GTP questions about behavior..help? - Page 5

**lady_bug87** · 01-15-14, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlynn93

I am following the breeders advice by just leaving it alone, so no real big updates...bin is in snake room (on opposite side of room from my others) and is covered with a dark towel...peeked once this morning, no perching, but is off the floor and is hiding in the plant...so i'm hoping that is progress...he didn't seem to think there was any swelling in the pics, just misaligned...he has had it happen dozens of times with bites, they usually correct themselves or when it eats it will go back, but we will address that once we get him to perch and de-stress...stressing him out is only making the situation 10x worse...he thinks taking him to a vet at this point will just stress him beyond survival, and especially since there are no vets within a 3 to 4 hr drive that are experienced with this species...breeder was a snake keeper at a zoo for years, and did 90% of the medical care on them since the zoo vet was also not a herp vet...

I did get detailed records from him on feeds and his last shed, hatch date, etc...so its a waiting game now...sorry for not updating but I really didn't feel like battling with people anymore...this forum used to be fun, but lately all I see is a lot of bashing and a lot of new members bailing because of it...this forum has a wealth of knowledge and I can't imagine not having it as a resource but its very disconcerting to know that at any moment one can be made the target of the day...therefore I have refrained from posting and am just enjoying reading and learning... will update more once things progress.

I take offense to this. I took time out of MY day to help YOU. Multiple times.

I gave you suggestions OK not in the most polite way but I tried to give you solid info.

Good luck.

Sharlynn93 · 01-15-14, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

I take offense to this. I took time out of MY day to help YOU. Multiple times.

I gave you suggestions OK not in the most polite way but I tried to give you solid info.

Good luck.

maybe you should try changing delivery tactics if you want people to be grateful, I for one cannot fathom thanking someone for being ignorant to me... and by saying the snake was sick before i got it already puts the breeder in a bad light, so out of respect for him i will not post his name. there have been a couple people i pm'ed his name. i searched him and found articles about his knowledge...he and his wife are both zoologists, herpetologists, on top of their own personal careers, and use their snakes in educational programs as well...so I feel pretty confident he knows his snakes..

**lady_bug87** · 01-15-14, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlynn93

maybe you should try changing delivery tactics if you want people to be grateful, I for one cannot fathom thanking someone for being ignorant to me... and by saying the snake was sick before i got it already puts the breeder in a bad light, so out of respect for him i will not post his name. there have been a couple people i pm'ed his name. i searched him and found articles about his knowledge...he and his wife are both zoologists, herpetologists, on top of their own personal careers, and use their snakes in educational programs as well...so I feel pretty confident he knows his snakes..

If it was swollen (to me it honestly did look swollen) and it had an infection it would have gotten it before you bought it right?

They could be snake geniuses but they don't own it. You do. Its up to you to get it eating, its up to you to get it to thrive. Not me or them or anyone else. YOU.

I don't care if you're grateful. Its not going to stop me from saying what I think needs saying.

Sharlynn93 · 01-15-14, 03:11 PM

calling people stupid isn't the way to go about offering advice...

as stated, they are quite knowledgeable about snakes...and this species...he assured me that setup was fine...i told him what i had available...sent him pics after set up...he approved...said many others have used the same setups for starting out...i understand tubs may be better, and maybe i should have went that route from the beginning...but calling me stupid was just wrong...

everyone has their ways they do things...doesn't mean that is the ONLY way to do it...if you offer advice but the person goes another route, it sure does not warrant name calling, insulting, etc...and that is not directed towards any 1 person...i see it a lot anymore...

Sharlynn93 · 01-17-14, 09:16 PM

thought I would update...Absolem has been perched quite nicely for about 24 hrs...seems to be perched in "hunt mode"...I will attempt to feed in the next day or so...jaw seems to be ok from what I can see through the side of the tub...he didn't budge when I misted his tub tonight, so all looks good...I also had a wonderful member here provide me with a copy of Greg Maxwell's book and have been perusing it all evening

Kera · 01-18-14, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlynn93

thought I would update...Absolem has been perched quite nicely for about 24 hrs...seems to be perched in "hunt mode"...I will attempt to feed in the next day or so...jaw seems to be ok from what I can see through the side of the tub...he didn't budge when I misted his tub tonight, so all looks good...I also had a wonderful member here provide me with a copy of Greg Maxwell's book and have been perusing it all evening

Awesome news, glad to hear all is going well.

Big_V · 01-20-14, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlynn93

thought I would update...Absolem has been perched quite nicely for about 24 hrs...seems to be perched in "hunt mode"...I will attempt to feed in the next day or so...jaw seems to be ok from what I can see through the side of the tub...he didn't budge when I misted his tub tonight, so all looks good...I also had a wonderful member here provide me with a copy of Greg Maxwell's book and have been perusing it all evening

Sorry to chime in so late,

"THE BOOK" is a good start. Head over to MVF forum too. The chondro game has changed a lot since Greg wrote that stuff, even if it is the MORE complete chondro.

