A Rainbow Addition

[Lefitte]

I'm so excited! I have wanted a Brazilian Rainbow Boa after seeing a picture of one of my friend's quite a few years ago. I was planning on waiting until my kingsnake was a little bit bigger and I had more confidence as a keeper to get myself one, but after some intensive research and a perfect opportunity presenting itself, I ended up taking the plunge a whole lot sooner than I imagined I would. I was really only holding back for my family anyway and it's become not as big of a deal as I thought it would.

The friend that I mentioned had her second litter and I jumped on it. I preferred a male [I've got my deserty female and tropical male, if I'm only going to have two I might as well have some variety right?] and today I was able to pick through them. Only 5/18 were male so at least that made things fairly easy. Knocking off the currently mean as sin babies as options helped narrowed the list to two and it took a while but I finally made my decision and went with a brighter male over a darker male with bold black markings. It was so hard to choose!

He's on hold for now as I get things set up and test out his RUB to get things settled. If the weather is decent, I hope to get him in early September [Ironically around the same time I brought my first snake home]. He's a month old today. I have some possible name ideas but I don't think I'll try naming him before meeting him. I can't wait!

In the pictures; Both of my choices are curled up next to each other so it might be a little hard to make out where one stops and the other begins. I chose the male on the bottom of the picture, the brighter one. They were all so beautiful though.

[Minkness]

You should just get both and hold onto that bold one I like till I get a house.....then send him to me =D

[DDW]

Congrats on the BRB I love them and hope to have one one day.


Mink... I'm watching you (o)_(o) lol

*whispers* send me one too....

XD

[Wingbeats]

Grats on the BRB :D Make sure to spam us with pictures when you get him!

[Albert Clark]

Nice pickup! Both are handsome.

[EL Ziggy]

Very nice addition Lefitte. Looking forward to lots of pictures!

[Lefitte]

Oh dont worry. I will be a photo fiend! :D

Mink: Haha... I would have no where to put it and probably wouldn't want to let it go!

Ps: My friend has a ton available if anyonebis actually looking xD

[Snakesitter]

Congrats on the new addition, Lefitte!

And good call on which to pick: the bottom snake is clearly a major step up (if not two) from his littermate.

[Lefitte]

Thanks! I wanted a male so I had five to chose from. My first choice was #2 but since he was one of the meanest in the bunch, I decided to go with the other two who caught my eye and that was these two. My friend went and took better pictures for me to help me decide and it was pretty much a no brainer at that point. The one I chose was #1

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11737853_10155926684005651_9171857793691354988_n.j pg?oh=64040433358fabe261b64d21c8c1c355&oe=565522C0

[Snakesitter]

Good call. :-)

[SnakeyJay]

Personally I'd go for the mean ones.. Babies are usually nippy as they're scared but that stops pretty quickly with a bit of work and at least you know they'll probably feed.
I like the first pic you posted up, top one on looks alone. :)

[Lefitte]

Haha well my thinking is that if I get a more docile one and handle it gently and regularly, I'll end up with a really nice snake. The pics in the first post have two babies in each picture. The one I chose is on the bottom/closer to her body. I don't expect any feeding issues. I'm not getting it for another month and I don't think she would let him go if he hadn't eaten since she is far more experienced with that than I am. I have a king who thinks her parttime job is a garbage disposal and who also thinks she's starving every time haha. I've been friends with the breeder for over 10 years and she's helped mentor me as a snake mom over the last year, if he needs more time with her that's fine but we're not expecting that.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Congrats! The one you ended up choosing also looks a bit bigger and beefier than the other one you were looking at.

They're all so gorgeous though...I am in love with the head stripes on #5. Big and bold.

[Lefitte]

I know, it was so hard to pick. #5 has such pretty bold markings but I liked #1 color over all.
I got his RUB today. A Hefty brand 100 Qt. 35 x 16 x13" storage bin. I had one that was shorter but it wasn't secure enough so when I found that this one has locks on all four sides and no way to push the lid and escape, I returned it and bought this one instead. It's also stronger and clearer. I just have to drill the ventilation holes in it and get the supplies together. I'll probably need a few extra hides with all this space but I'm hoping it'll last around two years so I can save up for his AP adult enclosure without stressing.

I'm considering the name Xango for him [alternate spelling of Shango]. He's a Yoruba storm god who was adopted into the Candomble religion in Latin America, including Brazil. His colors are red and white. My kingsnake's name is Eir, taken from the Norse goddess/valkyrie, so it's keeping with the god/goddess name theme.

[SnakeyJay]

Haha well my thinking is that if I get a more docile one and handle it gently and regularly, I'll end up with a really nice snake. The pics in the first post have two babies in each picture. The one I chose is on the bottom/closer to her body. I don't expect any feeding issues. I'm not getting it for another month and I don't think she would let him go if he hadn't eaten since she is far more experienced with that than I am. I have a king who thinks her parttime job is a garbage disposal and who also thinks she's starving every time haha. I've been friends with the breeder for over 10 years and she's helped mentor me as a snake mom over the last year, if he needs more time with her that's fine but we're not expecting that.

Temperament as babies isn't really a great sign of temperament as an adult to be honest. My female was very nippy as a young one but she's a soppy snake now.

I'm sure whatever one you picked will turn out great either way mate, good luck and I'm sure you'll be hooked on rainbow bias in no time :)

[Lefitte]

Oh definitely but having a less nippy snake will help me handle it more confidently. I haven't been tagged yet and I only have a year's experience with snakes. I plan to do a lot of handling though. Starting with a less nippy snake and working with it regularly sounds like the best idea for me. I fully expect to get bitten on the first day and if not then then the first month for sure. I just hope that when I do get tagged, I don't flinch too much and yank the poor guy around.

[Lefitte]

After discovering that my textbooks are much cheaper than I initially thought, weather permitting, I should be able to get my baby in two weeks [next paycheck]! We're supposed to cool down around the middle of August which would be shipping time. I'm nearly done with his set up. The heat mat [which does not need to even be connected at this point, my room is staying 78-83 degrees] is on the way here and the moss should be here tomorrow. However, I did run into an issue with setting up a stand. I initially thought that I could use a storage bin I already had as a stand but nope, it's much too short. It would have been fine with the shorter bin so I knew changing to the nicer bigger one would ruin that idea. Since I'm doing okay on my budget, I'm considering making a very basic bench like table with some 2x4s and plywood, it won't weigh much so it doesn't need to be super strong and it might be fun. I'll have to rearrange things again in a couple years once I get the 4x2' enclosure, but that's okay. Wish me luck on carpentry skills?

[EL Ziggy]

Good luck Lefitte! Can't wait to see your new BRB!

[Wingbeats]

Good luck and keep us updated! :) Remember to build everything while thinking of super high humidity and moisture! :)

[Lefitte]

Thanks guys! I can't wait to see him in person. I actually haven't had the chance to see any rainbow boas in person yet at all so I'm super excited to see one.. and this one's MINE so that's even better!

I really wish they made cooling pads like they do heating pads. Someone help me invent this. It would be so nice and ease a lot of my worries. I know I can keep things under dangerous levels but getting one side to be cooler for a proper gradient may require alternating ice packs [we recently bought a few just for this purpose, my mom even jumped on board with that and surprised me with one]. I'm not really getting much nighttime drop either. Mind you, it's mid-summer so this won't be all the time but I am concerned about it. I'm sure he'll be just fine at 80 degrees but I would personally prefer it if one side was cooler so he could choose. I probably won't even plug in the heating pad during summer.

I also bought the supplies for the table today! Came to.. twice what I wanted. I wasn't going to get paint originally and then we didn't realize one piece was per foot and already had it cut..

It'll be simple. Four 2x4s make the legs, standing at 24" high. Then I'm going to screw some plywood into the top [can't remember the exact thickness right now] which will make a 20x40" table. Around the top I have some smaller strips for added stability and I'm going to place those slightly higher than the plywood so that it creates a lip so that the tub can't slide off if it gets bumped. This will also give me a bit of storage underneath the table. I'm going to run and get a power drill tomorrow and finish it up within the next two days!
As for moisture, the paint should help prevent any damage from the wood if there's condensation spilling over or something like that, at least until I can fix the problem.

