Got the OK!

[Norm66]

I broached the idea of getting a snake with my wife this evening and not surprisingly (because she's great) she didn't object. In fact after a few minutes discussing why I wanted a carpet python she spent an hour looking at pics and care sheets online. :yes:

We had already been planning on attending the reptile expo In Columbus, OH next weekend so I'll see what's there. But I'm not in any hurry if there's nothing good there. I want either a jungle or an Irian Jaya baby.

I already have a cool spot picked out for a nice display cage setup though I'll probably start with a Rubbermaid tub or a 10 gallon aquarium.

I'm excited. Can you tell? :sorry:

[stephanbakir]

Grats, I'd avoid aquariums though, tricky to maintain temps and humidity. If its feasible, I'd get a 4X2X2 arboreal pvc viv with a few well placed hides. He should be fine in it for his whole life, they look great and hold heat/humidity fantastically.
Will you be controlling heat with a thermostat?

[youngster]

Aquariums work well with many colubrids.
If you get a corn you can easily keep him/her in an aquarium.

[stephanbakir]

Thought he was going for a carpet?

[youngster]

Thought he was going for a carpet?

In his signature it says

wanting a corn snake and a carpet python or two

[jaleely]

haha i remember when my husband brought up the idea of getting a ball python. i was kind of iffy and like "eh" but then we got our first, Saphie, and i've gone crazy and turned into the local crazy snake lady since then! I can't tell if he regrets it or not...i think he just regrets the strain on the pocketbook hehehe

[Norm66]

Thanks. Yea, the rubbermaid or 10 gallon tank is just for starters with a baby. I'm planning on one of the cool PVC specialty snake enclosures for long-term (with hides, perches and all).

I havent' done full research yet, but I'm thinking one of those radiant heat panels run off a thermostat would be the best, most natural option. I was reading the boaphile web site and they'll install it before they ship the cage along with lights. It's expensive, but this is going to be in my living room so it's got to look clean and professional.

I do like corn snakes, but I prefer pythons so that'll be down the road at some point.

[shaunyboy]

carpets are easy to care for and a very hardy species mate

they are very addictive though

look forward to pic's of your new carpet

cheers shaun

[SnakeyJay]

Congrats on deciding to keep morelia.... theres many fans of them here. I dont and havnt kept them so ill let sumone knowledgeable give you arboreal viv advice. Goodluck :)

[alessia55]

Congrats! I'm glad your wife approves ;) Boaphile cages work great and look great, so I think that's a good choice if you want something that'll look nice on display. When do you plan on getting the little carpet python? Do you have an ETA?

[shaunyboy]

Congrats on deciding to keep morelia.... theres many fans of them here. I dont and havnt kept them so ill let sumone knowledgeable give you arboreal viv advice. Goodluck :)

a 4x2x2ft tank is ample for most adult carpets

there are some exceptions where diamonds or coastals need a larger tank,due to them having the ability to grow larger than all other carpets

cheers shaun

[marvelfreak]

a 4x2x2ft tank is ample for most adult carpets

there are some exceptions where diamonds or coastals need a larger tank,due to them having the ability to grow larger than all other carpets

cheers shaun
Don't forget some Monstrous jungles can get to big for a cage that size. My big girl is needing a bigger cage.

[Norm66]

Thanks again. :D

Do you have an ETA?

We're going to a reptile Expo in Columbus, OH next Saturday so you never know I might come home with one pretty soon. If there's nothing I like there I'll start checking breeders online and kingsnake.com for sellers.

I really want one as young as possible and ideally I want a pure IJ or jungle (or as pure as possible) so knowing the genetics will be important. I'm not in a huge hurry, I want to find the right one so patience will be a virtue.

On cages, as I mentioned I want a baby so I'll be able to start him/her off in a small enclosure while I plan and save up for maybe a boaphile or similar cage. The one site (of a seemingly accomplished breeder) I read said that most carpets only need 4-6 sq.ft. of floor space so I'd been thinking a 3 foot enclosure. Is a 4 footer a must for even the smaller subspecies like IJ and jungles?

[alessia55]

Wow, so super soon! That's really exciting. I hope you find what you're looking for at the Expo :) Good luck!

[millertime89]

In his signature it says

did you even read his post?

edit: norm, get a 4x2x2 for when its an adult, it might be a bit big, but why skimp? Give him/her room to grow/climb/explore.

