My White Oak Grey Rat Snake.

[CosmicOwl]

Again, it seems like I talk about him a ton but I hadn't gotten around to posting a pic. Well, he just shed today, so I thought I would use the opportunity to take a couple pictures of his fresh new clothes.

http://i.imgur.com/0bmlaH5.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/a17gJVl.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/t5K4faG.jpg

Unfortunately, he's a bit squirmy, so no pics of him in my hand. Maybe I'll get a shot of him feeding later, though.

[Mikoh4792]

Nice! where'd you acquire him?

[CosmicOwl]

Nice! where'd you acquire him?

I got him from Reptmart back in November. This is the second times he's shed since then. He's actually grown quite a bit since he arrived, and he's been getting lighter with each shed.

[Mikoh4792]

Get ready for a huge corn snake! lol rat snakes are fun.

[CosmicOwl]

Get ready for a huge corn snake! lol rat snakes are fun.

Heh. They don't usually get this big, but I'm preparing for an 8 footer...just on the off chance that I get the freak of nature. He's a good eater though, so I expect him to do a lot of growing.

He has yet to bite me or give me the "S pose" so I don't think his has too much rat snake attitude. The worst he's given me was a nose bump, but he's calmed down a lot since then.

[Mikoh4792]

6 feet is still a big snake.

Look at this adult at a zoo

Hv1yogWgJbs

[sharthun]

Cool Rat snake!!1

[sharthun]

Cool Rat snake!!!

Oops! sorry for the double post!

[Hurrok]

Very nice!

[CosmicOwl]

6 feet is still a big snake.

Look at this adult at a zoo

Hv1yogWgJbs

No doubt, but I'm looking forward to it. When he gets bigger, I intended to build him a large display cage with a lot of climbing space. I might also try feeding him a varied diet. Mostly rats, but probably some birds and eggs as well. It should interesting to see if he'll go for them.

[IW17]

No doubt, but I'm looking forward to it. When he gets bigger, I intended to build him a large display cage with a lot of climbing space. I might also try feeding him a varied diet. Mostly rats, but probably some birds and eggs as well. It should interesting to see if he'll go for them.

Beautiful. I love this color phase. Definitely on my short list of Snakes to have.

[CosmicOwl]

Beautiful. I love this color phase. Definitely on my short list of Snakes to have.

Thanks, he's a real cutie pie. It's actually kind of interesting how little info there seems to be about them. Maybe more people will begin keeping them once a few morphs start popping up.

[Teal]

I love rat snakes' giant eyes! Very pretty little'un.. I love earthy/grey tones.

[cbrierley74016]

I also keep a 5 month old black rat snake and have noticed the lack of info due to it all being placed on corn, milk and king snakes! I love my little un though! Dont know how to add pics to this comment to show her off :-P

[cbrierley74016]

I also have a baby black/grey rat snake Onyx :) lovely snakes.. VERY nosey! Haa

[CosmicOwl]

Onyx is a real cutie. It looks like it could definitely be an intergrade of some sort. Where did you get it?

I also keep a 5 month old black rat snake and have noticed the lack of info due to it all being placed on corn, milk and king snakes! I love my little un though! Dont know how to add pics to this comment to show her off :-P

Yeah, I've read as much info as I can find, but I'm also learning as I go. A lot of care sheets recommend similar temps to corn snakes, but I think they might like it cooler. Also, he can handle some pretty sizable prey and is ready to eat again after 2-3 days(though I don't feed him that often). I can also already see his arboreal tendencies coming out. After he has digested, he will spend hours every night/early morning climbing.

