New ETB on the way- advice/tips?

[Will0W783]

Hi everyone!
I have always loved ETBs and GTPs. I am getting a 2-year-old, hand-trained ETB this coming week, and I am soo excited. From the pictures I can see, it looks to be about 3 feet long. I got for housing an Exo-terra 18x18x24 rainforest habitat kit. I will put a cradle holding a dowel perch in it for the snake to lie on. I also need to get fluourescent bulbs for the light hood.
Anyone have experience keeping these guys? What should I watch out for? I think the snake will arrive on Wed. March 18 in the early morning. Altough it is a docile one, will it be likely to snap when it first arrives being as it will have been cooped up in a little box overnight?
I know it will need to be misted 3x daily and the humidity kept up above 75% in day and 65% at night. It is supposed to be eating twice monthly.
I have never had one of these but have had good luck with all my other snakes so far. Any advice and tips would be very much appreciated:freakedout:

[Smilts]

I keep ATB's and not ETB's so I have no real advice other than, a little water fall in the tank looks nice and does wonders for keeping humidity up with much less misting. What are you going to use for ambient air heating?

[Will0W783]

I have a room set up for reptiles, as my boyfriend and I have quite a few. I will put fluorescent heat lamps in the hood that came with the cage, and the room stays between 80 and 85 during the day, more in the basking areas of the snakes that need it. each one has its own heat lamp. I have heard that ETBs need less heat than most other snakes because they are arboreal...is that correct?

[Smilts]

mid to low 80's so it sounds like your well prepared congrats on the soon to be new arrival

[Will0W783]

Thanks, Coy! I will post pics of the snake and its cage when it comes. :)

[Smilts]

look forward to seeing the pictures.

[Chu'Wuti]

Oh, you're here, too! Enjoy your new snake--hope it arrives OK!

[Will0W783]

Who's this, Chu'Wuti? Thanks, I hope she comes ok too. I can't wait!

[Will0W783]

Update to this post- the emerald, I named her Esmeralda, is doing wonderfully. I have her in an 18x18x24 Exoterra tank with two scorched PVC pipe perches- one high and one low. She is as docile as I could have hoped for- you can just reach in and pull her perch out and she will come off onto your arms. She didn't eat for 4 weeks when I first got her, but shed in one piece and then ate 3 days later (large f/t mouse). Two weeks later, on this past Sunday, she ate a f/t rat pup. She is healthy and absolutely beautiful. The blue iridescence on her now that she has shed is just amazing. I am absolutely thrilled with this gorgeous girl and recommend J. Daniel at Herpterra.com for anyone looking for an etb, or any snake for that matter. :)

[Chu'Wuti]

This is wonderful news! Congratulations! We'd love to see pics . . . [hint, hint!]

[Will0W783]

Ok, here are some pictures of Esmeralda- on my hand and in her cage. I love how docile and curious she is! Enjoy!

[siz]

She is beautiful indeed! ..and how lucky are you that she is tame?! You have some amazing snakes! :)

[Will0W783]

Thanks Siz! Yes, she is a wonderful girl. I can't claim that I tamed her myself though- she came to me "dog tame" from Herpterra- great guy! She is nowhere near as difficult to care for as people claim etbs are. She has shed and eaten twice for me in the month and a half that I've had her. She eats f/t either large mice or even rat pups! She hasn't pooped yet though, so before she gets her next meal she will need to. BUt I set up the auto misting system and it keeps her very happy. I guess the fact that the humidity needs to be so high can be hard for people, but I haven't had any trouble yet *knock on wood* (Am I jinxing myself by saying how easy she is?* :p

[Chu'Wuti]

She is beautiful!

[Will0W783]

Thanks Chu! Always nice to get kudos from a veteran poster like yourself. :)

[BP_okay]

Beautiful snake!!! I hope to have one an ETB someday and it's good to know they can be or are tamer than their reputation precedes them. You are one lucky gal :) Congrats

[Rob McRobbie]

My advice to you is do not buy it... It looks awful thin and is surely a wild caught animal... In the coming months, CB baby emeralds will be hitting the market and you will thank yourself over and over again for waiting and purchasing captive bred....


Rob

[Will0W783]

I already got her, hence the pictures. She is thin, but she eats well and seems to be doing well for me. I have had her a month and a half now and she is great. She was wild-caught as a hatchling, but had been with Herpterra for two years before I got her.

[Rob McRobbie]

I really am not intending on insulting you... but if Herpterra had the animal for 2 years prior to you acquiring it... then they were not properly taking care of it... For your sake, I hope the animal turns around and puts on weight for you. However, what I said in my original post comes from years of trying to rehabilitate wild caught emeralds... Now, i wouldn't accept one if someone paid me to take it..


Rob

[Will0W783]

Don't worry, I'm not insulted- sorry if I came off that way; it's been a bad week at work..lol. Anyway, Herpterra told me she was eating once a month, she's been eating every other week for me, so twice a month. She has been checked for parasites and she's clean. She is alert and curious and seems to be enjoying her new setup. I am keeping an eye on her to see if I can get some meat on her bones though, because she does look a bit slim to me. I am confident she will do well. She is also only 2 years old, so not an adult yet, which may have something to do with it? But being as I already have her, and I adore her and couldn't part with her, any advice from you as you've had experience with ETBs would be appreciated! :)

[Rob McRobbie]

All I can say is put the weight on her slowly... If you push the issue when it comes to feeding, they will not do well as their digestive systems are fine tuned on taking sporadic meals... After 3 meals, wait for a bowel movement.. The last thing you want is for her to give you a meal back..


Rob

[Will0W783]

Yeah, I've read that when they start regurgitating, they usually keep doing it. She has eaten twice since I got her and hasn't pooped yet, so I guess I should wait for a poop before she eats again right? I don't want to overfeed her, but I also want her to get enough nutrients, because she did lose a bit of weight the first month when she wouldn't eat for me. She is looking a bit better now though, although of course that might just be my perspective, since I now know she's eaten twice. It is very neat to watch her eat, hanging down from her perch. Also, since she is very tame and can be handled, how long after a meal should I wait before I resume handling her? I figured at least 5-6 days, is that good?

[Chu'Wuti]

I guess I should wait for a poop before she eats again right?

Yes, I think so. You don't want to overload her digestive system. You can probably begin handling her about the third or fourth day after a meal without causing regurg. But let her digestive system finish its job & clean out before feeding again.

Good luck!

[ethanpage]

hi
i will like to know if your snake is still available and if so please provide me with more information on the snake
i have always dream t to having a snake and now my dream is about to come true

[Will0W783]

Thank you all for the great advice!