Introducing little Misty!

Will0W783 · 02-28-12, 01:21 PM

Well I told myself I was not going to buy any more snakes at the Hamburg expo, but this little girl was too cute to pass up, and an excellent deal to boot. Misty is a green-phase Bothriechis schlegelii, or Eyelash palm pitviper. My fiance has a 2-year-old male that's been doing wonderful for us, and they are really neat snakes, so I jumped at the chance for this little girl.
Here she is in her deli cup at the show (she's a very light pale green, almost grey, with pink bands and brown spots).

I got her home and settled her in, and took a few more shots- it's hard to get her in focus as she is sooo tiny. She's at most six inches long and about as thick as a shoelace.

And she took her first meal for me last night! The 1-day-old mouse pink looks so large in her little mouth.

theapexgerman · 02-28-12, 01:24 PM

Wow neat I know my coral snake is calm but what is the temperment of your viper

BarelyBreathing · 02-28-12, 01:27 PM

Very pretty. Congratulations.

Will0W783 · 02-28-12, 01:32 PM

Eyelash viper temperaments tend to vary a lot. They are usually quite docile as babies, but tend to get grumpier as they grow. Our subadult male has days where he is perfectly calm and tractable, and then also days where he is striking and mouth-gaping like a fiend.

They ride a hook well though, as their instinct is to grab onto a perch and hold...the only thing you have to watch is that they like to climb the hooks, so always have a second hook handy.

theapexgerman · 02-28-12, 01:36 PM

I was thinking of getting another hot but I can read my coral snake pretty good and I don't know bout a eyelas vioer

Will0W783 · 02-28-12, 01:38 PM

In my experience, arboreal snakes are quite easy to read- they mouth gape and form a very tight tense "S" shape when on edge. I have years of experience keeping non-venomous arboreals though, so the behavior of arboreal vipers is quite readable to me.

theapexgerman · 02-28-12, 01:42 PM

I was going to get a GTP someday just to hard to take care of for me at the moment

alessia55 · 02-28-12, 01:42 PM

She's very cute- I can't wait to see how tiny she is in person! She'll be a good addition to your pack.

Will0W783 · 02-28-12, 01:46 PM

Thanks Alessia...she's a neat little thing. I love baby vipers, especially eyelashes...they look like they are wearing eyeliner and mascara. lol

SpOoKy · 02-28-12, 04:55 PM

Very cute snake, congratulations

jarich · 02-28-12, 05:41 PM

Such a cute, tiny little thing. Crazy to think of how lethal they are!

Hillsberry · 02-28-12, 06:05 PM

Such an amazing little girl!!

jaleely · 02-28-12, 09:01 PM

arrrgh...more squeeee! I LOVE HER!! I cant' believe she's so tiny! Can you take a pic next to like, a ruler or a quarter or something? That would look really cool! I'm just making grabby motions right now i want to cuddle her up!

And THAT is why i don't have hots...*lmao*

Rogue628 · 02-28-12, 11:53 PM

Awww!!! Such a sweet looking viper! Now I have another of your animals to drool over lol

Will0W783 · 02-29-12, 06:15 AM

Yep, can't cuddle these guys- they are adorable, but they'll cause a lot of pain. Eyelash vipers generally aren't lethal (they can be in some cases), but the severity of a bite varies with each person, the size of the snake, and how much venom it injected.
Their bites respond well to Polyvalent Crotaline Antivenom (Cro-Fab and the like), so there's good treatment, but I still wouldn't want to get hit.

They are cute little buggers though, and they stay cute- they look adorable even as adults. Pudgy cheeks and little eyelash-type scales. They look like little divas....and they act like it too! :-O