Request for images of Cribo habitat

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Berkeley Boone
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Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:02 am

Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Hello all-
We've recieved a young unicolor cribo at work, and I would like to get him set up in a nice display. As several of you know, I enjoy making naturalistic vivaria for my charges. To get the creative juices flowing I have done some image searches online, but the few that I have seen were not helpful whatsoever. And sadly, I do not have much experience with the habitat preferences of wild cribos, and would like to see if anyone here has any shots of habitat where cribos live or have been found.
I do not need any locality info (unless you simply want to provide it); looking at your pictures will be for reference and ideas only. I just would like to know how to set up this enclosure the most naturally.

Any help is appreciated, and thanks in advance!
--Berkeley
narrowfellow
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by narrowfellow »

Hey Berkeley;
In Costa Rica, at least, cribos are found in a bunch of habitats - Savage says, "Found in a wide variety of situations, but most commonly near riverbeds, swamps, and seasonal marshes, in Lowland Moist and Wet Forests and Premontane Moist and Wet Forest and Rainforest; marginal in Lower Montane Wet Forest."
That said, I've found very few in wet or rainforest. I've had my best luck (up to 3 in a day) in the dry forest of NW Costa Rica around the OTS Palo Verde field station. All of those captures have been within a kilometer or so of a big seasonal marsh associated with the Rio Tempisque.
Seems to me like you could house your snake in just about any tropical-looking set-up and be somewhat realistic.
I'd send pictures, but they're all unscanned slides...
rnr
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Josh Holbrook
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by Josh Holbrook »

Hey Berkeley,

Here are some hab shots from areas that yellowtails (or whatever they are now) have been found in Paraguay:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Probably the most representative: Image

Image
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chrish
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by chrish »

I have found them in marshy grasslands of southern Mexico that look like this (stolen photo)

Image

and they are pretty common in dense tropical forests not far away -

Image

Here's one from photographed on the side of the road -

Image

Thornscrub like this also houses them -

Image

The biggest one I have ever seen (~10 feet) was swimming across this pond through a dry woodland -

Image

You can just make it out here -

Image


Pretty much, if you find a photo of any lowland, non-desert area in Mexico and Central America, there are probably cribos there.
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Berkeley Boone
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Thanks for the help, guys.
I've read the habitat descriptions, but since I haven't been there to see it myself, it is hard to envision. I appreciate the selection of photos!

And Chris, dang, that must have been a sight to see a ten footer cruising through that pond. Wowza!

When I get the exhibit put together, I will post some pictures of it.
--Berkeley
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Brian Folt
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by Brian Folt »

narrowfellow wrote:In Costa Rica, at least, cribos are found in a bunch of habitats - Savage says, "Found in a wide variety of situations, but most commonly near riverbeds, swamps, and seasonal marshes, in Lowland Moist and Wet Forests and Premontane Moist and Wet Forest and Rainforest; marginal in Lower Montane Wet Forest."
That said, I've found very few in wet or rainforest. I've had my best luck (up to 3 in a day) in the dry forest of NW Costa Rica around the OTS Palo Verde field station. All of those captures have been within a kilometer or so of a big seasonal marsh associated with the Rio Tempisque.
Three in one day, huh? Wow, that's incredible. I've spent some time there, but unfortunately I didn't see any Drymarchon.

Image
Palo Verde National Park

Image
Another view. Rio Tempisque in the background.

Hope this helps a bit..!
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by BillMcGighan »

Hey, Berk,
As several have shown, they're in a variety of natural habitats, and the pics show the natural places very well.

In the Yucatan, I’ve found them virtually in all habitats with the scrub (infernio verde) most common.
For a public exhibit, since thick brush is just that to the viewing public, and doesn't say the locality overtly, you may consider placing some Mayan reproduction artifacts in the exhibit.

Many of the general public can identify with the sight of an Olmec head (premaya), or a Kulkulkan from their vacation to Cancun.


I actually have found three juvenile Cribos right in the ruins of Uxmal and Coba.

http://www.echoesintime.com/detail/OLSS002P.html
http://www.prometheus-imports.com/precolumbian.htm
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Berkeley Boone
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Brian, Bill-
Thanks for the additional replies and photos. Bill, you said exactly what I had been thinking (and hoping someone could verify!)- that some of the ruins replicated in the exhibit would really put the 'place' down. Thanks for the link to the Olmec heads. That will be fun to add.

I'm really looking forward to where this is going! Thanks again, everyone.
--Berkeley
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BillMcGighan
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by BillMcGighan »

Take pictures when you are finished.
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Berkeley Boone
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Re: Request for images of Cribo habitat

Post by Berkeley Boone »

Will do! I'd be glad to.
--Berkeley
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