Profile: Goldie (My First Snake)

[TalonNC]

well most have this fantastical story about there first snake...mines will is kinda drab.....she only cost me $90 and 220miles of travel.....(i dont want to see another road for a day) I woke up at 7:30am to go to Repticon '11 in charlotte turns out it was alot further then i expected...it was at a Arena pass concord or 69 mi from my house. i got there and had a blast .....checkin out all the different reptiles...that were selling Super Blast for $2000 wow....:Wow:....anyway make a long story short i talked with some breeders...and decided to get a Pastel .....problem...i had planned to attend Carolina Panther Fan Fest....and if i purchased it now he would likely die in my car while i watched the Panthers practice....So i had to buy him drive him 69miles home....then drive back to Charlotte 60miles to attend fanfest. The boo wants to call him Goldie (from the Mack) ...but i'm still undecided

right now he is perched ontop of the hot hide....for some reason i cant get the temperature up using both heat pad and ceramic heater. Well without further a do...here is Goldie(for now)... He's bout a foot and a half long and very skittish gonna give him some time to get accumulated his home...more pics to come tommorow

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii59/TalonNC/2011-08-06_14-10-52_234.jpg

[Jenn_06]

He looks so cute congrats, what kind of top do you have on your cage if it the screen kind you need to cover most of it up so the heat can't get out so easy.

[Reptile_Reptile]

packing wrap, with a towel on it works well, its what i used.

[TalonNC]

right now i have a towel....covering the screen top.....with just enough for the ceramic heater to be place over the hot hide....he is perched directly under it...

*hunts for some packing wrap*

[Jenn_06]

Or you can use aluminum foil does not look nice but it works

[TalonNC]

How long should i wait before trying to handle or trying feed...my new little guy...

breeders said he was on rats....

[Lankyrob]

7 days rest with no handling or interaction apart from changing water and then try to feed - if it wont take it same conditions for another week - repeat until it feeds! :)

[TalonNC]

Foil tricked worked....finally hitting the 90s on the Hot side....Humidity at 50%

weirdest thing ..i walked in and he was wrapped on Thermastat probe cable using it to anchor himself up to the top of the tank he eventually fell off landing on his hot hide...but didn't think these guys were much of the climbing type.....

makes me think i need to add a long climbing branch or something......seeing him active makes me wanna handle...gonna be a long 7 days..

[Jenn_06]

Happy it worked for you, you can put something in the cage for it to climb on just make sure its not too high.

[KrazyKat]

Well without further a do...here is Goldie(for now)...

I take it you are debating a name for your handsome little fellow? :) Good luck! It took me nearly a month to finally decide upon a name for my newest snake.
Congrats, he's a beauty!;)

[maximus30576]

Good lookin ball for sure ... Congrats !!!!

[TalonNC]

He was active til i got my phone out..then he gave me that "Wtf is that?" Stare
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii59/TalonNC/2011-08-11_21-48-07_947.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii59/TalonNC/2011-08-11_21-55-00_808.jpg

Two things i found real interesting.....

1. when i first got him i used facet water in his soaker....he obviously didnt like it....he showed me by relieveing himself in it...so i put some filtered water in..and now he is content...I'll be damned if he is getting bottled water...lmao..

2. when they said BPs are creature of habit they werent kidding....Goldie wakes up at 9:30pm everynite...not 9:29...not 9:31....9:30pm he is poking out his rock hide. set my watch by him....

when i bought him they said he was on rats....but he just doesnt look big enough... today is is first feeding....so i'm gonna try a small one...and see...but i'm skeptical...should i wait til his normal wake up time to feed?

[TalonNC]

Also ....is 100% Fir Repti-bark ok to use as substrate....?

Also when he is awake all he is does is searches for ways out of the tank...he climbs the thermostat probe to investigate the top of the tank....does this Escape thought ever leave them cause he is a climber if i have ever seen one...

[Lankyrob]

He is probably more likely to eat when awake on his own rather than woken up by you - be ready at 9:30!!

[TalonNC]

Came home....and this little excape artist had climbed the thermastat cable and wedged himself inbetween the top and lip on the tank.......SMDH

anyway i had dinner that was not suppose to be until 9:30....

Live mouse transported in rat bedding(for scent)...as they didn't have rat pups.

i placed Goldie in little dish tub and shook mouse out of box he was transported in...and before i could get my phone ready...Goldie had snatched him up and wrapped...took all of 5mins

[stephanbakir]

Why a LIVE mouse? F/T are cheaper and don't put your animal at risk.

