Corallus ruschenbergerii: documenting its life cycle in captivity

Captive breeding, Conservation, Corallus, Natural History

Of the 9 species in the genus Corallus, C. ruschenbergerii (Cope, 1875) is one of three species least understood.  Two litters of insular C. ruschenbergerii were born on 14 November and 15 November, 2021.  Litter sizes were 12 live/one stillborn and 13 live  respectively.  Neither litter contained any unfertilized ovum.
Average neonate weight for the first litter is 16.20 grams.  All neonates were patterned in various shades of orange.  All neonates underwent their first shed from days 9 through 13 after birth.

All neonates are patterned and various shades of orange.

Average neonate weight for the 2nd litter is 17.19 grams. All neonates underwent their first shed from days 9 through 13 after birth.  All neonates were patterned. Interestingly, two different color forms were present in this litter:  nine newborns displayed various shades of orange and 4 were gray.  This is the first time color heterogeneity is reported in an insular C. ruschenbergerii  litter.

A mixture of color and pattern from one litter.

Compare these two litters with one litter born last year that consisted of all patternless neonates with the same shade of orange.

Pattern-less insular C. ruschenbergerii from a 2020 litter of ten neonates.

For more information and photos, visit the chapter on C. ruschenbergerii here.