I can't stop lookin' at my new Snake!

[Matt]

Just got this squamiger only a couple days ago and Im so happy with her! Shes only about 6" long and has a tiny little face....
She is a stubborn feeder, but hopefully i can change that soon :)
Shes a bit fiesty, but not too bad!

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/510/20atheris1.jpg

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/510/20atheris2-med.jpg

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/510/20atheris3.jpg

I wanted to post this pic too. She came to me with a piece of shed skin attached to her left eye. A while back BWSmith posted a thread along the lines of "Ive got hooks, I wont need to touch 'em".
This is a good example of how you cant always used big long tools to manipulate hots!
I'm going to venture to the business end of this snake later tonight with some long tweezers and get that skin off

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/510/20atheris4.jpg

thanks for looking, lemme know whatcha think!

[ReneeB]

WOW

[Big Mike]

Congrats

That snake is amazing...what's the common name?

[alex_33]

WOAH! thats one beautiful snake! absolutely amazing!

[Matt]

thanks!
Mike, Its a Variable Bush Viper <i>Atheris squamigera</i>

[vanderkm]

Absolutely breathtaking - great photos and beautiful snake,

mary v.

[reptile gallery]

That is OUTSTANDING!!!!!!
I know you are aware of this but I can't help wishing you luck and safety this evening with the 'business' end. It's almost like she left it there .. right there .. just to get to know you better!

Textbook photo of one of the worlds most beautiful animals. Well done...

[marisa]

Its hard to believe she is only 6 inches!!!! If you get any pics next to something for size it would be awesome! She is awesome! I love that shade of yellow!

And good luck with the skin thing!

Marisa

[Matt]

thanks for the comments guys!

Marisa, sorry, i will get a size comarison pic up soon, her head is about the size of an eraser on a pencil

I know you are aware of this but I can't help wishing you luck and safety this evening with the 'business' end. It's almost like she left it there .. right there .. just to get to know you better!

r.g, i dont plan on getting to know her any better than i already do :D

[Sean_.E.]

That is one hell of an amazing snake! Good luck with her! If possible could you get a size comaparison pic? (withouth getting bitten)...lol

[Matt]

ok, i took this right now.
thats a standard size pen (obviously :) )

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/510/20atheris6-med.jpg

[marisa]

OMG!!! Wow! That's an amazing snake!!! Holy crap...I still can't believe how small it is!! What a beauty. I would be up all night watching that little thing!

:)

Marisa

[Gregg M]

LOL...... Matt she is tiny dude....... I love squams...... She is absolutily beautiful........ Hey dude, I would try to soak her first...... But I am sure you did that already...... The thing I found works the best is scotch tape....... I put a piece on padded forcepts and just touch the eye cap...... Put it off slowly and the eye cap is gone....... Good luck with her....... She is awsome......

[Trace]

Congrats Matt, she's a beauty! I can't beleive her head is the size of an eraser!!!

Good luck tonight, it would be interesting to watch you get that shed off. Keep us posted please.

Cheers!

Trace

[RachelS.]

awww what a cutie!! I want one ;)

[Matt]

hey gregg, i already soaked her and it didnt work, so i gently scratched her with the hook, but its on there pretty good,
...but Ive never tried the scotch tape, thanks for the idea, I'll try that before the tweezers!

thanks Trace, Ill letcha know how it goes!

[marisa]

What would be the effects of a bite from one that young? Does it even make a differance? *i know nothign about hots*

Marisa

[Clownfishie]

Awesome! :) Very cool looking snake... so tiny and cute too! Hehe...

[ThEmAdHaTtEr]

WOAH WOAH!!! You have a squag, now that is soooooo awesome. Good luck on getting that skin off...be careful too.

[ETET]

Nice pics Matt! Another method you may try is to put the squamigera in a tiny plastic tube. When her head come out a bit from one end (of course you need to hold the rear body to prevent the head from coming out too fast), you can use a padded forcep to remove the skin safetly.


ETET

[Tim and Julie B]

Matt all I have to say is ":jawdrop:" and ":bugged:"

[ThEmAdHaTtEr]

Lol yeah I second Tim and Julie's post. Truly an AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING snake.

[Gregg M]

I do not think a bite from one that size is particularly life threatening...... Those glands are so tiny and even full grown adults do not have a huge venom yield....... But Atheris have been known to cause death..... So who would want to take the chance......