[TalonNC]

I consider $1.50 a week ..cheap... to negate the money talking point.

now as far as food inflicted damage to my snake...let's just call it "character" building...

if i wanted a flake food eater i would of gotten a fish...just my personal opinion. :shrug:

[Lankyrob]

There is no real need to feed live except in extraordinary conditions - all you are doing is risking the health of your snake and causing unnecessary suffering to the mouse.

[Jenn_06]

If you start feeding f/t just let me know I'm in NC now and breed rats but will only sell them frozen.

[TalonNC]

Didn't realize so many were against live food.....i'm thinking now i should of kept that little detail to myself....

[brylecc1989]

We're not against live food, just risking a snak's health. It is your pet, and you are free to feed it how you like. However it seems like an awfully big risk, for "character building." All my snakes strike and constrict their frozen food. Do they have "character?"

[TalonNC]

Couple quick questions...

After he fed on Saturday he spent 72hrs tucked away in his hide...occasionally poking his head out ..but now he seems back on the prowl....what I'm thinking is, he is hunting for food again....mouse may have been too small or baby balls need to eat more then every 7days?

Also when i walk in the room he constantly paces back and forth in front of the glass of his tank. in doing he constantly bumping the glass or dragging his face against the glass...is this normal?

[candyraver69]

Very nice! Awesome choice for a first one. Good luck to you :)

[marvelfreak]

Couple quick questions...

After he fed on Saturday he spent 72hrs tucked away in his hide...occasionally poking his head out ..but now he seems back on the prowl....what I'm thinking is, he is hunting for food again....mouse may have been too small or baby balls need to eat more then every 7days?

Also when i walk in the room he constantly paces back and forth in front of the glass of his tank. in doing he constantly bumping the glass or dragging his face against the glass...is this normal?
Does he jaw look out of place? He might be trying to pop it back. Also what's he humidity at? He might be getting ready to shed.

[Reptile_Reptile]

He was active til i got my phone out..then he gave me that "Wtf is that?" Stare
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii59/TalonNC/2011-08-11_21-48-07_947.jpg

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii59/TalonNC/2011-08-11_21-55-00_808.jpg

Two things i found real interesting.....

1. when i first got him i used facet water in his soaker....he obviously didnt like it....he showed me by relieveing himself in it...so i put some filtered water in..and now he is content...I'll be damned if he is getting bottled water...lmao..

2. when they said BPs are creature of habit they werent kidding....Goldie wakes up at 9:30pm everynite...not 9:29...not 9:31....9:30pm he is poking out his rock hide. set my watch by him....

when i bought him they said he was on rats....but he just doesnt look big enough... today is is first feeding....so i'm gonna try a small one...and see...but i'm skeptical...should i wait til his normal wake up time to feed?
dont be worried about feeding him rats i've fed my royal rats since i got him (roughly your royals size)

[Kiljosh]

Cool snake! I am still a new owner myself but I have come to realize the signs my snake puts out when he's hungry. He chills in his log hide and pokes his head out then when I come close to the tank he will cruise up and down the front of it rubbing his face on it. I have been told he was getting ready to shed... But I will say the last time he shed the very next day he did this, so I take it as a sign he's hungry! I feed him every Sunday. Been giving him two mice till he's a bit bigger and I can give him rats. His neck stretches A LOT from just the mice so I wanna plump him up a bit before rats, haven't tried them yet though he may be capable!

From what I've read here though it's good to get your snakes on a regular feeding schedule. They can go for months without eating, apparently more so in the winter due to their natural breeding season. If he goes a couple days hungry so you can feed him on the regular day it doesn't seem like a bad thing.

I just try my best to get him into habits. He's always in his hide so when I go to move it to bring him out I always tap it lightly twice. Whenever I feed him I put him in the same Tupperware dish in the same spot on my floor. As soon as he strikes and coils I take the dish and put it in his tank so when he's finished he can go right to his hot hide without me bothering him by picking him up. Its the only time he's in it.

Then 2 days later he takes a big dump and I gotta clean it lol.

[TalonNC]

Time for a little update:

Goldie seems to have finally settled down in his tank he nolonger frantically chhecking out every corner f the tank or trying to find a way out(climbing the top lip of tank).

He is finally using his hot hide(before he would curl up behind it or on-top of it).

