Newborn Solomon boas (finally)

[Stockwell]

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1801candoiacopMar04.jpg
above is the March mating, below the gravid female
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1801Dscn0930.jpg
And yesterday,6 months later, they were finally born. A typical litter for a first time Mom, 14 little shoestrings, one stillborn, one slug(red blob) Candoia change color dramatically as they grow so the baby color doesn't indicate the adult color. Some of these will end up nice high contrast black and whites,like their Dad and others will be more peachy like their Mom.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1801solomonbabiessept24_04.jpg

[BoidKeeper]

Nice stuff Roy. What are their temperments like? Also you've mentioned that they can be hard to get feeding. Is it all of them or only a few hold outs?
Congrats,
Trevor

[Stockwell]

Temperments are great. The babies will only rarely strike and they are so tiny you can't even feel it. They have a weird defense where many will stiffen like twigs rather than strike.
Adult C.c.paulsoni are good captives, being small, and eating dead, live, any type of rodent.
The real beauty of Solomon ground boas is that no two look alike.. sort of the thayeri of the boids, they are also multi-chromatic, and can change their color from night to day, and from one day to another. Many boas can do this but Candoia take it to an extreme.
They prefer cooler temps than many boas, and will avoid hot spots, even when gravid, and this might explain their long gestation period.
Adults are calm once you get them out, but like most snakes in rack systems like mine, they will take a jab at you the second the tray is pulled out because they assume moving tray means dinner time.
About half will usually take live pinks after their first shed. The others will need to be put on the pump for a few feedings, but its no big deal and they are very cooperative with force feeding, and I generally get them all going without losing any. I usually have them all feeding on their own before Xmas. These are always one of the last snakes of the season for me, and raising them gives me something to do over the winter.
A couple years back a friend of mine had a litter of 34 from my bloodline(his animals) We split them to share the workload, but succeeded in getting every single one feeding.

[Colonel_SB]

Wow those are amazing boas! Those are Canodia aspera right?

[BoidKeeper]

Wow they sound great Roy. Might have to add a pair to the list for next year.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Stockwell]

wrong. Candoia carinata paulsoni. The solomon island ground boa

[Colonel_SB]

ahh thanks :)

[Matt_K]

They look awesome Roy!! I actually meant to talk to you about them at the show, I was wondering when you were gonna have some babies.. As you know, we got sidetracked and spoke of other things.. :D

How long exactly do you hold them back before you let them go?? I know they're tiny when born ( i remember seeing Curtis' babies a few years back ) so i'd assume you keep them for a bit of time to get them started???

Congrats..

-Matt

[Stockwell]

Once they are feeding Matt, I will make them available. Some eat right away then others can take a few months at the worst, which believe me is nothing compared to those damn Haitian boas I raised that took 4 years for one of them to eat on its own.. LOL
It might be a few weeks, but I might have some going by the November show. I'll sure try. I didn't forget that you wanted a couple :)

[RepTylE]

Love those black and whites. The first pics I ever saw of Candoia were b&w's. Fell in love on the spot. I hope to get one in the not too distant future. Nice litter you got there, Roy, congrats and best of luck :D

[Jeff_Favelle]

That's so cooool! :D

[Clownfishie]

Awesome Roy, congrats!!! :D I love those guys... I don't know if you remember, but I emailed you about them a few years ago when I was looking to get my first snake -- you steered me in another direction at the time, but I'd still love to get a pair in the not too distant future -- they're beatiful snakes! :)


Jen

[bistrobob85]

Wow, it must be a wonderful thing to see all those babies emerge! I used to have a salomon island ground boa at the place where i work at, but it was one of the meanest snakes i've seen... I'm just glad to know that they're usually tame... They're sooo cute!!! My compliments!

phil.

[corrado]

HEY congrats Roy they are awesome

Sebastien

[Ryan and Katie]

Congrats!! They look amazing!

[Linds]

Congrats! They really are neat little snakes. Be sure to post some hatchling pics sometime! :D

[JDouglas]

Congrats Roy! I just purchased a pair of these at our Annual Iowa Herp Society sale. I tried to pick two that look different because I want different colored adults. They both eat F/T and have ate for me already as you can see in the pics below. These guys are small. The water bowls you see are actually bottle caps.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/reptiless/stuff/solomon/1.JPG

http://showcase.netins.net/web/reptiless/stuff/solomon/2.JPG

I caught this one shedding too...
http://showcase.netins.net/web/reptiless/stuff/solomon/3.JPG

http://showcase.netins.net/web/reptiless/stuff/solomon/4.JPG

[Katt]

Whoa neat little boas.

I had an adult male once. That whole eating once every two months thing, just did not go well with me.

Cute li'l babies though!!!

[BWSmith]

Stockwell, empty your PM box or drop me an email please. I have a couple questions for you.

[adamofsound]

oh wow, those are TINY I cant beleive it how small they are compared to a bottle cap!!!!!! (can you tell Im not a snake guy ......yet... Im working on it.....) too cool

how big do adults get?

Adam

[Morelia206]

WOW ! Congradulation :D

I'm really happy to meet another Candoia breeder ;)

I'm a big fan of candoia, I have a pair of candoia c. paulsoni too.
I had a clutch of twelve babies in 2002 ....And she is still pregnant now, exactly two years after her first clutch and she should give birth anydays from now. I can't wait to see the babies

so, whenever you want to talk about candoia .... think about me ;)

Just for fun, some pics of my littles boas ;)

here is my male (in a really good day)
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/5564candoiam1.jpg

this is his little girlfriend (always in a bad mood), she's not really photogenic

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/5564IM001539.jpg

And some of their babies at 6 months old (really cute, aren't they ?)
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/5564baby1-med.jpg
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/5564bbcandoia7.jpg

[D J N]

Wow man awesome boas :)