[cbrierley74016]

I bought this 1 off a guy who takes in reptile rescues! He'd took on 2 boas so decided 2 let the baby go lol.. lucky me ;) shes only 5month yet so a few sheds before shes all silky black but got names Onyx in prep 4 that hehe :-P but i also read they're very similar to corn snakes (which sometimes get called Red Rat Snakes) but she seems ok from the care ive learnt so far ;).feeding though... now that was a worry :/ i only got chance to feed her once yet, she only took about 2mins 2 swallow the rat then was frantically licking and searching - like she wanted more so i gave her another about half hour later :/ shes done 2 poops sine then (monday) and was moving around fine later that night so it that ok?? I dont want to bung her up.. or have her starving though :( lol

[cbrierley74016]

And, as you can see, mine also loves an early morning climb upto and chill in her 'tree' ;)

[CosmicOwl]

I bought this 1 off a guy who takes in reptile rescues! He'd took on 2 boas so decided 2 let the baby go lol.. lucky me ;) shes only 5month yet so a few sheds before shes all silky black but got names Onyx in prep 4 that hehe :-P but i also read they're very similar to corn snakes (which sometimes get called Red Rat Snakes) but she seems ok from the care ive learnt so far ;).feeding though... now that was a worry :/ i only got chance to feed her once yet, she only took about 2mins 2 swallow the rat then was frantically licking and searching - like she wanted more so i gave her another about half hour later :/ shes done 2 poops sine then (monday) and was moving around fine later that night so it that ok?? I dont want to bung her up.. or have her starving though :( lol

I can't believe she's only 5 months old. She looks as big as most yearling rat snakes I've seen. Mine is around 6 months old and much smaller. She's very pretty either way. Honestly, I wouldn't feed more than once every 4-5 days. Otherwise you could run into problems.

[cbrierley74016]

Wow really!? I didnt read anything about a general age and colour/pattern check, just knew she defo wasnt full adult still being patterned and grey but yeah, unsure what age shes likely to be all black! Shes just reaching 25inch and having a weigh in later on ;-) but so always just feed one rat at a time and every 4-5 days rather than 2 every 7 days? :)

[CosmicOwl]

Wow really!? I didnt read anything about a general age and colour/pattern check, just knew she defo wasnt full adult still being patterned and grey but yeah, unsure what age shes likely to be all black! Shes just reaching 25inch and having a weigh in later on ;-) but so always just feed one rat at a time and every 4-5 days rather than 2 every 7 days? :)

There are different opinions on the subject meal size and frequency. I just wouldn't suggest feeding more often that once every 4 days because you want the snake to be able to fully digest it's meal and you also don't want it to to get fat. One appropriately sized mouse every 4-5 days is probably fine. But if they're a little on the small side, you might want to switch to 2 every 7 days.

[poomwah]

great looking little guy :] too cute

[poomwah]

I also have a baby black/grey rat snake Onyx :) lovely snakes.. VERY nosey! Haa

That's a baby? she's HUGE

can I sneak a pic in here too???
This is George, my white sided black rat snake, This was taken around christmas time, he was 17 months old then
and right before he shed
http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt126/poomwah/20140106_194804_zps59f45a84.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/poomwah/media/20140106_194804_zps59f45a84.jpg.html)

[cbrierley74016]

Awww well, she maybe a bit older and he just give me 5months as an approx age when i collected her! As u can see from the pic though we had a full shed a few days ago and it was 30inch/76cm long! And, you can see in the other pic.. she now looks extra beautiful ;)

[cbrierley74016]

Hey thats a real nice snake btw! A white sided black rat snake! I havent seen 1 of those b4! Does he have the rattletail haa u can see onyx's just hangin down the side of her in pic a above lol ;-P

[poomwah]

I agree, Onyx does look extra beautiful.
George only had the rattletail once. The only time he ever struck at me. It was totally my fault, I thought he was awake, he wasn't. I spooked him, he struck toward me, then rattled his tail for a second then looked up , calmed down and wanted to come out to explore.
My yellow on the other hand, she has the rattle tail almost constantly

[CosmicOwl]

My little guy did another complete shed today. He seems to get more white with each one. If this keeps up, he'll look like the white sided rat snake before he's full grown XD

Unfortunately I am having some issues with my camera, but I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.