Here's what I started with:
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11825195_10207459251464556_1312640594841737672_n.j pg?oh=85a34b4467a31be6f02a189f111bc2b5&oe=564C1B4A

And this is just before I cleaned up, getting a visual of what I'm doing.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11252444_10207459916401179_791712561907696918_n.jp g?oh=4876ce97f029f9483831689a1817da4e&oe=5642B6C2

[Lefitte]

I'm silly and forgot that I still need to drill ventilation holes, but I really wanted to do a little test with humidity and temps... I'm excited! I just set the humidity gauge there right before I took the picture so that's not an accurate reading of the cage. While I was taking the picture, I was watching it go up haha.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11817140_10207460699820764_984316692258781817_n.jp g?oh=305e2fdd615b45a55532ed3d1a2adb50&oe=565A930B

[Snakesitter]

Cooling pads:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/03/10/article-0-04110E970000044D-600_468x296.jpg

;-)

[Snakesitter]

On a more serious note, a small fan aimed at the cool end of the enclosure should help. You can add a cup of ice in front of it when needed.

[Snakesitter]

Remember, for holes, less is more...easy to add, hard to take away.

[SnoopySnake]

Remember, for holes, less is more...easy to add, hard to take away.

This x10000

[Lefitte]

Hahaha I wish I could use that! Ever try ice packs on the bottom of the cage? Ice will melt too quickly and is sort of fought over in my house as it is and I'd need a huge bowl of it. There is a fan blowing the a/c into the room a few feet away from the cool side of the tank but my room stays 78-83 throughout the day. I have those ice packs that I can place on a small piece of foam so that it touches the bottom of the tank? That should keep it cool without getting crazy cold and allow him to cool down right?

As for the holes, I'm think of doing a total of 10 to start? Not sure how I want to split them up yet. I know I want a lot by the fan but the opposite side to that side is almost flat against a wall. So I'm thinking maybe 4 on one end, two on each long side, and two on the back short side, fairly small holes.

[Lefitte]

So, I nearly finished my table tonight! And then I broke the drill bit... again.. To be fair, the other one was super tiny and super cheap sooo... I have one more side panel to finish. For the first time ever carpenter, I'd say I did pretty good. The plywood ended up being a little bit warped but it straightened out a bit as I started to screw on the side panels.
The table is 20x40x24" [DxLxH] and is pretty sturdy. The little bumper/railings on the side are to prevent the tank from getting bumped off the table since it's so light while the little sticks underneath it are to prop it up for proper airflow for the heat pad once I get it set up. I spent way too much money on this, it's a lot easy to build these for cheap when you already have things like power drills, saws, wood, and nails lying around..

I also drilled his ventilation holes [I still need to do my king's cage though, she needs more air flow, it's too humid hah!]. Today I also tested my thermometers and hydrometer for accuracy. My hydrometer is -2 degrees off according to the salt test while both my thermometers are reading just a few points off in the exact same place which is accurate to me. So yay! I'm planning to buy another thermometer and hydrometer a few weeks after I get him when I have more money since I currently have two thermometers and one hydrometer between two cages.

Now for pictures of the table! Excuse my messy house, this is what happens when you're nocturnal and insist on building tables in the living room.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11781721_10207476408653475_2089470691775974000_n.j pg?oh=695d45a4f9c81c4645155e5ba1aa1d62&oe=5648DBA8

And the cats who are in everything everywhere always.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11753705_10207476408813479_4896189233164139952_n.j pg?oh=fc0a51951fc8fd7adcda4de70ca2cd95&oe=5638AF15

You can see the little dowels that are propping up the cage. There's four.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11824956_10207476408973483_7905570450517144500_n.j pg?oh=80b34303c1c171f65d999cb8f685d0b8&oe=565CDF19

This is the side I need to finish.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11752575_10207476409173488_3588522485161387099_n.j pg?oh=6dee75104660ad09d355bc462676a7df&oe=560E38D7

[Snakesitter]

Good progress so far -- congrats!

Make sure you make the enclosure cat-secure. A friend lost his lizard due to his pet cat, so it pays to be careful.

And RIP drill bit. ;-)

[Lefitte]

The storage bin has locks on four sides and the little bumpers prevent it from sliding off. Four of my cats dont really care about my king but one does. I can easily lock them out of the room when I open the enclosure. Im going to have multiple hides and some fake plants in there to help the little guy feel more secure. And it looks like I need more air holes, it's 99% humidity in there and I'm growing fuzzy white mold on the moss in a couple places...

Poor little drill bit. My mom's been fantastic through this whole thing. Even though snakes creep her out a little and she's only touched one once, she's fully on board. She's beem helping me design the table, picking ice packs and drill bits up for me, ect. I'm hoping to keep the two week shipping date but it depends on what that paycheck is like. This table set me back pretty bad but yay I got to build something.

[bigsnakegirl785]

The storage bin has locks on four sides and the little bumpers prevent it from sliding off. Four of my cats dont really care about my king but one does. I can easily lock them out of the room when I open the enclosure. Im going to have multiple hides and some fake plants in there to help the little guy feel more secure. And it looks like I need more air holes, it's 99% humidity in there and I'm growing fuzzy white mold on the moss in a couple places...

Poor little drill bit. My mom's been fantastic through this whole thing. Even though snakes creep her out a little and she's only touched one once, she's fully on board. She's beem helping me design the table, picking ice packs and drill bits up for me, ect. I'm hoping to keep the two week shipping date but it depends on what that paycheck is like. This table set me back pretty bad but yay I got to build something.

I have yet to find a way to stop mold growth no matter what I do, even adding more air holes hasn't helped. I've given up and used paper towels in all but the BRB's tub, and I just change out his moss once a month or so. I have 2-3x the holes in the retic and baby BCI's tubs and I experience it in their's as well. I'm just chalking it up to the heat tape not drying the bedding out fast enough because I don't have those problems when I use CHE/RHP/heat lamps.

[Lefitte]

Ahh. Hopefully it wont become a major issue. I'm using a heat pad yet so maybe it will help later on to reduce it. I think my moss was still way too wet when I added it, I was expecting the humidity to go down some by now. I took off the lid for half an hour last night and it sat in the 60s but shortly after I put the lid back it jumped up to 99%. I'm allergic to mold so hopefully it stays a minor issue or best case scenario it clears up completely.

[Snakesitter]

The type of moss can make a big difference. Try New Zealand Sphagnum, it holds up really well to moisture, and mine never seems to mold....

Glad to hear the cats are not a threat! :-)

[Lefitte]

I got some of this SuperMoss stuff (mountain moss) that the breeder uses. She doesn't have an issue with it. I think my issue was that I left it way too wet. 99% humidity after three days and wet to the touch. Not damp, wet. I'm going to try again since I threw it all out last night. Some clumps I used were still very very wet when I added them and then I had high temps (low 80s) and no ventilation at all which is like a perfect breeding ground for mold. Super wet moss with no escape for humidity... Oh well. This is why I am setting uo ahead of time right?

[bigsnakegirl785]

I got some of this SuperMoss stuff (mountain moss) that the breeder uses. She doesn't have an issue with it. I think my issue was that I left it way too wet. 99% humidity after three days and wet to the touch. Not damp, wet. I'm going to try again since I threw it all out last night. Some clumps I used were still very very wet when I added them and then I had high temps (low 80s) and no ventilation at all which is like a perfect breeding ground for mold. Super wet moss with no escape for humidity... Oh well. This is why I am setting uo ahead of time right?

Yeah I'd just make sure to strain out the bedding a bit from now on. If water comes out when you squeeze it, it's too wet. Usually what I do is put all the moss in a bowl of water, squeeze as much water into it as it can take, and then squeeze as much out of it as I can. Then I put it back in. I've noticed a lot less mold issues nowadays than before, but it still happens, just not as quickly.

