The Shelby Thread :) - Page 4

**millertime89** · 01-27-12, 08:30 PM

set up a makeshift tripod and leave the room?

Will0W783 · 02-03-12, 08:56 AM

Ok, as requested here is a Shelby eating experience! Last night was not one of his most interesting performances, but it did make me chuckle. He grabbed his mouse by the back leg and the leg would not tear off, so he started to try to eat it leg-first. He spent a good ten minutes struggling with it, smashing it off of his cage furniture, dragging it around and shaking his head. He busted the guts open, massacred the mouse's butt, but he was bound and determined to eat it that way....either that or he wanted the leg off. Not sure which.
After about ten minutes of watching him coat every inch of his cage with mouse guts and juices, he gave up and ate it head-first. He also ate his first rat pup last night- his first meal with seconds! He's growing like a weed and is shedding again in fact.

***The nasty brownish-red stuff on the paper substrate is the juices he spilled from the mouse. The cage was cleaned Wednesday night, and it will be cleaned again tomorrow morning after he has a bit of time to digest****

Ok, here he is chowing down:

Here he is after he finally decided to eat it head-first. You can see the guts hanging out and the absolute mess he made of it.

Looking for seconds and showing off his hood:

Will0W783 · 02-03-12, 08:58 AM

Ok why did none of my videos show up?? Let's try this again.

First video of him eating it leg-first:
c31c85b7.mp4 video by Will0W783 - Photobucket

Second video of him finally swallowing:
37e84b1c.mp4 video by Will0W783 - Photobucket

Looking for seconds:
5c6db06c.mp4 video by Will0W783 - Photobucket

CK SandBoas · 02-03-12, 09:08 AM

Great videos, especially the last one with Shelby Hooding, looking for more food

Gungirl · 02-03-12, 09:04 AM

Lol.. Man he made a mess out of that mouse.

Will0W783 · 02-03-12, 09:08 AM

He's terrible, Kat. He is by far the messiest little b**tard ever. And after he gets done eating, he has a terrible temper for the rest of the night, so I get to listen to a background symphony of hisses and thuds while I feed the rest, lol.

Gungirl · 02-03-12, 09:10 AM

It has to be interesting to try and keep his tank clean

Will0W783 · 02-03-12, 09:13 AM

Interesting isn't quite the word I'd use, lol.

He is a very fun snake to own, and his antics always amuse me, but he is definitely messy. He eats once a week, so there is always a cleaning the day after a feeding. He also poops about 2-3 times for every feed, so I have to clean his cage when he poops. I'd say I am cleaning him about 3-4 times a week. Almost every other day.

One thing I have noticed, and I don't know if this has to do with the venom being digested along with the prey, but venomous snake poop STINKS. It's rank and powerful and enough to choke a donkey. My fiance thought maybe it's a way to mark their territory for other animals to know they are around, but why would a predator want to make its presence known?

Gungirl · 02-03-12, 09:16 AM

You keep giving me more and more reasons on why I don't want to own hots.. lol I do however appreciate all the photo's of your amazing babies!!

Will0W783 · 02-03-12, 09:19 AM

It's not easy owning them. My arboreal vipers are a breeze to care for once they're set up properly. The Wagler's vipers have incredibly slow metabolic rates and only poop a few times a year. They also usually poop in water soaks so it is easy to clean up. My bush viper is also pretty slow as well, although she'd love to sink her fangs into me so I have to be very careful moving her.

Shelby is really the only one that's a pain in the butt, and I knew what I was getting into. Elapids have very high metabolic rates and are extremely intelligent, active snakes.

Norm66 · 02-03-12, 09:35 AM

I can't wait to get home and check out the videos. I'm a huge fan of Shelby. But I'm 100% with Kat on not wanting my own.

alessia55 · 02-03-12, 09:38 AM

He's such a messy eater

I love the third video. He's really hooding up a whole lot more nowadays that when you first got him.

Lankyrob · 02-03-12, 10:08 AM

He is beautiful Willow

Norm66 · 02-03-12, 05:56 PM

That was awesome. Any chance of getting a striking video next time? Or does it just happen too fast to film properly?

Rogue628 · 02-03-12, 06:03 PM

I love Shelby and I'm a big fan of him. I doubt I'll ever own a hot, but honestly, I think hots in general are more beautiful than non venomous.

I really enjoy seeing pictures of yours! It allows me to live vicariously through you and that's good enough for me

Thank you for sharing!