[cbrierley74016]

I agree, Onyx does look extra beautiful.
George only had the rattletail once. The only time he ever struck at me. It was totally my fault, I thought he was awake, he wasn't. I spooked him, he struck toward me, then rattled his tail for a second then looked up , calmed down and wanted to come out to explore.
My yellow on the other hand, she has the rattle tail almost constantly


Yeah ive only ever heard hers in the 1st couple of days settling in her new home.. i thought it was very mischevious of her hahaa.. she still never seems to keen on being taken out from her viv but tries hiding instead of warning me lately lol also i know these snakes are usually awake durin the day (and her light is set for summer day hours) but the last couple of week ive hardly seen her at all during the day!? And around 10pm she emerges from her hide for the day! Should i change my light so its on during the night or leave her to be nocturnal? Lol

[poomwah]

I'd keep her light cycle the way you have it. George goes through phases, he's usually out during the day, but he spends a lot of time out at night as well.
He's gone through several periods where you won't see him during the day for a while but would come out at night for several hours.

[KoLii]

That's a baby? she's HUGE

can I sneak a pic in here too???
This is George, my white sided black rat snake, This was taken around christmas time, he was 17 months old then
and right before he shed
http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt126/poomwah/20140106_194804_zps59f45a84.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/poomwah/media/20140106_194804_zps59f45a84.jpg.html)

Quite the dapper lad you have! :)

[poomwah]

thank you Kolii
I should probably go ahead and make him his own thread instead of posting him in everyone else's LOL

[CosmicOwl]

As I said, I was having some camera issues, so I wasn't able to get any freshly shed pics. However, I did take a couple shots tonight. You can see the cool whitening that is happening along his neck and back. I also find the coloration of his irises to be really interesting. They usually seem to have grey-silver eyes, where as his are gold-amber.

http://i.imgur.com/zeKQIoD.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/DoRvwZY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PZcTZ9s.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kCZiERA.jpg

[poomwah]

wow, that is one GREAT looking snake. Really makes me wish we could have those in ohio.
I like your little "jungle gym" you've got going on there. It looks like he loves it

[CosmicOwl]

wow, that is one GREAT looking snake. Really makes me wish we could have those in ohio.
I like your little "jungle gym" you've got going on there. It looks like he loves it

Thanks. My camera can't really capture his coloration though. He does love the climbing apparatus I have given him. The majority of the time he is active is spent climbing in and over various things,. I'll often find him draped over the points where a couple of the different strings cross over each other. He's getting too big for the toilet paper rolls, though. Soon, I'm going to start looking for a larger alternative.

[poomwah]

Thin wall pvc perhaps

[Mikoh4792]

That enclosure is very nice. It has a "paper theme" lol.

[CosmicOwl]

That enclosure is very nice. It has a "paper theme" lol.

Yeah, he really seems to like the shredded paper. A lot of times I will find him with his entire body under the paper and just his head poking out. It's not the best for taking care of waste though. I have to change it out a lot because liquid manages to make it's way to the bottom. I'm thinking about going with aspen, or perhaps the coco chunks you have mentioned.

And poomwah, that is an interesting suggestion. I'll have to check that out in the future. Also, is your name a Doug Stanhope reference by any chance?

[cbrierley74016]

Thanks. My camera can't really capture his coloration though. He does love the climbing apparatus I have given him. The majority of the time he is active is spent climbing in and over various things,. I'll often find him draped over the points where a couple of the different strings cross over each other. He's getting too big for the toilet paper rolls, though. Soon, I'm going to start looking for a larger alternative.


Thought i would use this oppurtunity to show my idea for my climb loving snake! As you can see from the pics ive screwed through the middle of bamboo and screwed them through the back of the cheaply replaced MDF back! They're very stable and since deciding to turn it into a 'tree', she's always hiding up there!

[sharthun]

Lookin good! Dude, that fellow uses a lot of toilet paper!:p

[poomwah]

cbrierly, I really like your solution.

Cosmic Owl, OH my GOD. I have been using this username for almost ten years. You are the FIRST person to make the connection. When I first heard it, I thought it was the funniest and most absurd choice for a sound effect ever, and it kinda of stuck. clack clack POOMWAH!

