Profile : Monty

[Lankyrob]

Our fourth snake was a BP called monty - we had issues on top of issues with regard to him feeding and tried pretty much everything. The weirdest thing was the shop i buy my reptiles from had all his clutch borthers and sisters - none of them ever ate! It ended up that the whole clutch were given by the shop owner to his staff for free as the only way they took food was force feeding - this was only done as a last resort when the body weight started dropping and they were looking unhealthy. As you know i keep regular contact with the shop - there were 7 brothers and sisters in all and even now a year old only 2 of those will eat without being either assist/force fed. The shop staff are all very experienced keepers that have extensive reptile knowledge and if they cant get them to feed i dont think anyone can.

The result was that Monty went to one fo the staff and was replaced by BP from a later clutch - here is Monty II! Very placid, chilled out but quite active BP, eats sheds and poos well and never caused us any problems.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Reptiles%20Nov%202010/DSC_0059.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Reptiles%20Nov%202010/DSC_0077.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Animals/Reptiles/Photo0178.jpg

[Sapphyr]

Awww~ He's gorgeous~ Love his name and colors, too :D More I look at BPs, more I want one. I held one the other day at a pet store. Honestly just feeds my want for one, but I swore no more snakes until I move out D:

[Lankyrob]

I think it is a requirement for all snake owners to have a Python called Monty as some point in there keeping career ;) :yes: ;)

[Sapphyr]

Ha! xD Indeed. What about Montague? c: .. That's pretty close, too~ I can imagine it now... An Irian Jaya CP named Montague...

[Aaron_S]

I think it is a requirement for all snake owners to have a Python called Monty as some point in there keeping career ;) :yes: ;)

I have never and refuse to ever do so!

[Lankyrob]

Aaron you spoilsport!! ;) :lol:

[marvelfreak]

How big is he getting to be Rob.

[Lankyrob]

About 18 to 24 inches at the moment, he was growing almost noticeably and then went off feed for three months, now eating again so hoping for a nice growth over the next few months.

[Lankyrob]

Shed this weekend and so here are teh post shed pics!!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Photo0358.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Photo0357.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Photo0355.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Photo0354.jpg

[stephanbakir]

Looks great! Did they ever figure out why the snakes refused to feed?

[Lankyrob]

The ones where the whole clutch didnt feed? No - actually spoke to the manager of the reptile shop yesterday when i picked up some food. ALL of the ones still living are still eating only with assist feeding, most have never struck fed. The two that were eating normally have now stopped and are only assist feedin.

It certainly looks like something genetic as the whole clutch are affected and none of the other BP's from that breeder before or after have had any issues.

One of lifes unexplained mysteries i guess!

[stephanbakir]

Shame, having to assist feed any snake is bad enough, but a whole clutch =/

[Lankyrob]

My personal opinion is that most shop owners would have euthanized them but by spreading them around his staff they each only have one snake to assist feed so its not too much hassle. They all apparently are healthy, if alittle underweight, apart from the not feeding properly, tis a strange world!

[stephanbakir]

Honestly, its a terrible way to live. Assist feeding is incredibly stressful.

[SPARTAN 77]

I think it is a requirement for all snake owners to have a Python called Monty as some point in there keeping career ;) :yes: ;)

ha, i might name my next bp Monty! I hoping to move mine to a larger tank and get another one. Nice one man! :)

[Lankyrob]

Terrible pic - apologies - just showing that ALL my snakes respond to the plastic plate!!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/Photo0390.jpg

[stephanbakir]

Might have to try that :P

[Lankyrob]

New phone so chance to do some update pics and figure out how the camera works!

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/05082011003.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/05082011004.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/05082011005.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/05082011006.jpghttp://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/05082011008.jpg

[brylecc1989]

Beautiful royal Rob. Very vibrant! My next snake will be a ball :)

[TeaNinja]

my snakes enjoy dragging prey off of flat surfaces onto the substrate anyway. lol

[Lankyrob]

When they strike dont immediately let go of the prey - they are more likely to wrap it up on the plate then rather than drag it off elsewhere.

[TeaNinja]

i don't use tongs, i just put it in their viv and let them eat it. but tongs might solve that.

[Lankyrob]

TOngs mean you can do the dead prey dance with it too! ;)

[Lankyrob]

Monty is by far our least handled snake being of a shy disposition, he shed yesterday sp pulled him out for his post shed check and snapped a couple of pics.

I reckon him to be just over 2ft long, maybe touching 2.5ft and very weighty! I put my hand in one pic to show comparison size as other pics show him balled into my palm.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/15122011170.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/15122011171.jpg

[alessia55]

He looks nice and chunky- growing fast. :)

[KORBIN5895]

So reading this thread I just thought I would let you know that my Colombian boa was terrible to feed when I first got it. I was talking to the reptile guy a few months later and he was surprised when I showed him pics. Most of his litter mates had died because they wouldn't eat. About 4 out of the 20 they knew about survived.

[ZARADOZIA]

Such a beauty Rob!! It's hard to believe Sasha was that small a year ago and now she is almost twice that!

[Lankyrob]

Monty's turn for pics tonight :)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/28012012225.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/28012012226.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/28012012227.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/28012012228.jpg



Am loving the stripe for first few inches behind head
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/28012012229.jpg


And the last few inches of his tail
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/28012012230.jpg

[alessia55]

The stripe on his tail reminds me of my Kaybe :D
Monty is very sweet; I can't believe you said he's the least handled! They are great lap snakes :D

[Lankyrob]

He is much less nervous now as you can see from the pics, no balling up at all this time. :)

[CK SandBoas]

Monty is such a cutie!

[Norm66]

He's a nice looking critter. :)

[Lankyrob]

Been a while so here are some pics from today :)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/23082012436.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/23082012437.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/23082012438.jpg

[Lankyrob]

Well its been a while but here are some new photos of Monty taken last week :)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013771_zps66778304.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013770_zps93a301a5.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013769_zps89f1c79d.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013766_zpseb98bb56.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013765_zps9fa6db95.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013763_zps9cbc577b.jpg
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/Lankyrob1975/12022013762_zps40d03ec6.jpg

[alessia55]

How old is Monty now? Your first post of the thread shows him as a baby. :) He's looking good!!

[Lankyrob]

Not sure of his exact hatch date but he is basically two years old