[red ink]

Thanks again. :D



We're going to a reptile Expo in Columbus, OH next Saturday so you never know I might come home with one pretty soon. If there's nothing I like there I'll start checking breeders online and kingsnake.com for sellers.

I really want one as young as possible and ideally I want a pure IJ or jungle (or as pure as possible) so knowing the genetics will be important. I'm not in a huge hurry, I want to find the right one so patience will be a virtue.

For a JCP, purity would be a hard thing to quantify over there.... there are very few breeders out there that have credible "pure" JCPs IMO (Nick Mutton comes to mind). IJCPs is not a problem just make sure you get an F1 or F2 from wild caught parents and you have your pure IJCP

On cages, as I mentioned I want a baby so I'll be able to start him/her off in a small enclosure while I plan and save up for maybe a boaphile or similar cage. The one site (of a seemingly accomplished breeder) I read said that most carpets only need 4-6 sq.ft. of floor space so I'd been thinking a 3 foot enclosure. Is a 4 footer a must for even the smaller subspecies like IJ and jungles?

I have no experience in IJCPs as they are not available where I am but I am well versed with JCP husbandry.... depending on the "purity" of the stock, a 3 x 2 x 3 enclosure will suffice for a JCP. I keep mine in 80cm x 60cm x 90cm (LxWxH) enclosures. JCPs IMO do better in an arboreal set up mine rarely end up on the substrate unless hungry or "hunting".




Hope that helps..

[Norm66]

Thanks Red Ink! It does help. I'm still wish-washing between a Jungle and an Irian jaya. I really like the look of both and either will not get unmanageably big. It'll probably come down to what's available as much as anything. I've pretty much decided I only want to be a pet owner, not a breeder so honestly after some additional thought the genetics of the critter aren't as important to me as I originally posted.

Tomorrow is the expo so if something pops out to me it'll come home. If not the search begins in earnest. Either way, it's exciting and fun.

[alessia55]

Good luck! I hope you find what you're looking for tomorrow. Please, please, PLEASE research the breeders that will be at the show before you go. You can also research them using a smart phone if you have one while you're there. Don't assume that a breeder is responsible or reputable just by the way they have their table set up or by the way they talk or anything like that. You can usually find information about them through Fauna Classified's Board of Inquiry (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13). Most reptile expos will list the vendors on their website if you want to research tonight ahead of time. Better safe than sorry! :) That way when you get to the show you know which breeder's to consider. Good luck & we're all rooting for ya! I hope you find what you're looking for :yes:

[Norm66]

Thanks for the info and luck. I'm bringing my iPad so we can check stuff out. Bed time nw. I'm up at 6 to leave at 6:45 and pick folks up.

[youngster]

did you even read his post?

edit: norm, get a 4x2x2 for when its an adult, it might be a bit big, but why skimp? Give him/her room to grow/climb/explore.

Yes, I read his post.
His signature at the time stated he wanted a corn or a carpet.
I was just telling him that he can use an aquarium for a corn if he wants.

[Norm66]

Well, we're home from the expo and honestly I was pretty much blown away by it. There was a huge variety of snakes and lizards and even quite a few turtles and tortoises. The largest selection was, of course, ball python morphs. Nearly everything I've seen on the internet was represented. There were also quite a bit of boa morphs which I think aren't nearly done justice by the pics I've seen of them on the net. In person they're really pretty impressive. My friend came home with an albino, and a pair of pastel boas plus about $250 worth of frozen rodents.

But this is a the carpet python forum right? LOL. Sure enough, I found one and brought him home. He's a 1 1/2 year old jungle that we named Jerome, 'The Bus' or 'Bussie' after one of my all-time favorite football players, Jerome Bettis.

Honestly, I had my heart set on raising a baby and there were several there for anywhere between $50 and $150 for normal jungles and up to $350 for jags. But Jerome was a holdback (backup breeder actually) from last year that the guy wound up not needing and after talking for quite a while with the breeder I trusted that he thought he would grow up to be a pretty good looking snake. I think he's stunning now and I'm sure he'll only get better with every shed now. The other two things is that he was 100% comfortable being handled. Very lively and inquisitive without being a constant pain to handle. Also he's already been switched over to rat pups so that's a potential struggle I won't have to deal with. But mostly, my wife just fell in love with him and that's obviously pretty important to me. hehehe

Right now he's in a 20 gallon tall aquarium with a screen lid. I'm using a heat mat I use to use to start tomato and pepper plants in the Spring and a 40 watt bulb on top. I've got about half covered right now and I'm keeping a close watch on the temperature. Right now on the bottom on the hot side it's showing right at 90 Deg F so I'm pretty happy with that so far. I also got a plastic rock-looking hide and water dish. Then I got out some 1/2" PVC I had left over from an aquarium project and threw together a little perch setup for him. So far he hasn't so much as sniffed it in favor of sitting on top of his hide.