[CosmicOwl]

cbrierly, I really like your solution.

Cosmic Owl, OH my GOD. I have been using this username for almost ten years. You are the FIRST person to make the connection. When I first heard it, I thought it was the funniest and most absurd choice for a sound effect ever, and it kinda of stuck. clack clack POOMWAH!


It took me a little while to realize why it sounded so familiar to me. That is a pretty obscure reference, so no wonder I am the first to recognize it.

I also like the use of the bamboo pegs. That is an interesting solution.

[IW17]

wow, that is one GREAT looking snake. Really makes me wish we could have those in ohio.
I like your little "jungle gym" you've got going on there. It looks like he loves it

You can own these in Ohio. Just gotta find one and buy it. There on kingsnake quite often.

[poomwah]

You can own these in Ohio. Just gotta find one and buy it. There on kingsnake quite often.

Ohio has them listed as a native species. They require a propagators license and a PIT tag to be inserted . Then, once you get the propagators license, which are becoming harder to get, you have to keep accurate records of all the reptiles you keep and the DNR has the right to do spot inspections at "any reasonable time of day". You have to renew the license yearly, and a lot of people that have had the licenses for years are not getting them renewed.
Ohio has seriously cracked down on their laws regarding native species.

[IW17]

True but I've not heard of anyone getting hassled. I know several people who keep native species and haven't had any issues. Hopefully this isn't how things are going become.

[poomwah]

I know what you mean, its one of those things that you CAN get away with. But to me at least, the fines IF you get caught, are too steep to risk.
Especially with my luck, I'd get one, post a pic, and DNR would see the post, I'm sure they watch these sites, and they'd see I'm in Ohio, etc etc.
Those snakes are too beautiful to have one and not share it with you guys on here :]

[IW17]

No I meant I have friends who legally keep them and haven't had any issues with there permits. I agree it's not worth the fine to keep a snake when there are so many options available. Personally I don't see the problem with keep Captive bred snakes so long as you keep your receipt and can prove it's not taken from the wild.

[CosmicOwl]

I figured I would give you guys a few more shots of the little cutie. Not much has happened, but it seems crazy to me how much lighter he has become in the last couple of months.

First a shot of him in the tub. He's almost as thick as that branch. :)

http://i.imgur.com/tAFxetU.jpg

Here is a nice head shot. You can see how the markings will soon be completely faded away.

http://i.imgur.com/NeyZCID.jpg

Some more of his body, and a nice tongue flick.
http://i.imgur.com/8paFtD4.jpg

This picture shows a peculiar development that I have just recently noticed. If you look at his neck, you can see some faint yellowish coloration.

http://i.imgur.com/kQoObZ3.jpg

As far as I know, most White Oaks don't have much, if any yellow coloration. More interestingly, the effect also seems to be occurring on his belly, as well. Although it was impossible to get him to sit still for that shot. Hopefully, this yellow coloration will intensify with age, because that would be spectacular looking.

Finally, a pic that shows his head, neck and a portion of his lower body all in focus. I think the contrast gives you an even better idea of what I meant by yellow coloration.

http://i.imgur.com/kUNz9vX.jpg

Thanks for checking these out. I hope you all enjoy.

[sharthun]

Wow, he's looking great!


I figured I would give you guys a few more shots of the little cutie. Not much has happened, but it seems crazy to me how much lighter he has become in the last couple of months.

First a shot of him in the tub. He's almost as thick as that branch. :)

http://i.imgur.com/tAFxetU.jpg

Here is a nice head shot. You can see how the markings will soon be completely faded away.

http://i.imgur.com/NeyZCID.jpg

Some more of his body, and a nice tongue flick.
http://i.imgur.com/8paFtD4.jpg

This picture shows a peculiar development that I have just recently noticed. If you look at his neck, you can see some faint yellowish coloration.

http://i.imgur.com/kQoObZ3.jpg

As far as I know, most White Oaks don't have much, if any yellow coloration. More interestingly, the effect also seems to be occurring on his belly, as well. Although it was impossible to get him to sit still for that shot. Hopefully, this yellow coloration will intensify with age, because that would be spectacular looking.