The type of moss can make a big difference. Try New Zealand Sphagnum, it holds up really well to moisture, and mine never seems to mold....

Glad to hear the cats are not a threat! :-)

Any idea where I could find some? The kind I use is the All Living Things green moss, and there was another type I used but can't remember, and it was more of a brown color and it molded a lot easier than the one I use now so I stopped buying it.

[toddnbecka]

Pure sphagnum moss is available at any gardening center, Home Depot, Lowe's, sometimes even Wal-Mart. New Zealand moss isn't actually any different than any other sphagnum moss, but how it's processsed may vary. The NZ is typically long fibered, good quality moss. Peat moss is chopped pretty fine.

[Snakesitter]

^^ What T&B said. :-) Good answer!

[Lefitte]

Thanks for the tips! I finally got the chance to do a second round of moss. My mom was in the hospital this weekend and I had work on top of that so I didn't get to do it as quick as I wanted.
The weather also turned on me. My projected shipping date is expected to be about 5 degrees warmer than it was reporting earlier this month. Doesn't sound like much but the difference worries me. If there's any shipping delay, things might get sketchy, so it might have to wait until September after all ;_; I really hope the weather situation pans out because I was so, so looking forward to getting him next week. We won't ship if it's going to put him in danger though. I'm worried that warehouses and trucks are hot.

I like this round of moss better already. I squeezed out as much water as I could from each clump and it just feels sorta fluffy? At least in comparison with last time. My thinking last time was start out with ALL THE HUMIDITY and then get it settled out before her gets here. That thinking was wrong obviously haha.

I also received some new pictures of him tonight and oh my am I excited to get him here. I opened the first picture and just kind of sat there in awe. Inside versus outside lighting is fun. The last pictures were outside lighting and he was pretending to be a ball python. This time is a different story so I can see more of him <3 His cute little squigglies are hidden under his curled body though.

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11825856_10207551004798332_1595590416375041981_n.j pg?oh=e9a2d5baf1dd5668c2295e9208aa8674&oe=56423104

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/11828749_10207551005198342_2796739039550816867_n.j pg?oh=470750831293d88db67628bc0a6f250d&oe=56497BAF

Gotta love a BRB's eyes.
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t34.0-12/11855886_10156016043445651_4886822795347684117_n.j pg?oh=d34f1a5c0f384088979ae2b286f7b7b7&oe=55CC6FD6

[SnakeyJay]

Lovely little guy, congrats..

As for your mould problem, I use orchid bark as a substrate with sphagnum moss over the top of that. The bark is mould resistant but you'll probably have to keep changing the moss regularly.

[Lefitte]

Yeah I considered orchid bark for a while and it's still a possibility but for now I'm just trying this. I hardly squeezed the water out of the moss at all the first time, thinking that it would dry out quickly with our weather so starting with a ton of humidity was best. After almost a week, it was s 99% humidity in there and when I threw it out, it was still wet. This time it's moist but not wet feeling. Humidity is 99% after about 12 hours.

[Snakesitter]

Sounds like a job well done! And damp is much better than wet, both for mold and rainbow health. While it is very hard for these snakes to catch scale rot, they *can* do so from too much contact with dirty wet substrate.

[Lefitte]

Yesss. I dont want any scale rot.

We confirmed shipping for the 18-19th! He should be here bright and early Wednesday morning! His home is leveling out too. The humidity started going down and stablizing and not quite 100% after I drilled a few more holes for a total of 16 1/4" holes. The moss doesnt smell as bad now so maybe I was just being paranoid and super sensitive (I'm always cautious about mold because it's super bad for my family's health, we pick up on the smell right away). My hydrometer is -2% off and its been reading 96-98% so it's really 98-100%. I would like it to go down a few more points but I'm trying to be patient. I can always drill a few more holes. Just a few more days!

[Snakesitter]

Woot congrats on the date, and looking forward to more picts!

[Lefitte]

So I went to LLL Reptile today and got some of the last pieces that I needed! Things are looking good and that cold front moving in is looking even better. He ships out tomorrow. The humidity has been going down to thebmid-80s and the moss felt dry so I gave it a good spray down while I set it up. I am definitely ready. Spent more money than I planned to mostly because I chose the log over another plastic hide and then I needed suction cups from Michaels and when I go to Michaels I get lost and find things like that chain ivy.. But seeing it all together, I think it was all pretty well justified in the end. I'm a liiittle worried about the black hides being too small though. I think he's around my yearling king's size and she's already in one of the next size up of the black hides so I might end up taking them out and exchanging them for a medium sized one instead. Might also add a humid hide made of tupperware for the little guy. My king Eir spends all her time either in the large black hide or the small 'humid hide' that I let dry out when she's not in shed so he might like them too.

Oh and to top it off! LLL had a BRB there! They said it was about a year and a half and I got to hold it. Not as contrasting as mine and the lighting didnt show off much irridecense but I was totally in love. It grabbed on to my purse strap and refused to let go. So happy with the grip it had though. My kingsnake doesnt grip at all and I get paranoid about her falling to the floor. I got it off of me by showing it the inside of the cage which it gladly wiggled back into and left my purse alone.

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11914979_10207606648069379_3092006540938885734_n.j pg?oh=ed30986636353b04eb006ce8211e22c7&oe=5641F9AD

After I changed the position of the vine. I'll probably keep playing with it.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11888097_10207606651629468_1713155163586011356_n.j pg?oh=c6943c39101b6d76612f72313b1280d3&oe=564573B8

Little log hide
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11896136_10207606648989402_4748180028733577602_n.j pg?oh=8ac7752f00594a722a11617522c814a3&oe=56479453

Pool hideaway! The stony thing is his water dish.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11889578_10207606649589417_3394797341690611411_n.j pg?oh=d01eec87c9ab0c5e11827cf18c345e0c&oe=5646D811

Same spot from above:
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11863456_10207606650589442_2119054257184736890_n.j pg?oh=55c773c3294aa16ed5311842e14e5c4a&oe=567735C2

More hides. There are 4 total.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11063772_10207606650029428_7616258288471629581_n.j pg?oh=4e006dc385865c92d025152f6ebff66c&oe=5677F49B

One side
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11891246_10207606648389387_4837581091613547572_n.j pg?oh=b6da29d444940bffb0a2723bee87feb9&oe=563995D8

The view from my bed, better than tv.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/11260816_10207606652069479_3166133563189343877_n.j pg?oh=4b1fd3add8a3a19586dcfcc0be62f698&oe=564253E2

[Lefitte]

He's here!!! And I could not be happier! After a once over and a short photoshoot, I let him explore his cage and he immediately found the moss. Don't ask me where he is currently cause all I know is 'moss'! He started out a nervous little guy, breathing hard and watching me like crazy, flicking his tongue out at me a bunch, but pretty soon he started to loosen up and explore. I just took things nice and slow with him and he seemed fairly comfortable before I let him find a spot in his home to explore. Whole time handing was no more than 15 minutes at most, probably way closer to 10. He's gorgeous! So soft and bright and adorable.

I've named him Xango [pronounced like shango].

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11866250_10207617533661512_4015864643553116530_n.j pg?oh=2b507f249a4db1b09bb4d72d6ee33f96&oe=567EAED5

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11887978_10207617609863417_1078139264304123187_n.j pg?oh=2791e137d5ea44148c494697fb6b3197&oe=56385139

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11896086_10207617612543484_7408386579259796055_n.j pg?oh=7be339c3d1f31f2ebcc332c290135175&oe=567BBFEE

Pretty face <3
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11887909_10207617613183500_4629215936134002234_n.j pg?oh=07b8b53b00d770baed142cb6b08c0808&oe=567D8694

Liiittle bit of rainbow
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11870778_10207617615143549_4502992191487566771_n.j pg?oh=7f4bd2cca26441be3079943762742a8a&oe=5679CE23

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11855754_10207617616943594_329538817490142268_n.jp g?oh=21344eb720495acf151ca3517ba50965&oe=567972CB

Starting to explore
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11873449_10207617618383630_1926052803010767295_n.j pg?oh=2f6a14fa8a14329252c94148e91a140d&oe=56828AC3

Going home
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11904710_10207617619823666_8620416425857335663_n.j pg?oh=cd859e42acc35d8a7cf5786dbfe5a38b&oe=567BA61C

[Wingbeats]

Congrats on the safe arrival! He is gorgeous!! :D

[Lefitte]

Thank you! And now it's nap time. Maybe when I wake up, he'll be exploring.