The tank is temporary while I decide and then save up for a purpose-built snake enclosure of some sort. There's so many opinions on size and what makes a good enclosure plus so many brands to consider it's kind of mind numbing. Though not ideal, this will buy me some time while I make my decision.


So, without further ado, meet Jerome:
in my hand:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cXMSb4i6pMU/Tsg-t8MqVDI/AAAAAAAAAns/slxkxKZHAgI/s512/IMG_1729.JPG

on (not in) his hide:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IRpwPnZeAVY/TshCs7lAIBI/AAAAAAAAAn4/OGIc2bRAzFY/s640/016.JPG

a closer shot:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bvGAPyVdkg4/TshC1MrK5FI/AAAAAAAAAoY/aL6QvMtOmck/s640/022.JPG

And a whole-tank shot:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iNBXLoaLZD4/TshCw0xx6CI/AAAAAAAAAoI/B2zPb21_q8w/s640/019.JPG
You can see where I spilled a bit of water but I'm sure it'll dry out pretty quickly and I'll be more careful next time. LOL

So all in all it was a great day with some great friends (4 women, a teenaged girl and me in the car), my first expo, my 2nd (though first in a long time) snake, a great meal (excellent Italian place) and now for some quiet time with my wife watching some tv or a movie or something.

[marvelfreak]

Congrats he looks amazing.

[alessia55]

Congrats! I'm really glad you found what you wanted! Getting a snake is always exciting :) Finding the right cage is, as you said, "mind numbing". Not to mention prices... depending on how fancy you wanna go, there's some real nice (but pricey) cages out there. Good luck!

[red ink]

Congrats mate, that's a good looking snake.

In regards to the future enclosure.... building one is always more satisfying :)

[Gungirl]

Congrats on the new pick up!

[candyraver69]

He's gorgeous, you picked a good one :)

[Cor8et]

Looks fantastic, congrads :)

[Norm66]

Thanks everybody. I found Jerome this morning up on the PVC perch I built for him, right above the warm side. With the top covered it stayed right at 80 Deg F on the warm side so I think I've got that pretty well figured out. The humidity is about 45 (I've read anywhere between 45 and 60 is good) so I think a little misting a couple times a day with one off-day in three ought to keep the humidity up and still let the cage dry out to prevent mold etc.

Oh, and I just noticed he left me a nice little present to clean up. hehehe I'll have to take care of that right after breakfast (which I'm about to start cooking).

In the meantime, here's a pic of Jerome curled up on his perch:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_pIZEs43SGo/TskRRbHKqPI/AAAAAAAAAoo/xsZRWps-Ie4/s640/003.JPG

I wish I had a better camera, but all I have available right now is my iPhone which does well enough for most things but isn't great at fish or snake pictures I've discovered. Oh well..

[alessia55]

Aw, he looks so sweet up there! Glad to see he's settling in nicely :)

[millertime89]

awesome! Congrats on the pick up! He looks pretty comfy too.

[Norm66]

I know I shouldn't have but I tried to feed him Sunday evening (only home for 24 hours) and sure enough he refused. He showed interest at first but then backed off and shied away when I moved the rat pup closer.

Since then I've left him alone until last night. I was doing some stuff to his tank to better suit him so I got him out. He was very nervous at first (never struck but looked like he was going to a few times) and gripped my hand like he was going to fall over Niagara Falls. After a short while though he relaxed (probably decided I wasn't going to eat him) and started to explore a bit. I wound up keeping him out for 45 minutes or so while sitting on the couch and he was 100% fine once he relaxed.

So now, when should I try to feed him again? The breeder told me he'd eaten last monday (11/14) and had been eating weekly. He should be empty as he left me a present Sunday.