Still having issues with humidity.....damn mesh top.....i have it covered with ugly foil on the heat side...and some plastic with with a towel cover the cool side the center mesh is still exposed for fresh air.

as you read above i fed live mouse(wth rat scent) two Saturdays ago. I (being new) felt this meal was too small as he killed and swallowed in under 5mins and his bulge was barely noticeable. this past Saturday i was caught out of town ad was not gonna be able to make it to my normal pet shop before it closed so i picked up what i thought was a small rat ...for the pet shop where i was...and took it home to feed...placed Goldie in his feeding bin...he seemed to recognize it and went into feed mode...either that or he smelled his rat....as i shook the the small rat into the bin i came to the realization that this small rat was NOT SO SMALL ....he was BIG compared to Goldie...but before i could react Goldie tackled the rat like a Baltimore Raven LB and used his entire body to wrap up...after 10ins Goldie unwrapped and began his 20min thinking session on how he was gonna consume this large meal. I felt it was to large for him....but was afraid to put my had in his bin during feedmode...so i let him figure it out...praying he would just say..No ad leave it..but to my surprise after 20mins of looking over it he swallowed it....leaving a NOTICEABLE bulge about the third of his body. i placed his fav hide(rock cave) into the feed bin ...so i wouldn't have to handle after feeding...he slinked inside and and i place his cave back in his tank....I didn't see him again for 5 days...scary times...HE WILL NOT GET A MEAL LIKE THAT FROM ME AGAIN until he gets bigger...strictly rat scented mice from here on out as i now know his limits. I video all feedings and posted this scarily large one on youtube....so tell me if you thought it was too large .... he emerged from his cave Thursday...and has been extremely calm and mellow ever since....i did not feed him this past Saturday as i felt that NOT SO small rat was a little to much....and will return to mice this weekend.

WARNING: If your against live food or overly sensitive please avoid the following links of Goldie taking on his large meal. And if you read you see I've realized my mistake and will try hard not to repeat.

Part 1

Ball Python(Goldie) tries a not so small rat Part 1 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/w4gqaEPoLIw)


Part 2
Ball Python(Goldie) tries a not so small rat Part 2 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/eDTSxdm1V18)


Part 3
Ball Python(Goldie) tries a not so small rat Part 3 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/9vw-F1wbo1E)

[Lankyrob]

Thats one VERY lucky snake, it doesnt look like he got a clean strike on the head of the rat and was very lucky not to get bitten.

Now you have him eating rats you really want to keep him on them,when he is older you are gonna need to feed a LOT of mice at each feed to satisfy him.

Next time i would suggest feeding a freshly killed rat and then the time after a f/t one.

[Nismo89]

Thats one VERY lucky snake, it doesnt look like he got a clean strike on the head of the rat and was very lucky not to get bitten.

Now you have him eating rats you really want to keep him on them,when he is older you are gonna need to feed a LOT of mice at each feed to satisfy him.

Next time i would suggest feeding a freshly killed rat and then the time after a f/t one.
My thoughts exactly. The snake could hardly even fully coil around the rat it looked like and then trying to swallow it that was nuts. Why do you feed live does he just absolutely not take fresh killed or f/t? When I got my BRB she had never taken a f/t meal and she took a f/t scented the first feed and now she takes the f/t without scent every time and I've only had her 3 weeks.

[TalonNC]

Just took the top off his Rock cave cause he was pass his normal wake up time...

eyes fogged over blue....*squeeks* kinda excited...first shed time with me....

misted him over...as well as entire tank after changing water....I'm trying to figure out how to keep humidity up while i'm away....humidity drops to about 50 when i'm away...

I heard Waterfalls could help...any truth to that?

[TeaNinja]

how often do you check on him and handle him every week? other then handling 2 or maybe 3 times a week i just mist the cage and never mess with my BP. ive noticed they are much more skittish and prone to stress then my boas.

[TalonNC]

He feeds on Saturdays... I leave him alone until he emerges from his rock cave on his own which is usually Wednesday or Thursday...So i might get to handle him thurs and/or fri....then Saturday is feeding again.....and the cycle repeats

so you can say i handle maybe twice a week not including me moving him to feeding bucket on Saturday...

[frost]

Time for a little update:

Goldie seems to have finally settled down in his tank he nolonger frantically chhecking out every corner f the tank or trying to find a way out(climbing the top lip of tank).

He is finally using his hot hide(before he would curl up behind it or on-top of it).

