not per say disbelief the claims of length but ofcourse question it.

Regardless it is possible and I think arno and all of us are still awaiting pictures as promised by the oke

[rolandslf]

The pricing is far fetched, and those kinds of prices would result in zero sales.