Finally, a pic that shows his head, neck and a portion of his lower body all in focus. I think the contrast gives you an even better idea of what I meant by yellow coloration.

http://i.imgur.com/kUNz9vX.jpg

Thanks for checking these out. I hope you all enjoy.

[poomwah]

thanks for the updates Owl,
he's looking great

[Tsubaki]

Looking very nice! wonder how yellow he will become :)

[CosmicOwl]

Looking very nice! wonder how yellow he will become :)

Me too. If he gets lighter and accumulates more yellow, he will be a striking snake. The question for me is whether it's just a little bit of natural variance or some kind mutation. I guess time will tell.

[Teal]

What a handsome little fella!

[CosmicOwl]

I haven't updated recently, so I thought I'd give you guys two pics I happened to have. He just shed last week so he's still looking pretty nice.

"Oh hi, there."
http://i.imgur.com/kJKGcyd.jpg

He's really starting to put on some size, and he's not even a year old. You can also see the yellow that is accumulating around his neck. This will be interesting as he gets older.

http://i.imgur.com/opVaoKK.jpg

This is all for now, but I'll be sure to get more(and better quality) pictures in the future.

[EL Ziggy]

Looking good Owl. He's getting big too.

[sharthun]

Looking good Owl. He's getting big too.

I second that!:)

[CosmicOwl]

Looking good Owl. He's getting big too.

If I were to guess, I'd say he's pushing 30 inches or more, and at 10 months. It seems like a lot of colubrids go through a growth spurt of sorts between 9 and 18 months, so I've decided to bump his food up a little bit. He's gonna be getting two hoppers a week, and he doesn't appear to have a problem with that. :)

[CosmicOwl]

I saw him hanging out(pun intended) earlier and quickly grabbed this picture. You can really see the strange wash of yellow coloration on his belly.

http://i.imgur.com/ZjnrW8W.jpg

[sharthun]

Looking good!

[CosmicOwl]

Looking good!

Tonight, I weighed him for the first time. He's a lean 100 grams. He's a mouse vacuum, but he gets so much exercise that there is almost no fat on him lol.

[EL Ziggy]

I like the jungle jim you've made for him Owl. My snakes need something like that :)

[CosmicOwl]

I like the jungle jim you've made for him Owl. My snakes need something like that :)

It worked pretty nice for something to just throw into the tank. However, it was a bit shaky because it was quickly thrown together from scrap twigs. I'm thinking about making a sturdier one out of dowels or something.

[CosmicOwl]

More pics. I swear this will be it for at least a week lol. It was feeding day so I decided to get some shots while he was occupied.

He knows there is food somewhere...

http://i.imgur.com/DH3wEFW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JuggEVT.jpg

Hopper number 1
http://i.imgur.com/CASNrx3.jpg

Second one down the hatch.
http://i.imgur.com/ej5WiOp.jpg

Now smile.
http://i.imgur.com/yvk233H.jpg

[EL Ziggy]

I'm sure he's one happy camper now :)

[franks]

Never apologize for posting pics of that guy. He is awesome! What is his temperament like?

[CosmicOwl]

Never apologize for posting pics of that guy. He is awesome! What is his temperament like?

His temperament is pretty good. He's really curious and always tries to figure out what I'm doing. He is a bit shy and flighty though, but not nippy. Sometimes he gets scared and rattles his tail a little, but the only time he's ever struck at me was the very first day I had him. He's okay with being handled if you give him a minute or two to settle down.

[Teal]

He is so pretty! And I LOVE how his enclosure is set up!

[CosmicOwl]

He is so pretty! And I LOVE how his enclosure is set up!