Still having issues with humidity.....damn mesh top.....i have it covered with ugly foil on the heat side...and some plastic with with a towel cover the cool side the center mesh is still exposed for fresh air.

as you read above i fed live mouse(wth rat scent) two Saturdays ago. I (being new) felt this meal was too small as he killed and swallowed in under 5mins and his bulge was barely noticeable. this past Saturday i was caught out of town ad was not gonna be able to make it to my normal pet shop before it closed so i picked up what i thought was a small rat ...for the pet shop where i was...and took it home to feed...placed Goldie in his feeding bin...he seemed to recognize it and went into feed mode...either that or he smelled his rat....as i shook the the small rat into the bin i came to the realization that this small rat was NOT SO SMALL ....he was BIG compared to Goldie...but before i could react Goldie tackled the rat like a Baltimore Raven LB and used his entire body to wrap up...after 10ins Goldie unwrapped and began his 20min thinking session on how he was gonna consume this large meal. I felt it was to large for him....but was afraid to put my had in his bin during feedmode...so i let him figure it out...praying he would just say..No ad leave it..but to my surprise after 20mins of looking over it he swallowed it....leaving a NOTICEABLE bulge about the third of his body. i placed his fav hide(rock cave) into the feed bin ...so i wouldn't have to handle after feeding...he slinked inside and and i place his cave back in his tank....I didn't see him again for 5 days...scary times...HE WILL NOT GET A MEAL LIKE THAT FROM ME AGAIN until he gets bigger...strictly rat scented mice from here on out as i now know his limits. I video all feedings and posted this scarily large one on youtube....so tell me if you thought it was too large .... he emerged from his cave Thursday...and has been extremely calm and mellow ever since....i did not feed him this past Saturday as i felt that NOT SO small rat was a little to much....and will return to mice this weekend.

WARNING: If your against live food or overly sensitive please avoid the following links of Goldie taking on his large meal. And if you read you see I've realized my mistake and will try hard not to repeat.

Part 1

Ball Python(Goldie) tries a not so small rat Part 1 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/w4gqaEPoLIw)


Part 2
Ball Python(Goldie) tries a not so small rat Part 2 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/eDTSxdm1V18)


Part 3
Ball Python(Goldie) tries a not so small rat Part 3 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/9vw-F1wbo1E)

nice vid! isnt this way too big??? :)

[TalonNC]

Yes it was way to big....

After showing the vid to my "Normal" pet store they said they gave me a medium rat instead of a small....and that the pet store i went to had a bad reputation...lesson learned

I skipped his feeding last week ad Goldie is showing what i think are signs of his first shed with me... How long does it normally take to go from foggy blue eyes to final stage of shed? hes been in what i think is shed mode for at least 5 days now...keeping humidity at around 70 via mister twice a day....

[Gungirl]

My Bp will takes 7 to go from cloudy eyes to actually shedding but my corn snake does it in 4 days and my GTP does it in about 9 days. It really depends on the snake but I think a week is average.

[TalonNC]

Its been 7 days since I noticed the cloudy blue fog eyes signifying what i think is Shed mode. It is also His feeding day since i did not feed him last week after the massive meal mistake 2 weeks ago.

I'm curious....He hasnt shed yet...and i've avoided touching him for 2 weeks...if he is not in his rock cave....he is sitting out on the edge of the UTH like this

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii59/TalonNC/2011-08-25_22-10-44_748.jpg

Should I present him with a small meal to see if he will eat or should i continue to let him just sit.

note: i've been keeping the humidity at 70-80 via Mistings...

Also i would like some advise on shed baths...I would've likes to give him one... but as i'm new didn't want to do it wrong and was told not to handle during shed mode....

[Gungirl]

I wouldn't give him a "shed Bath" just let him do his thing. Shedding is very stressful and that won't help. Feeding during shed is kind of a personal preference some people do and some people don't. I have always fed my snakes during shed and never had an issue. On the other side some snakes will eat while in shed and others will refuse. Its all a matter of what works best for you and your snake. As far as him sitting out on the edge of the tank like that just double check your temps and make sure they are where they should be and let him be.

[Lankyrob]

Only ever use "shed baths" if he doesnt get it all off himself, if everything is ok with his hisbandry then it should be fine. With regard to feeding we always offer to our snakes, they will all take food during different parts of the shed process so we offer and if they aren't interested then someone else gets a treat.

However, i do believe you feed live? If that is the case i WOULD NOT offer during shed as their eyesight can be affected during the process and it is enough of a risk to feed live when they can see perfectly without adding an additional risk to the snake.

[TalonNC]

Well i just cleaned out his little rock cave...and guess what i found...

1 Full Shed nicely folded in the corner....
1 Bowl Movement (medium rat from vid)

I see i'm gonna have to investigate his rock cave more often....

[Kiljosh]

Haha you gotta love the little surprise left on the shed, I unwrapped my first shed a few weeks ago and found a big snake turd in it.