If anyone's wondering, he comes from Glitter Noodles. They're on FB.

[Snakesitter]

Agreed -- congrats!

[Lefitte]

Thanks! As far as I can tell, he's still hiding. His humidity I can check without opening it and its being perfect. A little on the high side but that's because I sprayed it down this morning. (97ish%) Can't wait to catch him exploring. And I need to go shopping after school tomorrow for some food because I'm all out. He's been eating every 6-8 days and just ate 3 days ago so I'm not going to be feeding soon but I think I'm going to offer a fuzzy on his 8th day (he's on hoppers but I've seen people suggest a size smaller at first). I make my king actively hunt and strangle her food when I feed her since she had interest issues when she was younger so I plan to get him on the same routine. He might not eat off the tongs like she does though. I can probably start handling a couple days after he eats (short, gentle sessions no longer than 10 mins. Just long enough for him to start feeling comfortable and start exploring instead of balling up or trying to squirm away)

[Snakesitter]

Sounds like a good plan!

[Savage270]

Update please? How was day 2?

[Lefitte]

Day 2 went well. Not really much to say although I am having a small issue with humidity. I think my previous humidity percentages were sort of tweaked. My hydrometer had some paper on the back to block some sticky stuff to hang it with. It was also taking readings much closer to the moss before. I ended up taking the wet paper off the back because it was almost disintegrating anyway and stuck it higher than I meant to on the side wall. Now it keeps reading 87-89% some days and I had to spray it down. When I get paid again I plan to get a new one, I think my king's thermometer just died the other day too...

Last night I went to move the cage slightly and it stuck and then jerked when it finally did move. The motion made the water splash out of the bowl to a spot with no moss so I had to clean it up. When I was replacing the moss, I found the littke guy by accident! I'm mostly trying to leave him alone. Trying not to even open the bin very much so I dont go looking for him either. Being left alone for a week to settle in means being left alone as much as possible. There probably wont be much to report until Sunday night when I try to feed him. If all goes well I can hold him Tuesday night!

Currently temps are 81 (bleh my house is hot today) and humidity is 87% so I'll be misting again today. The moss is very try to the touch but he does have a humid hide with fresh moss and a ton of condensation.

[Lefitte]

Day 3: Nothing much to say. Having some issues with humidity still. Woke up to 83% [it was 95% before bed]. I sprayed it down and it's still holding at 99% after coming home from work. I've taped up a few of the extra holes. I did have things nicely stabilized but I think I was going off of twisted readings with that wet paper backing on my hygrometer. He's in the same hide he was last night. I couldn't help myself when doing the nightly check, I had to take a couple shots. I only lifted the hide, took two shots, and then left him alone. I don't like not seeing him at all for entire days while his surroundings are new and he's new to them. I'm a worrywart.

And I was worried that hide would be too small! He's only using half of it! He has three about the same size as this one, the log in the center which is slightly larger, then the humid hide which is large and full of freshly added moss and condensation.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11892101_10207644360812174_1603019467086612153_n.j pg?oh=7df27a989e72e21232bf750c6635d33f&oe=563F2A3F

And tonight I fell in love with my phone's camera again. I forgot just how clear the image is when you zoom! [Secretly, I went with this phone because all I could think of was getting clear pictures of my kingsnake haha]
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11921634_10207644726381313_5135111951623806511_n.j pg?oh=0f6a9b14b36d704c63951b1bdeaf4e83&oe=5641E46A

Speaking of zoom, here are two bonus pictures. Same as before just zoomed in.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11928736_10207644483575243_1304556157116511407_n.j pg?oh=f93bc4036998679cc3497cec7d966b74&oe=567F8DD7

I love being able to make out every scale.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11898658_10207644638859125_37793257302701445_n.jpg ?oh=18366cbeaca10e7153180a636871e23e&oe=566E58B5

Oh and an added bonus! I asked my English teacher if I could do my informative paper [one of our first big assignments] on the most popular species of rainbow boa and got the okay. And not the 'eh I suppose if that's what you want' okay but the 'that sounds like a great idea! Instead of doing the top 3, why don't you do the top 4 or 5?'. Usually my teachers like to rain on my parade and try to make me change it.. Like the teacher who wanted me to do an essay on The Beatles instead of Danny Elfman haha. If you have any suggestions for accurate sites to check out, send it my way. I'm focusing on wild species, not the pet trade, I know less about them in the wild.

[Lefitte]

Just another quick update!
He ate a fuzzy for my last night and it went pretty much perfectly. Struck at it and wrapped up around it.

Tonight on my check of things [I've been checking inside the cage twice daily and spraying once daily] I decided to spray some of the moss under the moist moss that has dried out by selecting random clumps. I uncovered him and I have the feeling that he's going into shed. Just got a little more than a glimpse of him but he looked a little grey where he's usually quite stunning every time I even get a peek. I got a picture of him through the bin since he was curled up against it. I'll see if he's actually in shed or not tomorrow when I do my first mini-handling session which will last probably no more than 5 minutes.

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11892118_10207660001763188_7312878188974684642_n.j pg?oh=c85accea3d9651e2dc038c452cf15ef0&oe=567450F2

[Snakesitter]

Good news on the feeding!

If he's going into shed, he'll let you know how he feels about handling. ;-)

[Lefitte]

Tried handling last night since his eyes are still clear. He does look more dull so I think he's definitely preparing for a shed though. And man, he was just a dream. He seemed perfectly comfortable being handled. He didnt care much for being weighed and kept trying to climb out of the tub before I could replace the lid, but he's adorable. He's completely okay with me touching his head and doing pretty much whatever to him. He curiously watched and tongue flicked at things we walked near and when I did put him back, he just sort of mosied on in and then tried stopped with his head hanging out haha. I'm going to do another mini-handling tonight if he's up for it. I'll have to add pictures later.

[Lefitte]

Here are some of the pictures from yesterday and today! His eyes aren't blue yet but he's definitely going to shed soon.

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/l/t1.0-9/11887948_10207666899815635_3548079256790556869_n.j pg?oh=aac31586f691bc3a4aa46b673c103ad2&oe=56356ADF

Grabbed me and decided my necklace was his.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/11892112_10207666900415650_76298146265613259_n.jpg ?oh=79462d2d66366731b857068b29f40039&oe=56700927

From today:
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10405640_10207672856644552_7125906499559698316_n.j pg?oh=3ef8bbbf8cf7d75e4e419bd9faebdbdd&oe=563A1681

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlf1/v/t1.0-9/11953012_10207672856884558_7790851630893543235_n.j pg?oh=4283ead083d214b3061fb0056bd788e9&oe=563A8BA8

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11892203_10207672857524574_3026815527285275998_n.j pg?oh=b5783d5366cafb51f2b4caeaf8e8a67b&oe=566954A0

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11899974_10207672857964585_6829374274639804199_n.j pg?oh=524f54d9cdcf1e61388af528e335acdc&oe=56381472

I was playing with different lighting today to try and get the most accurate.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11903991_10207672858284593_5260831251763394388_n.j pg?oh=4026f310e594c5ed7a7a04f131efac51&oe=566860D4

[Snakesitter]

Aww good news and cute photos! Congrats!

[bigsnakegirl785]

So teeny! What kind of coloring was his parents? He's got some interesting contrast going on.