Thanks, it's actually pretty simple. I just wedged three oak branches in there to give him multiple levels of usable space. Then I filled in with the shredded paper. It's just regular white paper mixed with some colored paper to break it up. For hides, I have a simple black plastic hut buried on the warm side and a piece of corrugated tubing on the cool side. Then I threw in a bunch of paper towel/toilet paper tubes for various other hides and things to climb in. He tends to hide in the paper towel rolls. I'd guess it's because they feel very confined and secure.

[CosmicOwl]

I caught this picture while he was out lounging on his perches. The tank usually looks brighter, but I was trying to compensate for the fact that he is directly underneath the light. It's difficult to to get a good quality shot of the cage with just my phone.

http://i.imgur.com/9vKDRYA.jpg

From what I've seen, he is definitely diurnal. He will often come out multiple times over the course of a day and roam around his cage. Since I've given him some artificial light, he has been spending more time "basking" in the upper areas of the cage; his body draped over several branches in a loose "s" shape. Perhaps it's just instinct, or maybe he's trying to absorb some UV from the light. Either way, he's an interesting snake to watch.

[CosmicOwl]

He's definitely hitting a growth spurt now. I just weighed him(so I could figure out what to feed him tomorrow) and he's now 123 grams. 23 grams in a little over two weeks...

[CosmicOwl]

Weighed him again tonight and he's now 164 grams. He's a year old now too :D

[Mikoh4792]

wow... he really grew since you got him. And I see you got him some branches to climb on. Looks good!

[CosmicOwl]

wow... he really grew since you got him. And I see you got him some branches to climb on. Looks good!

Yeah he's definitely getting big. He'll be three feet in no time. I'm thinking about moving him into a big, bio active enclosure that he can grow into. I don't know whether to build one or just get a big aquarium though.

[Mikoh4792]

Yeah he's definitely getting big. He'll be three feet in no time. I'm thinking about moving him into a big, bio active enclosure that he can grow into. I don't know whether to build one or just get a big aquarium though.

If it were me I'd build one so I have more control over the dimensions and other perks of customisation. Plus I'd rather carry wood than glass of the same size.

[CosmicOwl]

If it were me I'd build one so I have more control over the dimensions and other perks of customisation. Plus I'd rather carry wood than glass of the same size.

That's what I have been leaning towards. I'm thinking something around 4x3x3, since he's likes to climb a lot. Or perhaps I'll look for an old dresser on craig's list.

Anyway, I caught him lounging and grabbed a picture to give you an idea of his size.

http://i.imgur.com/Ykb3HuE.jpg

He's in a 20 gallon tank, which is 29-30 inches long. When straightened out, I assume he's at least 32 inches long if not more. Being that he's still fairly young, I can't imagine he will be under 5 or 6 feet by the time he's fully grown. Hopefully he'll keep his nice disposition.

[Mikoh4792]

I think 4 x 3 x 3 would be a great size.

Lol I love the paper roll idea. Must make the enclosure seem bigger than it is to your snake with all those nooks and crannies to get into.

[CosmicOwl]

I think 4 x 3 x 3 would be a great size.

Lol I love the paper roll idea. Must make the enclosure seem bigger than it is to your snake with all those nooks and crannies to get into.

Heh, he loves them too. I did take a precautionary measure and cut the tubes so there was no chance of him getting stuck.

Though I want to put him in a larger enclosure, I think he's pretty comfortable in his current set up. It's still pretty roomy and he has a lot of useable space. He can come out of hiding a few times a day, "hunt" for a little while, bask and then go back into hiding. If he gets much bigger though, I think Ill need to put him in a larger enclosure.

[CosmicOwl]

Here are some more pics of the not so little guy.

This is the kind of behavior he displays a frequently. If I had some elevated hides, I'm sure he would be using them. He loves to spend a lot of time in the high spots of his cage.

http://i.imgur.com/L0frUu9.jpg

Here he is after I fed him earlier. You can see the first mouse in his stomach, and the second one in the process of being swallowed. You also get a good idea of his size, in relation to the cage, as well as objects like the paper towel rolls.


http://i.imgur.com/Dhba3pe.jpg

What I find interesting is that he seems rather long for the thickness of his body. Proportionally, he's a lot longer than my corn snake of the same age(and similar thickness). And he also has a very long tail. About 5 inches. It's interesting to note the differences even among fairly similar species.

