View Full Version : New addition: MBK!
TxScarlet15
08-06-15, 08:43 PM
I finally managed to settle on what I wanted as my next snake and found a really nice MBK. Picked him up yesterday and only have poor quality pics of him from the ride home but I'll try to get some better ones and put them up. He's 4 years old, about 4ft. a lot thicker than I expected but so far impressions are he's pretty mellow. He's in quarantine right now and I plan on letting him chill and get nice and comfy for the next week or two before I think about taking him out. I was told the snake is a male but I think I'll probably get him probed anyway once he gets out of quarantine. I'm still thinking on names, the only one I have right now is the Latin word Etsi, trying to determine if it would work for a male snake :O_o:.
EL Ziggy
08-06-15, 10:36 PM
Congrats Scarlet! Can't wait to see pics of your MBK. I like the names Dexter or Drax for your guy :).
drumcrush
08-07-15, 10:39 AM
^^Drax sounds like a pretty rad name!
Congrats on the new addition!
TxScarlet15
08-07-15, 05:53 PM
Here are the pics from the ride home.
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Question: right now I have him on a heat mat and plan to keep him on one. I've been thinking about maybe down the road adding a lamp or some sort of lighting for a light cycle, but being a nocturnal species does he need it? Do snakes in general need any special rays like UVB or is it specific species of reptiles?
drumcrush
08-07-15, 07:32 PM
He doesn't need any special lighting. I don't think a light Is even necessary for a light cycle but I use LED lights just for looks
EL Ziggy
08-08-15, 12:00 AM
Wow, he is a big boy TX. Like DC said you don't need any special lighting but my kings do get some indirect sunlight daily. Did you drill the holes in your tub? I can never get mine that straight. :)
TxScarlet15
08-08-15, 05:26 AM
Wow, he is a big boy TX. Like DC said you don't need any special lighting but my kings do get some indirect sunlight daily. Did you drill the holes in your tub? I can never get mine that straight. :)
I had my dad drill the holes during one of our pit stops. One side was actually pretty good, the other not so much and it bugs me to no end, I like my things neat and straight lol. With the lighting is it bearded dragons that I'm thinking of that need UVB?
Sylphie
08-08-15, 06:06 AM
Tx, yeah, many lizards need UVB, but most (if not all) of the colubrids don't :) And nice addition, post some pics of him soon!
Albert Clark
08-08-15, 07:32 AM
Beautiful mbk! If you are going to have him on the heat mat make sure you purchase a thermostat to regulate the heat so he doesn't get injured.
TxScarlet15
08-08-15, 07:34 AM
Managed to snap a few pics while he was out cruising around. Excuse the horrible spots on the glass, thought I had gotten them all but I guess not.
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Minkness
08-08-15, 08:55 AM
Beautiful! I can't wait for my girl to get that big!
drumcrush
08-08-15, 09:12 AM
Lookin good!
trailblazer295
08-08-15, 09:44 AM
Jealous, nice looking MBK. Still waiting for the day I can get one.
I've read they like a light cycle. I have an LED strip in what will be an MBK cage. I plan to run the light on a timer.
TxScarlet15
08-08-15, 05:45 PM
Beautiful mbk! If you are going to have him on the heat mat make sure you purchase a thermostat to regulate the heat so he doesn't get injured.
Yeah that was one of the first things I got when I decided get another snake. Actually had quite the scare with that yesterday morning, he had gone under the paper towels and had moved the probe for the stat off the UTH. I didn't notice right away, but when I did it was already really hot and I was so scared he'd burnt himself. Thankfully he did not and I got the temp back down and steady. I taped the probe down with some electrical tape so it can't be moved and made sure the tape is secure with not even the slightest entry point. Still unsure about the tape though so if any of you have any ideas I'd be glad to hear them.
Aaron_S
08-08-15, 08:33 PM
Attached the thermostat probe to the headpad outside the enclosure.
Use a temp gun to monitor jot spot in the enclosure and adjust accordingly.
misskirbyd
08-09-15, 05:50 AM
Yeah, make sure there is no tape inside the enclosure, that could end very badly.
He is gorgeous!
TxScarlet15
08-10-15, 04:44 PM
I moved the probe to the underside the other day and I feel much better about it now. I was originally planning on waiting a couple feedings before holding him for the first time but he dropped a nasty poop earlier today so I went ahead and took him out so I could get everything cleaned up. He was pretty active but calm while I was holding him, so that's good. He wasn't too thrilled about going back in, but I think that's mainly because he's getting hungry again. Sorry I don't have any new pics this time, I'm not used to trying to get pics while holding a 4ft snake that's climbing all over me lol.
BIGT FROM F.B.
08-10-15, 05:31 PM
Awesome! You don't have to wait for him to grow either. Mine should be there in a year or two.
Congrats on the new addition ^.=.^ you make me want a mbk even more :)
Albert Clark
08-11-15, 10:10 AM
I moved the probe to the underside the other day and I feel much better about it now. I was originally planning on waiting a couple feedings before holding him for the first time but he dropped a nasty poop earlier today so I went ahead and took him out so I could get everything cleaned up. He was pretty active but calm while I was holding him, so that's good. He wasn't too thrilled about going back in, but I think that's mainly because he's getting hungry again. Sorry I don't have any new pics this time, I'm not used to trying to get pics while holding a 4ft snake that's climbing all over me lol.
Just make sure the probe is between the heat mat and the glass bottom. Not just taped to the bottom of the heat mat. :bouncy:
TxScarlet15
08-24-15, 02:59 PM
Finally getting his permanent home set up and so far I'm liking it better than what I did for my GBK. Next up is to get a layer of leaves and hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get the plants. I'm still undecided though as to whether I have too much dirt or not, it's only 3inches but it looks like a ton of soil.
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Ive never had an MBK, but if they are anything like their Cali cousins, you'll likely find that you want to go deeper, to be honest. My Cali king burrows and digs so much that Ive gone up to 6-8 inches now. I had it at 4 inches before and he dug up all the plants, and generally pushed it around until it was just a big pile of dirt in the middle.
Also, personally I wouldnt discredit the use of UVB for snakes, especially sun loving snakes like kings. Their skin produces Vit D metabolites when exposed to UV light, so I would recommend making use of that naturally evolved characteristic.
Oh missed this post. Very pretty and big!!!
Pareeeee
08-29-15, 10:20 PM
Beautiful! I'm jealous, been wanting one for a while now.
TxScarlet15
09-01-15, 12:55 PM
Yay! Finally managed to get some halfway decent pics of my MBK! He is so stinking hard to photograph because he's constantly on the move and I'm still getting used to handling him, but hopefully I'll be able to get some better pics in the future. I'm still trying to find a name that suits him, although my sister mentioned the other day that I should name him Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians and, oddly enough, I think I'm actually starting to like that name. His viv unfortunately is taking a lot longer than I had originally planned, had some big set-backs and have been really busy with work lately, but if all goes well then I'll be able to get back to in the next day or two. And now on to the pics! (He's not as blue as some of those pics make him seem, it's a combination of the light fixture and my less than stellar phone.)
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