Fire Bull

[toddnbecka]

Quick pic of the fire bull I brought home from the Hamburg show Saturday. Tax refund season and there was a 10 minute wait in line to get in the door when we got there around 12:30pm. Saw quite a few empty display boxes, and the crowding was ridiculous. This one was the only/last baby fire bull, saw some nice baby gopher snakes but I liked him better. Very calm when picked up and handled at the show, I rather though he'd hiss or show some attitude. He hasn't been handled since being put into his new tub, seems quite active and curious though. Unlike the milk snake he didn't burrow into the aspen as soon as he came in contact with it, just ducked into the ceramic cave then stuck his head back out to watch. Haven't seen him back in there much the last couple days though, usually just hanging around out in the open. Skinny little guy, definitely looks too narrow for fuzzy mice yet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060840_zps3kqmoyiq.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060840_zps3kqmoyiq.jpg.html)

[Herpo]

Bills are awesome snakes, can't wait to see how this guy turns out! Keep us posted!

[Herpo]

I think it's pretty clear I meant bulls not bills...

[Humble308]

TNB, Great looking bull. Always love seeing new Pitouphis. He's got an interesting head pattern or lack thereof lol, will be interesting to see how he grows out. What genetics make up the fire morph?

Jason has a couple red bulls het albino up on Kingsnake that I've been very tempted by, but perhaps in a few years. All the best!

[Andy_G]

Nice pickup! Looking forward to progression pics for this guy! Also, unless he's a runt, he should be big enough for mouse pinkies or rat fuzzies as they hatch out close to large enough to do so. You can always go with a couple of mouse pinkies though if you feel like you're pushing it with anything bigger. :)

[EL Ziggy]

Nice Bull TnB. They're great snakes to keep. Your guy definitely looks like he can smash fuzzy mice. :)

[Minkness]

Beautiful bull! Curious though, what makes it a 'fire'?

[Andy_G]

I THINK it's the trade name for a stillwater hypo x kingsville red? Red really bursts through during the first two years of colour development and is often subtle with hatchlings, but it is a highly variable trait.

[Minkness]

Oooh, sounds like it will be awesome! Can't wait to see some progression pics!

[toddnbecka]

I was looking at this narrow little guy, thinking a small pink mouse would be about the same diameter as his middle. Aside from one pinky I gave to the tangerine milk all I had in the freezer were fuzzies, and the current live babies are now hoppers.
I thawed out a fuzzy and offered it, and I gotta say I've never seen such an eager feeding response for a room-temp dead prey item. It took a couple minutes, and I do believe that was the max size for his mouth-stretching capacity, but it went down tail first because he grabbed it by a hindquarter and was in too much of a feeding frenzy to turn it around, lol. Not quite a carpet python, but apparently I underestimated his capacity. He has been tucked up in the cave over the warm end of the tub, not surprising given the size of the meal, but a change from his behavior prior to feeding.
I actually had no clue what makes a fire bull different, just liked the looks and disposition of this one. After googling and seeing some pics of the Kingsville red that crossed with a Stillwater hypo produces a fire I'm really looking forward to seeing this one grow out.
Obviously I like red snakes, but I didn't realize this little one had such colorful potential.

[Humble308]

Very cool. Basically a hypo red bull :D. I've seen a couple of Jason's full grown versions and they make for absolutely gorgeous bull snakes. Glad to see everyones new additions are settling in so nicely. Keep up updated!

[Albert Clark]

Wow, very nice specimen! Digging the dorsal saddles and his coloration. That Hamburgh expo is a great place to pick up exceptional reptiles. I vended there back in August '15 with some high end garter snakes. The crowd was very eager and friendly. Sorry I missed this one. Congrats on the new bull snake.

[toddnbecka]

This little one shed last week, not quite all in one piece but it all came off cleanly. He has quite an appetite and a fierce feeding response. I offered a very small f/t rat pink to the Hondo, but I suspect it was simply too large for that skinny little one. Waste not want not, and this one hadn't eaten since the shed, so I dangled the rat pink over his head. Dropped it almost on his head (bad grip on the tail with the forceps) and he shot across the tub and struck at the side, then started looking all around for the food. Sort of reminded me of a startled cat, the way they try to act like it was their idea to move so suddenly and quickly... lol.
I picked it up again and dropped it in front of him, and he attacked it like he was starving to death. He is very good about handling, though he did almost fall (caught him with my other hand) and that seemed to upset him a bit. He buzzed his tail a couple times, but settled back down quickly enough, though I swear he had a different attitude after the close call. He was happy enough to head back into his tub, and seemed to be napping later when I offered the food.

[EL Ziggy]

Glad your bull is eating well for you TnB. They're not carpets but they'll surprise you with their appetites. They're not your typical colubrid and should be fed more liberally, especially when they're young.

[Humble308]

Haha very nice TnB. My gopher Bellatrix is usually my garbage disposal as my hognose will go on and off food at times. My rats just had their first litter so I think I'll try a pink for Bella next week and see what happens. Any new pics post shed?

[toddnbecka]

Glad your bull is eating well for you TnB. They're not carpets but they'll surprise you with their appetites. They're not your typical colubrid and should be fed more liberally, especially when they're young.

The rat pink was about the same size as a small fuzzy mouse, apparently no problem for the bull even as young as he is. I feed baby colubrids on a 5 day schedule, worked well for the Jap rats and kings, those are now up to large fuzzy or small hopper mice.

I didn't take any post-shed pics because there wasn't much difference in the appearance in the pic above. Maybe a little fresher looking, but no real change in color or definition of the markings. My Jap rats are showing a bit of green now, though still a long way from their adult colors, but a visible difference than when they arrived.

[Andy_G]

It'll take a few sheds until much of a change is seen. The stillwater as well as other hypo lines tend to lose black and gain colour as they age so the pattern itself may actually become more muted as far as contrast goes.

Every 5 days works. Lots of people go every 4 and some go every 3...these guys digest fast and have a very fast metabolism in comparison to most other colubrids. Any more often than every 3 days and you may be venturing into the "power feeding" category IMO. Whatever works for you and your snake. :)

[EL Ziggy]

I feed em every 5 days when they're young too but a little more food. I know you've got a good handle on it. :)

[Humble308]

Haha sorry TnB I guess I get so pumped to see how everyones pits are coming along :D

[toddnbecka]

Here's a couple quick pics from Thursday, chowing down a rat pink:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060884_zpslszcz6eb.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060884_zpslszcz6eb.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060882_zpsxpriur7b.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060882_zpsxpriur7b.jpg.html)

[toddnbecka]

Couple recent pics, this one is growing very quickly. Will happily take 2 rat pinks, while the baby Honduran milk from the same reptile show is still taking small peach fuzz mice.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060894_zpsh6yp2upr.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060894_zpsh6yp2upr.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/toddnbecka/Snakes/P1060892_zpsfkmhbbkf.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/toddnbecka/media/Snakes/P1060892_zpsfkmhbbkf.jpg.html)

Colors are a bit darker/more distinct now, but not much different yet. Great disposition, usually comes right over to my hand when I reach into the enclosure. Not flighty at all about being picked up and handled, and happily takes food in hand w/out trying to eat a finger before or after (unlike my female thayeri king, lol.)

[EL Ziggy]

Those colors are really coming in strongly TnB. How much does your bull weigh now? He's growing fast.

[Andy_G]

Looking great! Some of the red/fire bulls will orange or yellow out a bit but will still throw some awesome babies. At that age it's hard to tell exactly how they'll develop, but that's looking to be a really nice one!