[Mikoh4792]

Yes I did notice that too with the grey rat i owned about a year ago. Even though they are skinny for their size, they are still very strong. I was always impressed at how hard my grey rat would squeeze my arm to hold on(my carpet pythons are not even that strong). Just imagine how strong yours will be when it's full grown!

[franks]

A fantastic but often overlooked arboreal hide is a cheap bird house. You can silicone it up or just prop it up on some bricks. I love how he is growing btw. Very cool snake.

[CosmicOwl]

Yes I did notice that too with the grey rat i owned about a year ago. Even though they are skinny for their size, they are still very strong. I was always impressed at how hard my grey rat would squeeze my arm to hold on(my carpet pythons are not even that strong). Just imagine how strong yours will be when it's full grown!

I actually had a similar thought the other day. He was climbing around my hand and felt as strong as my adult corn who is considerably thicker.

A fantastic but often overlooked arboreal hide is a cheap bird house. You can silicone it up or just prop it up on some bricks. I love how he is growing btw. Very cool snake.


Thanks. I love the bird house idea,. If I don't figure out a way to put one in the tank, I'll definitely give it a shot in his future enclosure.

[CosmicOwl]

Arboreal hide achieved.

http://i.imgur.com/XEZPLES.jpg

[Mikoh4792]

Hahah I like it. The cardboard/paper theme is now complete

[CosmicOwl]

Hahah I like it. The cardboard/paper theme is now complete

I replaced the paper with aspen, so I guess it's more of a wood theme lol. I've been trying to get a good shot of his eyes lately, because I've noticed that the color has been changing slightly over time. They're becoming more peach colored but it isn't picked up well on the camera.

http://i.imgur.com/TfbOM72.jpg

He really loves this tea box hide too. I think he spends more time in there than in his other hides put together.

[sharthun]

Cool shot!


I replaced the paper with aspen, so I guess it's more of a wood theme lol. I've been trying to get a good shot of his eyes lately, because I've noticed that the color has been changing slightly over time. They're becoming more peach colored but it isn't picked up well on the camera.

http://i.imgur.com/TfbOM72.jpg

He really loves this tea box hide too. I think he spends more time in there than in his other hides put together.

[CosmicOwl]

Not much of an update, but he's really getting big. He's hitting that point where he's easy to handle because there is actually some snake to hold onto. I weighed him last night and he was 190 grams. It's crazy to think that he's nearly doubled his body weight since July 1st. If I keep feeding him, he's going to be 300 grams in no time lol.

[EL Ziggy]

Nice to see him growing so well Owl. How much and how often do you feed him?

[CosmicOwl]

Nice to see him growing so well Owl. How much and how often do you feed him?

I've been converted to feeding about 15% body weight ever 6-7 days. Rather than feeding one large adult mice, I give him two smaller ones. It seems like he digests them quicker/easier which I think is contributing to his growth.

[CosmicOwl]

I decided to shake things up a bit, and changed his substrate to a mixture of repti bark and eco earth(about 60/40 mix) and threw in a few pothos vines. At first he seemed slightly confused, but then started to crawl around and investigate the changes. I hope he likes it because this substrates makes his colors look amazing.


http://i.imgur.com/ZhXIcGc.jpg

Unfortunately while I was examining him, I noticed something odd with his tail. It was hard to tell because of his coloration, but there was a very tiny amount of shed stuck on the last approximately 1/16 of an inch of his tail. Fortunately, it appears to be inside out. If it doesn't come off tonight in his new substrate, I'll try to remove it tomorrow with a damp paper towel or something.

[CosmicOwl]

Tiny update. The stuck shed seems to be coming off on it's own. I don't know if it's worth it to stress him out by trying to manually remove it. I think I'll just mist his cage a bit and give him another day or two to remove it on his own. If it doesn't I will remove it, because I don't want it to restrict any blood flow.