[Lefitte]

I'm just in love with him! His mom, Scully, is a deep red. She doesn't have much contrast on her saddles. His dad, Mulder, is bright orange with more contrast. He's kept that coloration in his adult years so there's a good chance Xango will too since he looks a lot like dad but with mom's darker base. His siblings range in colors a bit but they seem to be fairly similar overall. Nothing wildly different from what I've seen. The biggest difference that I can see between his siblings is the size of the black markings and the color of the saddles. Some are much more mellow than his bright orange.

I'm hoping he keeps the contrast, I love it!

[Snakesitter]

With parent names like that, it's a wonder he doesn't hide more often. ;-) Love all three of the names.

[Lefitte]

Hahahahahah right? I love their names. They are actually my intro to the species and my friend is a huge reason for why I got a snake in the first place. I'm very happy to have one of their babies :)

[Lefitte]

First shed with me went smooth as could be! And man oh man, I can't wait to take daylight pics of him now. And now comes the fun really getting to know him part. He's settled in now and not in shed.

33132

[Kennn]

they look great!

[Wingbeats]

Gorgeous sparklenoodle :D

[Lefitte]

Thanks!
Update time: His first hopper meal with me went great! Apart from the fact that I lost track of days. I meant to feed him on the 7th day but I took him out on the 8th day to handle him. Not the smartest idea but I didn't realize how close to feeding time it was. He was very moody and tried to strike at my face. Quite a surprise for a baby that's been so very mellow. After that he started nudging my hand and something I've read on here sparked the idea to see if he was hungry. Checked my records and immediately went to defrost his food. Oops!
Two days later... Tonight I took him out and he was mellow as can be again. I wasn't very keen on letting him near my face or chest [he was actually on my chest when he struck, not by my face] but he was totally fine. My sister and niece also got to handle him and after he warmed up, he was slithering around from person to person and frequently holding on to one and heading for the other. It was fun.

Very accurate colors in the ones with no flash tonight.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11988548_10207723174462466_3670416693599843119_n.j pg?oh=4a0aa5470c31a8877962d3c68431e79b&oe=566A01BD
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11986521_10207723174622470_3636753212808804923_n.j pg?oh=a5045c24f4a92cfbb5f6047183f1d84e&oe=567D3402
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/11953197_10207723175222485_7268884033004433288_n.j pg?oh=c0336a3748ab83264af83729e427accc&oe=5670C80E
My sister, Xango, and I.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11899865_10207723175382489_108582259636563711_n.jp g?oh=bccde70b6bef5ac5d8bfa66d5a2dcb95&oe=566E29F1
My niece, too scared to hold him with bare hands but not scared enough to ruin pictures. [Or improve them?]
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11918951_10207723175942503_9052286200727237488_n.j pg?oh=bfd79d081ff610fb03caf8056c325bfd&oe=56668F10

[Lefitte]

Update on Xango:
Last week he hit a big growth spurt, moving from 47g to 57g [empty both times] in 9 days! About three weeks ago, I was able to get a decent length on him and he was 22" long. He remains the most docile little poop around. He took his first car ride the other day. I went to take him out for post-shed pics and we had to go get my niece so he came along with us. He found that fairly interesting but didn't like that I wouldn't let him investigate all the little hidey places.

He just seems to be getting prettier, but I might be biased. I'm in awe of his color every time I see it. He has also earned the nickname Prince Xango due to the fact that he prefers to be located in a specific hide in order to eat and the mouse must be VERY WARM and can't be the least bit chilly which means that I have to be quick about feeding or go get more hot water haha.

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12074662_10207901769247224_7838853721445571848_n.j pg?oh=9d95567bf40ae8b835ed2b6291356fe9&oe=56997961

From today, his colors were coming out exactly how I was seeing them.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/12088043_10207919051639273_7833671261475354781_n.j pg?oh=42821aae5d7e934eddb18f4a1adae928&oe=568AF8BC

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12106992_10207919052279289_9199469038756970752_n.j pg?oh=0b4ef5c06f05c56b7ca900a1ca965e0d&oe=56849FD1

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/12079265_10207918903715575_3093966397146503437_n.j pg?oh=c18e8a7ee35d7cf4732475d195556e76&oe=568BB5D5

[Snakesitter]

They can be such little princes. ;-) Nice picts!

[bigsnakegirl785]

Nice update! Looking very good, and to think he's still got quite a bit to go before he shows his true colors! They change so much. ^.^

[Lefitte]

Yes! That's what I've seen people say, that they are one of the few snakes that continue to color up as they grow instead of dull out. I took him with me to the pet stores tonight to grab him some food and everyone commented on him. At one point someone gasped and said "She has a snake" and I thought greaaat here it comes... And then this little like 8 year old girl flipped out. You would've thought she saw a puppy. Her mom had to warn her not to rush and to ask first before touching. She explained that she loved snakes and had a rosy boa at home. It was cute. He also helped me pick out a betta fish. Ive been working on fixing some water issues and a tank with only snails isn't a whole lot of fun.

[Lefitte]

Xango update!

He's doing fantastic! We hit a cold snap finally so I attached his heat pad and thermostat for the first time. Between last night and tonight I've been slowly bumping up the temperature and it's hovering at 80-81 in his warm hide. I might continue to turn it up a degree but if we hit any warm days, it might get too hot. I'm still fiddling with it.

He's remained a little darling and he's growing. He hit 2ft long and 71g before October ended, he was 43g when he arrived mid-August. For giggles, I put him in the container he was shipped in.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/l/t1.0-9/12036537_10208080913085708_3000321684834270460_n.j pg?oh=e0cdc31f60a8107a5bbf040011aa9042&oe=56BB04B1

He has been absolutely glowing since his last shed. My capture hasn't been able to come close to what my eyes have seen with him lately. And it doesn't help when FB destroys the quality. I'll be trying out rat pinkies with both my snakes soon, as soon as I can get them anyway. Kind of excited to see how that will go. Right now, he's still on mouse hoppers every 7 days.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/12189848_10208115636793779_984569690513976773_n.jp g?oh=a3658af6d07f74a04eea73c4a312c974&oe=56B1F963

I also got a feeding video of him a few weeks back. First and only time he's ever eaten in the vines. I fed him two mouse fuzzies that day because it was all I had. He ended up eating it while hanging upside down, taking a swim, eating his next mouse in his water dish, and then refusing to leave the water dish so I could clean it. Haha I have no snake hook and he was still in feeding mode so I had to improvise with a hanger to get him out so I could give him fresh water and go to bed.

Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsQf_GgM0P0)

[Snakesitter]

Congrats!!!

[Lefitte]

Thanks! I'm trusting him more and letting him explore more since he doesn't seem to have any problem with being 'recaptured' so I finally got some pictures of his markings! I don't think I've really ever managed one since I usually take pictures while he's in my hands or in a ball.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12191671_10208120541516394_407467449423644292_n.jp g?oh=3b62a566d3f8c91f39f51d8d14a6361a&oe=56B2EECA
I love his long chain of spots.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/12188936_10208120542076408_7319076725391471785_n.j pg?oh=ad67f209acde02f9300d1aa23e530409&oe=56B6961D

I didn't get any pictures of his sides but he has almost all crescents except a couple little messy ones on each side. Never really thought to look at him like that until I saw your latest litter post, Cliff.

[Lefitte]

He's getting so big! Freshly shed and shimmering like crazy. He's 91g now and 6 months old next week.

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/12241219_10208362451123983_7743965097121061455_n.j pg?oh=7dd65392daae45595ed772f09a5d840d&oe=571C934F

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/12345631_10208362451323988_6027828099169180135_n.j pg?oh=95f43fdac24f825bcbfa134d7b1c06e1&oe=56E7427F

[Minkness]

Oh wow, beautiful!!!

[Wingbeats]

Good to see him again! He looks great, and lovely pictures :)

[Lefitte]

https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/6193_10208496659399106_6074577720057927510_n.jpg?o h=d86699b5627bf4e0263ae61b53b6c9a3&oe=5717A7D8

He refused to eat for me last week but this week went fine! He still hasn't a big tummy in this picture which makes him look a little more robust than normal. He's officially 6 months now. I haven't weighed him in weeks so I'm looking forward to weighing him as soon as that food passes. I expect him to be around 95-100g! Such a lovely little boy.