[alessia55]

Really you should give him at least a whole week completely alone, without taking him out to handle or feed. Some snakes take a while to get used to their new surroundings. I know it's exciting and you want to take him out, but you might be stressing him out more, and it might make him less likely to eat. Give him a whole week to settle in, then offer food. It won't do him any harm to eat for another week if it means letting him relax more. :)
Also at first, it might be better if you keep the handling sessions shorter, and gradually build up to 45mins.

[Norm66]

Thanks for the input Alessia. I know I should have waited and I totally admit to have rushed things with the feeding.

The handling at first I had planned on putting him back after 10-15 but once he relaxed so visibly I figured he was OK. It was such a big change I told my wife it was like breaking a horse (not that I have any experience there either) in that he just relaxed suddenly and started exploring a bit. Just around my arms & hair mostly, I did keep him from getting onto the couch cushions for fear he'd get down in it.

I'll give him a few days now between sessions but I definitely want to handle him a lot and tame him as much as possible in hopes of including him in my friend's reptile presentations some day down the road.

[CDN_Blood]

Some snakes will eat upon arrival, some won't. Some snakes are totally okay with being handled a lot upon arrival, some aren't. Some snakes need an adjustment period, some don't. I've always found these things as individual as the animals themselves. Just observe the new arrivals closely and feel it-out. I don't think there's any right or wrong here :)

[Norm66]

Thanks for the input Todd.

[Norm66]

Well, the little jerk refused to eat again. I left the rat pup in the cage all night and it'll be there until 1:00 today when I get home thinking maybe he'll eat if nobody's there to bother him.

I have the cage on the bottom shelf of my 125 gallon aquarium. The canister filter for the aquarium also sits on that shelf and emits a very slight vibration. Like, I can only feel it if I pay attention to it. Is there any chance that's what's keeping Jerome from eating? I know snakes are sensitive to vibrations so I wonder. Not sure where else I can put his cage, but I'd figure something else out.

[CDN_Blood]

The vibration could well be the key. It's unlike a Carpet to refuse a meal unless it's gravid or there's something really disturbing it.

Btw, where did all the images go? <scratches head>

[Norm66]

OK, thanks. I'll come up with somewhere to move him.

Ah yes, I didn't realize that would happen. I re-arranged my Picasa albums yesterday. Stupid of me.

Looks like I didn't just rearrange but actually deleted the snake pics. I'll re-upload them when I get home today. Oops...

[CDN_Blood]

You could try dampening the vibration by putting the tank on some thick towels or something, but it's likely to still bother him. If the snake was already adjusted to it's new environment it probably wouldn't mind as much, but it's still new, so the more quietly it can settle-in the better :)

[Norm66]

I wonder if a 1/2" thick piece of styrofoam would do the trick? It's a very small vibration. The filter is efficient and there's 1000lbs sitting on the stand to dampen it. Mostly I'm not sure where else I can put him. It's a very, very small house. LOL.

I'll do something though. Gotta get him to eat, I'm tired of wasting ratsicles.

I wonder if there's any chance the breeder wasn't entirely truthful when he told me he was eating rat pups. I wonder if I should try a fresh-killed mouse and see if he shows any interest in that.

[CDN_Blood]

Styrofoam might help. Have you tried covering the tank with a towel when feeding, or feeding live just to get 'm started?

[Norm66]

Cool. No and no. I did leave the rat in overnight though it was still there as of an hour ago when my wife got up for work. I'll throw it away when I get home about 1:00 assuming it's still there.

I might try a live mouse (watched closely of course) to get him started. I really prefer F/T but if it might get him eating I'll give it a go. How long should I give him before trying it?

[CDN_Blood]

A couple of live prey offerings are often required just to jump-start that feeding response after changing hands, but like you say, watch closely and remove it if there's no interest.

It's usually easy to switch them to f/t once they're eating.

Best to give it a few days between attempts if there's no interest. Trying too often can have a totally reverse effect and actually turn them-off of eating, so I'd give it 5 days or so between.

[Lankyrob]

I would wait a week before offering again and in the meantime move it away from the vibration. Personally, just my 0.02cents, i would just keep offering f/t rats until it feeds unless it starts to lose condition. It will eat when it gets hungry enough and if you give it mice you then have the potential problem of switching it to rats anyway.

[Norm66]

Thanks Rob for the input. My friend has some rat pups that are smaller than the ones I bought at the expo we're going to try next week. Then if that doesn't work I'll consider doing the live thing again.