[Matt]

some say (i dont know if its been proven) that hatchlings cause more serious bites because they have no control of their venom glands, so they give a full venom yeild.
whereas, adults can control the amount of venom output, so its not always as serious!
Im not sure if that is completely true

plus, gregg does have a point....bites are not typically considered life threatening, but deaths have occured in the past!

Tim and Julie, thanks :D that was pretty much my reaction when i first saw her too!

[ThEmAdHaTtEr]

Originally posted by Matt
some say (i dont know if its been proven) that hatchlings cause more serious bites because they have no control of their venom glands, so they give a full venom yeild.
whereas, adults can control the amount of venom output, so its not always as serious!
Im not sure if that is completely true Yeah thats what ive always thought. Ive heard it on pretty much every snake special ive seen.

[marisa]

Yeah when I was little people used to say that about the rattlesnakes where I lived in California, the babies were worse because of that. I never thought it was true though.

Thanks for the answers guys! That's one nice snake, deadly or no.

marisa

[Gregg M]

I think it is more myth than truth...... Anyway, squams are amazing snakes....... Infact the pic on this post makes me want to get a pair at the upcomming Hamburg show....... Thanks alot Matt!!!!! LOL.......

[Mike177]

wow she realy is a cool snake how big will he be when he is full grown?

[Matt]

Mike, they are a fairly small species.
males get around 18 inches or so
while females can get up around 30 inches or slightly more


Infact the pic on this post makes me want to get a pair at the upcomming Hamburg show

LOL...go for it Gregg

[Joe]

Amazing!

[skin78]

question,,, how do you hook such a small snake??? It really is a beuaty by the way

[Gregg M]

Very small home made hook....... I use modified coat hangers for baby puffs, gaboons, and rhinos........ Works great...... Hey Matt, did you get that eye cap/skin off yet?????

[Mustangrde1]

Matt I am jelous man that is a real gem to any collection.

[Jeremy]

Het Matt,
Cograts on the awesome little prickly head! I currently have a pair of squams and they are hands down my fav arboreal vipers.

I didnt read every post to this thread so excuse me if this has already been adressed but I wanted to share a few feeding stratagies with you that I have learned from the masters of Atheris. (York and Derek Morgan)

As you know, baby squams can be a pain from time to time. However, they are much easier then others in the genus and much, much easier then the trims (minus the purpuremactualtus:-). They key here is to get them to strike. Squams instinctivly hang on to prey due to their arboreal life styles so getting them to strike will usualy results in a hanging on bite.. The easiest way to do this is to piss em off:-) Through many feeding sessions with tons of baby squams I have found that tapping them gentley, about a third of the way down from their head, ususaly gets a reaction. It really seems to tick em off and I ususaly get a strike. Also very gently tapping on the head work almost equally well.

Now these methods may only enduce a defensive strikes at first but if you are presistant(not too presistant though) they will eventualy get mad enough and give a good chomp[. Once they have their fangs stuck in it pretty much a cake walk from there. Just remeber to be very still untill the pinky part reaches the point of no return!!!!!

Another teasing method is to gentaly tap there tail and see if you can use their cuduual lureing instinct to work in your favor. I still find the above mentioned loaction to be more of a G spot if you will:-D

If it comes down to it, senting with frog may be required but I have never had this happen with a squam.

If everything goes well and you do have a female, you will be wishing for that stubborn feeding response!!! Females get horrible feeding responses and strike at every movment around them! Its extreamly cute but always expect it. If a squam gets ahold of you they wont let go and im sure youve read how lovely their venom is:-)

Anyway, sorry if im preaching to the choir:-) Just passing down this time tested method which has worked great for me and my freinds. Good luck and that is truley a beautiful squam!!

All the best,
Jeremy

[Linds]

OMG she is too cute!!! :eek: Congrats and good luck with her! ;)

[Matt]

Jeremy,
thanks for the advice man, i really appreciate it....Ive been trying to tease feed her, but have yet to get a defensive strike from her.....although she had no problem striking at my fingers when i had the camera in her face :)

i know Im going to need all the advice i can get on getting her to eat, so thank you very much for sharing your experince...i may need it again sometime

Gregg, thanks for the scotch tape idea, it worked beautifully on the skin around the eye! i owe ya one man :)

thanks for all the complimenst guys...i really didnt expect this many replies in the venomous forum....its nice to know people are lookin' :D

[Gregg M]

Glad to here you got it off....... Its nice when you dont have to get your hands too close to their face....LOL.... Talk to you later.....

[BoidKeeper]

Glad to hear it's all good Matt! She is awsome! Congrats!
Trevor