[Minkness]

Wow! That iridescence is unreal!

[EL Ziggy]

Awesome BRB. Very sparkly, very sparkly. :)

[Lefitte]

That's what I get when I use my phone's flash in a dimly lit room! He shed about two weeks ago so he's all shiny. I play with different tilts but I got that in 2-3 tries. He wasn't even shining that much to my eyes XD Not gonna lie, I got this phone with snake pictures in mind and that's before I got him. When it gets warmer, I want to convince my sister to do an outside shoot with him because she has a professional camera, different flashes, and different lenses.
This was the only other sparkly photo I got tonight. The rest didn't show any.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1653613_10208496620078123_2757262942076896058_n.jp g?oh=53e980152f33cc811f23d2ea5d4f9013&oe=57012FCB

[Lefitte]

New update: Got a length on him again! He's 2ft 4in according to the Serpwidgets site [two different photos]. In September he was 1ft 10in. So much growth! So I made a comparison photo. Hard to imagine he was once so tiny!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xal1/v/t1.0-9/12510432_10208609861869097_6053910631826523923_n.j pg?oh=a8337650d3e0559a6c4f96a8f0404460&oe=5732DB30

[dannybgoode]

That's a beautiful BRB - definitely on my wish list but wanted to bump my experience up with a BCI first.

That iridescence is to die for - looks mighty healthy. Well done...

[Snakesitter]

Looking good, Lefitte! If you can't believe his growth now, wait 'til he's all grown up! ;-) Rainbows are Win.

[Lefitte]

Danny, I've had nothing but a pleasant time with him. He's refused one meal [I think things were just off that day and he needed to poop] the entire time I've had him and tagged me once, if you can call it that. He's tried to strike two other times but missed. I handle him multiple times a week and he's perfectly fine with it, though he prefers finding a spot to curl up and sleep in instead. Several people have handled him and he did well with everyone. I take him with me to the petstores occasionally, mostly because I can and it's a place that people expect to see reptiles so they aren't scared. His beauty has won over some surprising friends on my facebook and it seems like everyone there enjoys my updates despite having only a handful of people who are actually interested in reptiles so it's been really great.

While I've always loved snakes [I was born in the year of the snake, what can I say?], I put the desire to own one aside until I could figure out how to manage owning one with my mom around. His parents belong to a friend of mine and it's how I found out about the species and wanted one. Three years and one kingsnake later, I bought him, put a hold on a baby within two weeks of their birth haha. I just absolutely adore him!

When you get one, I suggest a breeder. My friend was able to help me pick out the best pick for me. I wanted a more docile male since my mom would freak if I wasn't bitten constantly and I do love handling them and that's exactly what I got with him. And he's just absolutely stunning! It's also wonderful to have his records since birth. I'm a sucker for lineage and record keeping.

Thanks! He's so good. My conditions may not be perfect all the time but he's thriving. Now that he's over 6mos, I've shifted his feeding to 8-9 days from 7-8 days. At a year, I'll probably be up to 10 days. When it warms up again, I'm going to try rats for both my babies and give them more variation.

I still haven't actually held a large adult snake before. Owning him has given me an incredible amount of confidence with snakes though. My king is picky and flighty so I'm constantly second guessing myself with her, I've learned not to worry quite so much. I can't wait for both of them to grow up, but I'm enjoying the process. They'll only be this young and little once!

[Snakesitter]

Little ones are adorable. We just had another litter this weekend, and they are so tiny and opinionated at first. They think they can take out the spray bottle. ;-)

[Lefitte]

It was warm today and I've been having issues with his moss and humidity. The moss needs switched out to new moss but I haven't had the chance because the past couple weeks have been absolutely overwhelming with hardly a chance to breathe. So I decided to take advantage of that and give Xango a bath! I've never done this with any of my snakes before but I've seen him swim a couple times in his water dish. This is actually one of the bins I'm using for his cool pool for summer. By adding ice packs between two bins and filling one with water, I can give him a pool that will remain cool for hours to allow him to cool off when our summer nights don't even dip below 80. With the house open, it was 85 while I filmed this yet the water was 79 without any ice packs to help it out [won't be the case when the 120 summer heats our water pipes and takes all the cold water away].
Also featured, my cats learning the rules about this exercise. I never leave my snakes unintended outside their cage and they never come close to harm [except the one accident where Eir decided to fly out of her cage and got snagged]. I generally don't allow them within 3ft. The black one sat and watched curiously, the tabby loves snakes way too much, I forgot to lock him up.
Xango swimming youtube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5BQcWNxJtQ)

[Lefitte]

Can't edit but here's another post. My niece's best friend walked into the kitchen. She's afraid of snakes. It was pretty funny.

More video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0R3HH37dQ)

[mysticmoon]

Beautiful babies, congrats on your new snake :)

[Lefitte]

Thank you. He's not exactly new though. I've had him since August. Considering how long he'll be around, I guess you could still say new when thinking like that haha

[Snakesitter]

Great vids -- thank you for sharing!

[Lefitte]

Haha thanks! [And you're welcome?]

[Lefitte]

Xango's still doing great but I'm having issues keeping humidity up now that we're getting down to stuff like 20% humidity. Considering other additional substrate options besides moss.
He's 128g and just shed. He's 10mos.
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/13055298_10209416074143900_1815700459300383022_n.j pg?oh=fa1987bd5a6c1a311c34b2bf3140410d&oe=57B231D9

Progress picture!
https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/12961546_10209390764231168_8867541830938777252_n.j pg?oh=ad3c7324ff249c2e7621ac9092bef1e9&oe=57B2B1D4

[Snakesitter]

The first key to humidity is limiting air exchange with the outside room. Screen tops and large vents are bad. The step after that is to maximize evaporation -- think large flat water bowls placed party over the heat and a moist moss hide, plus spritzing the substrate every now and then. Good luck!

[Lefitte]

He's in a storage tub with only a few really small holes on each side. I use mountain moss for his substrate. He has a large dish and it's not over his heat but it's about time to turn off his heat so it wont really matter where it is. He does have a humid hide with damp moss and I spray every 1-2 days. The humidity in my house is like 30%. Ah, desert living...

[Snakesitter]

I feel you....we're based in the Los Angeles area. ;-)

[Lefitte]

My humidity issues have been better. I think his hygrometer broke. The humidity won't read right at all so for a while I was going by feel and I think I was actually fretting and keeping the moss a little too wet but that's okay because what's right over the uth dries out the moss so he didn't develop any issues. I also celebrated that he's now 11 months! He's still stunning and puppy dog sweet. Those rainbows and the way the light changes his color amazes me all the time.

Only that changed between these two pictures was direct sun vs shade:
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13178681_10209618780011420_4125096498901348043_n.j pg?oh=30cb8951da0ffa2fa1b22813982d78e5&oe=580E0840

I also took this sweet video of him. He weighed in at 143g then crawled out on to me. Precious little guy.
Youtube link (https://youtu.be/_LK5_KAiyes)

[albertagirl]

He is so beautiful! I could look at pictures of him all day.

[DDW]

What a beautiful couple of shots! Can't wait till I can have one:)

[Snakesitter]

Rainbows are amazing snakes. Not that I'm biased as someone who breeds them. ;-)

Great video clip!!! I love how he crawls right into your hand....

[Albert Clark]

Amazing animal. Definitely a cut above the rest.

[Lefitte]

I might be super biased, too, but I think he's perfect. The only time he gets a little bit grumpy at all is when I let him go free and then touch him again. Last time I felt like I was part of a nature documentary trying to handle some crazy rattlesnake that I found out in the desert or something haha. He snapped back at my so quick and crazy that it took me three tries of touching him before he chilled enough to let me swoop him up. And of course some random person tried talking to me on my patio after. I looked at him like 'dude, did you not just see that epic battle I fought? Go away.'