Since I wasn't going to handle him any more for a while and I needed to clean the cage up I went ahead and got him out so I could replace the newspaper with cypress mulch, add two plastic vines (which he seems to love BTW) and re-do my homemade PVC perch to give him three total elevation possibilities. I've also got two reflectors w/ a white bulb and a red bulb set up on timers now so I don't have to remember to switch them.

Since I goofed up and deleted the pics I posted earlier here are some of them and a couple new ones w/ the new cage setup.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DvVFFJUbe94/TtBh_6dgjaI/AAAAAAAAAs0/oaprB7PH4ec/s640/021.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3oz6lesFfqY/TtBh6KTYvxI/AAAAAAAAAss/F1ecrpgfzMk/s640/011.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d0uUvPIf5S4/TtBhza7q5RI/AAAAAAAAAsk/CpWh_suhAGI/s640/005%252520%2525282%252529.JPG

The new setup:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bKA1htac0Zg/TtBhwd4AcJI/AAAAAAAAAsc/y0iwDHcoQlk/s640/002%252520%2525284%252529.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pA6BB-RFEkI/TtBhWaZ_t_I/AAAAAAAAAsE/SvPiWtNhoCU/s640/004.JPG

[alessia55]

Looks nice! Well done. I hope he settles down more and eats for you soon!

[millertime89]

awesome little snake!

[Norm66]

Thanks! I'm 90% happy with the setup now. And to hopefully hit 100% I got a 75 watt black bulb to replace the 50 to keep the nighttime temp up just a bit more. It looks really cool Got a vine of some sort I'm going to put on the perch to help it look a bit more natural too.

We also bought what the pet store calls rat pups which are really rat pinks. I wonde if that's what the breeder meant when he told me he was eating rat pups. We'll try those next.

[Norm66]

Well, the 75 watt black bulb was just the thing. First, I like the look better than the red bulb but it's got the gradient perfect (90 and 80 respectively) and Jerome is definitely using the cool side of the perch now. I know carpets are only supposed to be semi-arboreal but if the white light is on, he's on the perch or in the plants up higher. I've seen him drinking and hanging out on top of his hide with the white light off though.

Here's a couple pics from just now:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jFz7G91ZFsY/TtKbBQsk5YI/AAAAAAAAAtk/4R8_oF-OdHk/s512/002.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gKj6AeTl-9o/TtKa_YQMZCI/AAAAAAAAAtc/lsfno_2F5gc/s640/003.JPG

[millertime89]

what're the temps at ground level?
and its my understanding that younger snakes, especially semi-arboreal ones, will use the perches more as they feel safer there. Once they get some size they'll move to the ground

[Norm66]

80 and 90 ish on the floor. It makes sense what you say about juvies preferring the perch. I look forward to seeing how it goes.

[lady_bug87]

awesome looking snake.. Carpets are on my list.. but then again there are a lot of snakes on my list!

[Norm66]

Five days later and he still didn't eat. I tried a rat pinky this time, thawed in water and heated up under a lamp, then brained. I turned the white light off and the room was only lit by my aquariums so it was fairly dark.

He showed interest and at first I thought he was going to strike but eventually backed off. I did the zombie rat puppet dance, I tried touching his side to provoke a strike and though he kind of did it wasn't really a feeding response, more like a 'get away' thing. I put the pinky on a paper towel in the cage and when I left him alone, but could still see him from across the room, he went down and checked it out but never ate it.

He's still in good shape (it's only been three weeks since he ate) so I'm not too worried, but I am pondering the relative benefits of trying to feed a live mouse vs. maybe trying to scent a rat pup or pink with a mouse vs. just letting him eat when he gets hungry.

Thoughts?

[alessia55]

Just keep up with trying to feed him f/t. I wouldn't switch him to live. Like you said, he's still in great shape, so he's OK. I'd just make sure you're waiting 7-10 days between feeding attempts. Anything less than that can cause more stress. Also, it's better that, if you're going to leave the f/t mouse overnight, to leave it on a plastic lid (like the lid of a tupperware) rather than on a paper towel. Some snakes have been known to eat the paper towel because it carries the scent of the mouse and die soon after. Good luck! Don't get worried so long as he doesn't look to be losing weight. And refrain from handling until he eats if you can (I know it's so exciting to have a new snake though). :)

[youngster]

Don't feed live, it's only been 5 days no need to worry at all.
Wait a week or two then try to feed again, it'll eat with time.

