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 Post subject: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:56 am 
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Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm
Posts: 1376
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
As behooves a region where counterfeiting is considered an art form, we not only have genuine Taiwan habus, but also fake ones. The False Habu (Macropisthodon rudis) tries hard to mimic the genuine article, but IMHO merely manages to create a cartoon version. Just look at those teddybear eyes and the cute little fat head ratcheting up the kawaii-ness factor! :D

OK, in all fairness, it's quite a sight to see him inflate his neck to create this chunky, triangular head, and it's also supposed to be not as harmless a species as people around these parts here usually believe: "Bryan G. Fry states on his website and forum that this is one of the Asian colubrids that has to be handled with great care, almost as an elapid even." (source).

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PS: Here's hoping the Taipei European School won't go all medieval on my keister for abusing their uniform in such heinous manner :D


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 6:45 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 8:37 pm
Posts: 4195
Location: Sasquatch's rathskeller
Interesting. I wonder how the physical mechanics of head and neck spreading compare to other snakes that do the same sort of thing.

-Mike


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:32 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2005 4:21 pm
Posts: 361
Location: Corydon, IN
I bet that pose doesn't make him very popular with the locals.


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:30 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm
Posts: 1376
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Any local who's ever seen a real habu immediately realizes that this one's a fake :-) Plus, it's not a very widespread species.


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:15 am 
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Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 6:10 am
Posts: 500
Location: Huntington, WV
I always wanted to find that species. You tend to find most of the Chinese wish list... Keep it up!


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:41 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:16 am
Posts: 1779
Location: Pima Co, AZ
Awesome stuff. That snake has a primitive looking head. The scalation is very interesting and the eyes.

I've always thought this species was a Xenodontine, related to the hognose snakes. If so, they probably have enlarged rear fangs and some kind of toxicity. I wonder if they really bite, or are just bluffers, like Heterodon.

Regards...TC :bigthumb:


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:51 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 05, 2006 1:24 am
Posts: 759
Location: Central Alberta
:bigthumb:


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:10 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm
Posts: 1376
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Quote:
If so, they probably have enlarged rear fangs and some kind of toxicity.

According to Bryan Fry (see initial post), they do. However:

Quote:
I wonder if they really bite, or are just bluffers, like Heterodon.

I have two friends who breed them, and they both claim that this is easily the sweetest snake you could imagine. No biting whatsoever.


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:11 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm
Posts: 1376
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
double post


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:36 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:16 am
Posts: 1779
Location: Pima Co, AZ
Thanks for the additional info. That's an awesome species, not cute, but terribly interesting.

:cheers: TC


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:07 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 6:20 am
Posts: 1697
Location: south west, PA
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing this species and the story behind it. :bigthumb:


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 7:35 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:15 pm
Posts: 1596
Location: Wisconsin
Reminds me of hognose snakes and the False Fer de Lance both of which also are venomous. I wonder why, since I would think that they wouldn't need the venom for defense as the bluff would scare off potential predators. Obviously in the case of the hognose which rarely bite, its venom is for food purposes but I think a hoggie could easily tackle a toad even without any venom. Basically I'm just wondering why these heavy bodied viper imitators have evolved venom. And more on topic great post a really cool snake that I only learned of for the first time in your post.


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 Post subject: Re: False Taiwan Habu (Disneynaja hellokittiensis) - DUW
PostPosted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:19 am 
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Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm
Posts: 1376
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Speaking of toads - the False Habu specializes in them. As to why they have venom - if you can believe Dr. Bryan Fry, most "colubrids" have it to some degree, as far as I understand it.


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