Other than that, he's always been super chill. I've had him since he was 2 months old. There were five males in his litter and I wanted a male because my king was a girl. I picked out my top favorites and then asked who was more docile. I scrapped my first pick because he was most bitey and picked between two docile ones, finally choosing my boy. And now I'm like how did I ever consider another? I'm totally smitten and I get all stupid girl-sees-a-puppy voiced when I see his little face. Kind of ridiculous. His nicknames are Prince Xango, Snoot, and BoopaSnoot. My sister doesn't even say his name, just "Snooot!".

And yeah, I love that he actively seeks out my hands for something to climb to. I'll see him searching for somewhere to go, offer my hand and without hesitation, he's like YES GOOD IDEA. Love him.

[tastybeets]

Uuuggggh, rainbows are soooo gorgeous I can't stand it. He's beautiful!!

[Lefitte]

They are, they really are. Sometimes my flash catches his iridescence better than my eye but a lot of the time, I can see more than what the camera shows. Sometimes I take him out and just have to stare in awe. Then I remember to close my mouth so I don't end up drooling everywhere haha. I think a lot more people should have them and I think their reputation of being super bitey for all time, is sort of undeserved. I know some are more bitey than others, but in the snake circles I'm in, I don't see enough bite posts and talk to warrant, for example, my pet shop guy asking me if he bites every time we walk in. Even though every time I answer "Not at all" and boop his nose.

Also, this is going to be my first? weekend of temperatures over 100 with Xango. I think we might have had a couple of days shortly after I got him in the mail but it's been fairly cool since August, somehow, and now we're looking at maybe as high as 110 this weekend. And just think, I was wearing a hoodie to bed just two weeks ago because I was freezing.

[Snakesitter]

Just keep a careful eye on those inside temps! As I breeder, I know how nerve-racking hot weather can be!!

[Lefitte]

Yeah. Luckily for me, my parents cant stand heat due to health issues so we run the a/c all the time. Currently, my room is 79 degrees but it's only high 90s today. My bigger fear is not having a way to cool down under 80 because some nights dont get even that low during the height of summer. But I have his cool pool which is 5-10 degrees cooler than the room so that should give him something cool to curl up in or around and hopefully that stays cool enough.

[Snakesitter]

You might check and see if there is a room in the house that stays cooler than others, just as backup. Good luck!

[Lefitte]

Nope, this one is it. I can only use my own room or the dining room and the dining room is only a few feet from the oven so every night in the summer it gets very warm in there. My room also has a thermal curtain which helps keep the heat out. He's on an internal wall and there's a fan blowing cool air from the vent towards his cage. It's 100 today and with the a/c and curtain, my room near his tank is only 80! I still worry since I haven't actually kept that close of an eye on temps before I got him. As long as the a/c doesn't break down [it broke two days before he shipped and was maintenanced then so it shouldn't. I do worry about what happens if my a/c breaks and I'm not home though. My mom doesn't touch them but she might be able to put his cool pool in if it isn't in his cage already. I cross my fingers XD Otherwise I might have to rush home from work to do it and risk getting into trouble at work to make sure he's cool. It'd be worth it.

[Snakesitter]

May your A/C never have issues!

[Lefitte]

Yes! I hope to never have issues! Thankfully, we rarely get rolling block outs here in my city as well. My plan for keeping him cool in an emergency where his cool pool with ice pack won't do involves a styrofoam cooler, icepack, pillow case, and some sort of shelf or something. I don't have that perfectly hashed out. If THAT doesn't work, off to the store we go. I don't worry so much about the girls because they're both desert species. I also hate leaving my house in situations like that because I leave my cats behind and if they suffer, I suffer, but if it's to help another pet, I will.

Got some fun updates.
First, comparison photo!
August 2015 vs June 2016 and about 100g difference between them.
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13393979_10209788017922262_2126730335087311237_n.j pg?oh=f89a7834fa50c50eca42859914dc6ddd&oe=57C4A5AE

And I redid his cage. I added Reptibark which I've never tried before. We'll see how that goes.
https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13331169_10209795420507322_6158076683631066782_n.j pg?oh=d1c6bb1fa2714f875c3e328df847ba67&oe=5809AE48

[Snakesitter]

Good progress -- congrats! He has a nice home...better than my apartment, in fact!

[bigsnakegirl785]

Good progress -- congrats! He has a nice home...better than my apartment, in fact!

lol Yeah apts aren't very fun. If you get a decent-sized one it's not so bad but you're not able to do much modification at all.

Nice growth Lefitte! When I've had Homura long enough for her to show some size I should do a comparison with her. Unfortunately, due to his feeding habits, Morzan isn't going to get any bigger any time soon. Hasn't gained or lost a single gram since I got him in March. I should also do a comparison of some of the other babies...they've grown so much in such a short amount of time.

[Snakesitter]

Have you tried mice? Sometimes they just prefer those, and at that age...whatever gets them to eat.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Have you tried mice? Sometimes they just prefer those, and at that age...whatever gets them to eat.

If you're talking about me, he's the one with the regurge issues, he's not even big enough for mouse hoppers yet. He's probably going to be on fuzzies for a long time. I tried to step him up, but even a large fuzzy is too much for him, gotta stick to the small and mid-sized fuzzies. He'd never get a rat pink down, they're even bigger than hoppers! So mice for sure. :)

[Lefitte]

Thanks! His cage is my favorite of the three I have, but the hardest to care for. I know all about tiny spaces. I live in a mobile home and my room is shared with my niece's things. I think my room is something like 12x12? And I have a small corner in the living room with a shelving unit on it. So most of my personal space is taken over by snakes. Thankfully, cages can be stacked haha.

I love comparison photos! It's where you really get to see their growth since it's hard to tell when you see them all the time. I made an image of my kingsnake's growth and that is massively crazy to look at. Since these are my first snakes, I haven't had the chance to watch any snake grow up and it's been a blast watching them change.

Silly little Morzan, he'll catch up eventually. Watch, just for all this trouble he'll end up a huge male one day.

Xango is currently needing to shed. I need to check if he did while I was at LLL Reptile earlier. Last night I checked on him and he had a funny looking wrinkle and bubble on his head. I did the only thing that you can do in that situation and poked it. Such a strange feeling. Touched down his sides and it felt like the skin was about to slough off just with my touch. Strangest thing, but exactly what you'd expect from a snake who has cleared up and is about to shed. He's got a wealth of humidity, he just needs to finally do the deed. C'mon man.

In other news, I've decided that one day I would like to try breeding BRBs. This shouldn't be very surprising since I've been thinking that the next snake I get might as well be another BRB since I love him so very much. Going in to snake ownership, he is pretty much the thing I wanted from the start. Personality-wise, temperment-wise, and movement-wise. He's a fairly slow mover and he HANGS ON. Thank you for actually hanging on. I swear I'm going to drop my king snake every time she moves. So, I figured that I might as well get a complementary girl while I'm at it so that I can make the choice to breed once both are large, healthy, and old enough to do so. So I've got about 4 years to learn all I can before I can possibly breed them. I hope to have my girl early next year though. As a Xmas present would be awesome. We'll see. She's not even born yet. She'll be moving into his current tank with some new supplies since he'll be keeping most of what he's got now minus the baby hides.

[Snakesitter]

Regurg issues trump everything else, so smaller meals are understandable. My point, however, was the reluctant feeders can often be coaxed to eat by offering mice rather than rats. It's like offering stubborn kids (healthy) candy. ;-)

[Lefitte]

Happy first birthday to Xango! The 19th marked his first birthday! I had to work so I didn't have much time to post or do anything special but I did make time to give him a little swim after work. It's been 110+ all week which means that my house is staying 79-84 but most commonly at 81ish. That's a little warm. Not dangerously warm but that's more like what the warm side should be for him which doesn't give him much of a chance to cool off. I've changed things up, got a new fan to sit and blow cool air along the side of his cage and on me at the same time which should help. I've also made room for his pool in his cage. I might just end up taking out his water dish for a while and use his pool for that too. The pool has an ice pack underneath which keeps the temps in the high 60s - low 70s for a while. I need to do more testing with an aquarium thermometer instead of my laser to get more accurate temps on that but at least it provides him somewhere cool. He was exploring his cage nearly all night last night and I was afraid he was looking for a cool spot.