PS, my female corn never eats unless I put her in a small tub with the feeder and cover it with a towel, shirt etc.
That was she feels safe because no one can ambush her.

[Lankyrob]

Also i wouldnt touch the prey against the snake to antagonise it to strike, it will associate teh smell of rat with being pestered and will reinforce rat smell as being bad. If it wont take it then wait a week and try again, just be sure to keep an eye on the snakes condition - if that starts to look worse then you need to take more urgent steps.

[Norm66]

Patience then. OK. Thanks.

It's just stressful when a new pet won't eat. Especially when my wife's BP, in its entirely inappropriate enclosure<snark>, ate like a pig and looked like he wanted more. LOL

[Lankyrob]

We have all had fussy eaters, it is stressful but patience is the key - you are doing everything right by the sounds of it. Shauny had a hatchling go 10 months without eating anything straight from the egg - it is now a healthy adult, i hope you wont have to wait that long tho!!!

[HOGGISLAND]

I had the same problem with one of my hoggs when I got her. She wanted nothing to do with f/t. After 3 weeks of not eating I gave her a live pup and she took it right away. The next feeding I gave her freshly killed and she took it. Next feeding I gave her f/t and she finally took it. Now she only eats f/t. Just my 2 cents but it works for me when I get a fussy baby. Hope this helps.

[Aaron_S]

... Especially when my wife's BP, in its entirely inappropriate enclosure<snark>, ate like a pig and looked like he wanted more. LOL


I had a post written up but you're not worth the time. I'm happy your ball python ate. Doesn't make you right about aquariums.

[millertime89]

I had a post written up but you're not worth the time. I'm happy your ball python ate. Doesn't make you right about aquariums.

Doesn't make him wrong either. Why you gotta be a d**k?

[Norm66]

Aaron, please don't muck this thread up like you did my other. Just add me to your ignore list.

Again and for the last time, I understand that aquariums are not ideal. But with effort they can be suitable. Plus mine are temporary as I stated in my original post.

I'm done, I don't need the aggravation.

[jtfife]

Congratulations on your nice looking carpet python! I love the two I have. They are great animals. I'm sure he will eat soon enough, hang in there.

[Aaron_S]

Aaron, please don't muck this thread up like you did my other. Just add me to your ignore list.

Again and for the last time, I understand that aquariums are not ideal. But with effort they can be suitable. Plus mine are temporary as I stated in my original post.

I'm done, I don't need the aggravation.

Just for the record, I didn't muck up the other thread. I'm pretty sure a lot of good posts were created near the end of that thread. A number of people got help designing tub enclosures on the cheap from someone.

Also, i didn't start mucking up this thread. You did, with your remark in your post I quoted.


You never did answer the questions I had in the last thread so I'll post them here.

'I did read you'll eventually get something better but why go through all this trouble to "make do" when maybe you can hold off bringing the snake home? Could the place you're getting it from hold off for a week until you get a permanent solution?

Also, how is that tank held up with styrofoam and a heatpad underneath? Is it just the corners held up? "

[Norm66]

Thanks Jason.

Another failed feeding. This time he didn't even show interest. I'm becoming convinced that the breeder lied to me about him being on rat pups. Next time I'm going to bring home a mouse and thoroughly scent a rat pup with it.

He's also a royal pain to get out of his cage. I needed to change water, fluff and spray the substrate and I figured since he wasn't on his perch but rather on top of his hide it would be a perfect time. I took two strikes getting him out and another while holding him in one hand and working on the cage with the other. Then he was squeezing my fingers so tight three of them turned purple. I had a devil of a time getting him back into the cage.

I don't want him to get the idea that biting me will keep me from getting him out of the cage so I got him out, but it couldn't have been good for him from a stress point of view. Or me for that matter....

Meanwhile my wife's little ball python is 100% easy to deal with, eats like a champ and looks for more. <shrug>

[Norm66]

I wonder if maybe the problem is that he's been about to shed. I seem to remember the breeder telling me he was about due for one when I got him 3 weeks ago and this morning I found him in his water dish (the humidity was 53%). I had my wife spray it down and I'll check it again when I get home in a few hours. A shed may account for his worse than usual behavior Sunday when I got him out to clean the enclosure.

[Aaron_S]

Could be. Also could just be his normal attitude. Tread with caution.