GTP Home Suggestions/input

[katalyzt]

Just got a GTP and all I've really head about them is that they have a bad temperament. Well I went into the Rep store and found one that had a really docile temperament (I went in for food for my ball and corn) as far as I could tell, and ended up walking out with her.

Sadly to say I didn't research GTP's enough other then knowing I REALLY wanted one. So please help me out in my moment of failure and inform me as to what I need to do in the way of habitat, handling and feeding, that I need to do to keep her healthy and happy. Money isn't really and object and I'll do anything to keep her happy.

Let me know guys. I'm reading furiously at the moment but I'm sure ya'all can offer me the best and most direct/honest advice.

Currently I have a 12"x12"x24" terrarium with a good tower thingy for hiding and climbing with two separate branches for climbing. Photo attached of her chilling.

Any suggestions and comments are welcome. In the meantime I shall search and read. I love this girl. So gorgeous.

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[Lankyrob]

Although they need humidity it isn't good for them to have constant humidity. In the rainforest it will rain and then dry out. I spray my young one when i get up, at lunchtime and then early evening. In between times his faunarium will dry out.

They are not fairly active so only need food every 14 days or so, and they don't poop often either.

The main thing is to have a selection of perches so that they can thermoregulate by moving higher or lower in the viv.

Apart from that Willow is a great source of knowledge and experience and is very helpful!!

[katalyzt]

Cool thanks rob. I think I'll run to the rep store today and get a humidity gauge thingy to help me regulate on that. Hopefully get a book too.

[Will0W783]

Hello katalyzt and congrats on your new family member. GTPs are really not nearly as bad as the general consensus would have you believe. There are plenty of perfectly tame, friendly ones: I have 3 of those, and 3 puppy dog tame Emeralds as well! That being said, I do have some advice and suggestions for you. First off, let's touch upon humidity. It's the single most important aspect of GTP (chondro) keeping. They need a high relative humidity, but not constant dampness. Think of a hot, muggy day- the air is thick and moist but it isn't necessarily wet everywhere outside. You can accomplish this effect artificially in several ways. Babies need a higher humidity than adults do, so I would recommend a reptile fogger running constantly and a very large water bowl that takes up almost the entire floor space, but is shallow in case the snake falls in. Cypress mulch or forest floor (peat moss and bark shavings) bedding are both good choices as they hold humidity and resist mold. NEVER use aspen shavings, pine or cedar for a chondro. Aspen molds waaay too fast and pine and cedar are toxic to ALL snakes. When you buy your humidity gauge, invest in a digital one- the stick-on kinds are not accurate and are a waste of money and a risk to your snake's health. As for perches, the perches should be about 2-3 times the snake's fattest width- you want it to be able to coil cinnamon bun style with the front and back bottom coils just touching, not overlapping. The branch you have in the cage in your picture looks a bit large, hence the baby's coiling on a twig sticking out of your background. Scorched PVC pipe perches held in place with closet pole hanger cups work beautifully and are removable so you can just pull the snake out on its perch. NEVER EVER EVER try to forcibly remove a chondro from its perch- you can break its tail and cause irreversible kinking.
Feed appropriate sized prey (for one your baby's size I'd say mouse hoppers every 7-10 days. Adults should be fed every 2-4 weeks, but babies can and should be fed more often. Your snake will tell you what it needs if you pay attention to its signs. Hanging the head down below the coils in an "S" shape is the hunting posture and means it is looking for food, so offer food if it has not been fed within the last week. Make yourself a chart and keep track of its meals, sheds and defecations (poops). If it has taken 3 meals and has not defecated, hold off the next meal until it does. Usually this is not as much an issue with GTPs as it is with emeralds, but it can and does occur. Chondros are much more active than emeralds, and so they can handle more food, and many inexperienced people actually underfeed them. They can also go incredible lengths of time without eating, so don't panic if it is hard getting your little one started.

Finally, the single best advice I can give you is to talk to people. Ask questions of other chondro keepers. Morelia pythons forum has a lot of good people on it, as does here. See how others keep theirs, problems they have run into and how they've fixed them, etc. Also, buy yourself a copy of "The More Complete Chondro" by Greg Maxwell. It's an invaluable resource on every aspect of keeping these beautiful snakes. It's around $50USD but a MUST IMO for every newcomer to the wonderful world of GTPs.

Finally, enjoy your new baby. Love him/her and interact and the snake will get used to you and be a curious, fun addition. Don't overhandle, but do handle. Carefully. Best of luck and feel free to ask me any questions you need. MegF also keeps GTPs and has a lot more experience than I do. I think Julian (Citysnakes) does as well.

[Lankyrob]

That's a much better explanation about the humidity than mine willow!! Must try harder next time

[Will0W783]

I've done a LOT of research, Rob, and I've been keeping them for several years now. Don't feel bad. You're doing great with your little guy.

[Lankyrob]

Thanks willow - i knew what i wanted to say but you jsut did much more eloquently!

[Meg]

I'd have to agree with willow on this thread Im glad to hear some other people realizing that Chondros are not so terribly mean as their reputation precedes them. I have two myself, both extremely docile.

I will add a couple things though from my experience. I say my experience, because every snake is different.

My chondros are very calm, but definitely have more delicate demeanor than other snakes. I've noticed that they do very well with routine. My female especially will get stressed out easily if startled or if I'm changing up her routine. I approach my chondros the same way every single time. so they get used to this approach and it no longer stresses them out. I open up their cage/tub and reach my hand under their coil and tough softly. They usually poke their head up and know its me. At this point they will let me know if they're cool to be handled or not. If they dont want to be handled they look at me, and then tuck their head inside their coils. If they are in a good mood its really easy to lift them off their perch. NEVER force them. Sometimes I have to take them out to clean the cage. So removable perches are good. But you'll enjoy your chondros much more if you give them space when they want it.

I have a feeding routine, a soaking routine, a handling routine. If humidity is right then soaking is not a necessity. But sometimes things happen like a new snake will bring in mites. Soaking is a good way to see if the snakes have mites or not and drown the lil boogers.

Humidity is extremely important. I've heard many different numbers and everyone is convinced their number is right. As a baby my chondro needed high humidity all the time. If I let it drop below 75% ever it got very dull looking or had a shed problem. As adults they seem to do wonderfully at 75 during the day and then it drops in the 50s or low 60s at night. This keeps mold from building up quickly and keeps the cage from getting drippy. But never have any shed problems.

heat is important as chondros will get respiratory infections. So dont let it drop below high 70s at night. and it should have a good hot spot during the day like all snakes

ENJOY your new guy! They are so cute

[katalyzt]

Picked up a reptile humidifier today. I put it in her home and she came right out and chilled on a branch. My plan is to let it run all day on the minimum setting to develop a small fog on the bottom of her terrarium and turn it off at night to give her some variation. What do you all think?

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Anyway as always let me know of any suggestions and Willow, Rob, and Meg a huge thanks. I should have researched GTP before I got her but I couldn't stand leaving the store with out her so you guys have been a great help. Thanks again ya'all, and I'll keep googling and reading up.

Dang I love her oh so much!

On a side note Kordo my BP took his first bath today while I cleaned out his home and seemed to enjoy it.

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[katalyzt]

Thanks a bunch Willow, Rob, and Meg for all the input!

[Meg]

He/she is a pretty one I havent had a red baby yet and I would LOVE to have one! Im hoping when I start breeding them next year I get some red babies

Im sure you will really enjoy your little GTP

feel free to ask if you have any more questions