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13450861_10209914164995860_3648915344061905361_n.j pg?oh=cfc8d9eecb03326d5b42e8bba0c15445&oe=57C1976F

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p206x206/13427855_10209876006721927_8551309458737777423_n.j pg?oh=c751f5a6a24647bea8f98248ae5438d0&oe=580C5DCC

Last night in his cage. It seems he enjoys smelling the air through the little air holes. I had just had the cage open to mist so it couldn't have been him not getting enough air or something. I honestly think he enjoys torturing the cats. They paw at him and he just stars at them... for 15 minutes straight... while I try to sleep.
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13466511_10209932330209979_5593612341956920773_n.j pg?oh=9d5884fe8308b98f87e2236cd60e4324&oe=580D146E

I also got a video of him in his pool on his birthday!
To the Youtube! (https://youtu.be/XXCUL1OymeY)

But the biggest update is actually with my mom. I mentioned that I'm really worried about what happens if something goes wrong and he needs in the emergency cooling ice chest and I'm not home to do it. Like if our a/c blows or a rolling black out hits. My plan in in a pillow case with an icepack but not touching the ice pack in an otherwise empty styrofoam ice chest. It's something I need to test but it should be able to keep him cool in an emergency. Now my sister is happy to handle him but my mom isn't, sister isn't home during the hottest part of the day. I mentioned this to my mom and she has decided, on her own, to start getting used to handling them, especially him. Today she pet my hognose several times and even let her wrap her tail around her hand. That was the 3-4th time in two years of owning snakes that she's touched one. She really cares about them and likes them and really enjoys watching Hoggle crawl around every morning [purposely moves anything in her way so that she can] but touching them is a barrier she's not quite comfortable with. So I guess I get to teach her how to pick up Xango. Should be easy. He's totally fine with it and tends to pretend he's a ball python for several minutes before exploring. But I'm really proud of her, I never expected that from her so my alternative was 'well, I guess I'll have to rush home from work to do it because otherwise he will die'. She's also staked the line at handling Eir, my king, and I don't blame her at all however she's happy to throw a covered ice pack in there to give her a cool place and point fans on her cage if it gets too hot like it did last year. The a/c actually blew two days before Xango shipped so we've already been through that with her.

[Snakesitter]

Huge congrats on the parent breakthrough!!!

[Lefitte]

Been a long time since I updated, hasn't it?
My boy just hit 15 months. I weighed him a couple weeks ago and he was 189g. He's getting 15-18g mice, depending on whatever size is in the package I get since they vary, every 10-14 days.

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p206x206/14364673_10210730906013875_5333883200291640205_n.j pg?oh=426bc3fb3bd581da5b7820cb01294b22&oe=587BCC73

Rainy day for a rainboa.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14370352_10210730907053901_2023769580447757296_n.j pg?oh=685dddef7c04c746f6c0d4769bbea575&oe=5876B77A

Climbing.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14355732_10210730909213955_2778715074720076557_n.j pg?oh=bd1ae231787042025ac372e143e1fadc&oe=58816A25

And a comparison pic! A little over a year between these. I can't believe he was so little haha. Also, my mom pet him quite a bit today. She's trying to at least get more used to him in case she needs to cool him down while I'm not home.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14333589_10210731156700142_684923898272671298_n.jp g?oh=8f1951be026aa36b0ece27308f980a3b&oe=586582CC

He's also officially nipped me twice, the brat. It only happens when I'm trying to measure him. I'm starting to wonder if he doesn't like the measuring tape much haha. Last time I checked, he was just under 3ft.

[Minkness]

Hey! I was just wondering about you the other day! Glad tobsee all seems well. And your boy lokks amazing! Wow is he coloring up beautifully! =D

[Lefitte]

Hey! I keep seeing you sign on and off skype and thinking I should message you soon but I'm always busy at the time and then forget haha. All is well!
He had me pretty curious about what he was doing with his color before this last shed because the previous one turned out a bit darker than he usually is. It's not really as obvious in pictures as it was in person but he wasn't 'wow'ing me quite as much as he used to. Then he shed and as like 'lol mom jk'.
Kinda dark here;
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13921174_10210308774540852_420519616261443325_n.jp g?oh=80dab265b4a258fa7a22d2b8e24f9316&oe=586C42BD

[Minkness]

Yeah, not sure what is going on with my skype lately =/ I may have to uninstall and reinstall. I never see you on though!

And hey, soon you won't have to worry about keeping him cool!

Ibkind of like that dark phase, but man ue really pops now! He may just flop between light and dark like other boas? Not sure if BRBs do that too, but my hypo will be a rich creamy then the next day a kind od ugly, muddy color lol.

[Lefitte]

Oh I am always on skype. On both computer and phone. I never log off haha.

And yes I am soooo excited about that. You have no idea. It was still 103 degrees on Sunday, but today we're getting hit with bits of the hurricane that was down in Mexico.

The dark phase was cool but his orange had dulled out. BRBs definitely flop between colors! This one member on this fb group I'm on has one that flops color dramatically. Looks like a different snake.

Also WHEN DID YOU GET ONE?!

[Minkness]

Lol. I don't have a BRB (yet), I meant my hypo boa =)

Catch you on Skype though since we are having a convo here lol

[bigsnakegirl785]

Nice update! I should weigh Homura again now that she's shed...she's really close to Xango's weight and eating the same size hoppers, but I'm still feeding her every 7 days for now.

I have a Skype as well but my computer can no longer run it without crashing. :/ It's a wonderful product, though, I miss using it.

[Lefitte]

I saw that she was close! I need to weigh him again once he's totally empty. I just fed him this weekend. I lengthened the time between his feedings months ago because I was stuck between too small mice or slightly too large mice. The too small ones were hardly leaving a bump anymore. The large ones were a little over 10% at the time [but well under 15%] so I had to stretch things out. Petsmart calls them 'medium adult mice'. I need to call my lps and see if I can finally get some rats. It's been so hot that having to get a small frozen item in 100+ degree weather before they closed at 6pm all the way across town just seemed like a bad idea so I've been stuck with petsmart. I even take a lunch bag with an icepack when I buy mice because it's so hot and we don't have a/c in the car either.

And oh the glorious failures of computers. Mine fights with me often but even when I close skype on my computer, it's still on my phone. It's my main communication for three of my best friends, because text and facebook is annoying when you type that much haha.

[Lefitte]

Wow! I haven't updated in forever! The last few months have been really busy and stressful. Finished up that semester of school, holidays, then started another. Xango's been growing like a weed. Been switching between rats and mice and he's been loving those rats.

https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/17351323_10212560292947405_1510278182_n.jpg?oh=3c0 b72452bf2e94a26066c169d96c5f4&oe=58CD453E

One of my favorite pictures of him.
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t35.0-12/17380062_10212560295547470_602170843_o.jpg?oh=031e fbb19dca91db9cdc8285325d1d2a&oe=58CE49B5

He's a 361g handful!
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16807729_10212288236346160_4421094445828950955_n.j pg?oh=1a24a9fddc6d366b8b184db7173937ac&oe=596E71F2

I don't happen to have an accurate length on him but he's roughly 3 ft now.
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17309628_10212550698427548_612385920564703688_n.jp g?oh=80359acad9bc410223434d2c055d7393&oe=5958286A

[Scubadiver59]

Beautiful snake...and I mean it!!! :)

[Lefitte]

Thank you!
Also his weight is wrong xD
Apparently the scale didnt tare when I asked it to so it weighed the container he was in as well. No way did he jump from 260g to 360g in a month.