I would advise against attempting to feed for at least another few days. Yes the creature may be hungry, you want it to be.
So like you stated earlier, neos tend to go throw head swelling before they shed, it can be very tough to tell in yellow neos. The jaw thing is probably due to a feeding strike, even my 2.5 yr old during the night sometimes smacks the door thinking something is there. It happens, they are wired to feed like that. Most of the time any jaw issues correct themselves over time, that one you had was pretty mild.

Tanks are for fish, there are a lot of nice PVC cages out there for when it gets a bit bigger or you have the money. Bulbs tend to add to dehydration issues in chondros, which in turn can lead to RI or prolapse issues.

Radiant heat panels, a good rubbermaid or PVC tub and you will find a lot of issues just disappear.

My truly honest opinion is your little one is having a real tough time getting settled in due to husbandry issues that were not dealt with off the start properly. It looks to be very dehydrated, and the humidity should be a lot higher for that little one. Look at some of the climate data for PNG and Indo.
You will noticed 85 to 87 highs and 78-80 lows, with DAILY rainstorms. If you have a bulb at 90-92 and only 72% humidity you are playing with dehydration already.

Just my opinion, take what you will from it. Congrats on the new addition.

Sharlynn93 · 01-20-14, 12:06 PM

that picture was taken before I even got it home...my humidity has been hovering 95-99% since I got it...he has been drinking droplets here and there and has passed some urates...he has been quite active moving from perch to perch, etc..have not attempted a 2nd feed...waiting to observe him going into "hunt mode" and see what happens then...the tub he is in is way to small to put a RHP in...and a mini UTH takes up a whole end of the tub, but throws virtually no heat...i have a heat bulb on a rheostat that is set up so it shines just towards the end of the tub...IR temp readings are 88 at the spot closest to the bulb on the perch, 85 on the side furthest away, and the cool side is reading 80 but drops to about 77 at night...

Mikoh4792 · 01-20-14, 12:19 PM

Breeders I've talked to said that temps over 85f just dehydrate and overheat chondros.

Humidity also does not need to be as high as 95%. If your hottest temps are around 85F you can keep them around 60-70% with humidity spikes in the morning when you mist the enclosure.

^ those are the guidelines I've used for keeping my chondros and it's served me well. When humidity is as high as 95-95% it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, which is obviously not good.

Sharlynn93 · 01-20-14, 12:26 PM

i will turn it down a bit then...i had the humidity higher because everyone says he is dehydrated, but i can drop that too...he hasn't seemed to use the water dish, but seems to like licking the droplets...even misting once a day keeps the humidity that high, though...should i add a few tiny holes in the lid to keep it a bit lower?

Mikoh4792 · 01-20-14, 12:29 PM

No if your enclosure is that good at retaining humidity I wouldn't change a thing, just not mist as often. The key is to create humidity spikes, so it can go up to 100% if you want for a few hours before dropping back to normal levels. It's only bad when it says that high for long periods of time(For bacteria and fungi to grow).

And from what I have seen gtp's and carpet pythons do seem to enjoy lapping up droplets on the cage walls more than drinking from a water bowl. But still, I've seen both drink both ways. My GTP's will even drink from their body if I mist them directly but I don't do it anymore since they freak out lol.

Sharlynn93 · 01-20-14, 12:47 PM

the few times i misted Ab directly he seemed to like it...never budged and would lick some droplets...lol...he seems to be actually doing quite well, just wish he would eat...from the feeding schedule they gave me he hasn't eaten now in 4 weeks...kinda worries me...but i'm sure since he seems to be acting fine otherwise now, i'm figuring he should go into hunt mode soon...he did strike at the pinkie a few times the other night, but all he did was throw it to the ground...so i decided to let him go for a few more days...

Mikoh4792 · 01-20-14, 12:56 PM

I wouldn't worry about it too much. 4 weeks isn't something to get worried about, I've had new arrivals go for several weeks without food before eating... so whenver I get an animal that won't eat I don't stress about it as much.....they will take eventually as long as husbandry is correct.

Another thing is to not try feeding too often, that can stress him out. Try feeding him once a week, at night(that's when they go into hunting mode). A lot of people say that the temperature of the prey item isn't important but I've noticed my snakes that have heat pits eat more readily with their mice/rat is nice and warm.

Sharlynn93 · 01-20-14, 01:03 PM

yeah, the more I read and the more feedback I get, the more relaxed I am getting...I appreciate all the help

the book is helping a lot, plus I have gone to the MVP forum and have been searching different things and reading also...just wish the UTH would have thrown more heat, I'm not liking the lamp thing...but really don't know what else I could use in a tub that small...

Mikoh4792 · 01-20-14, 01:06 PM

if anything I'd get an enclosure big enough to accomodate an RHP. Or atleast a tub big enough for one.

With a 28 watt rhp you could get a tub or enclosure about as big as a 2 foot cube give or take. Then fill it with a bunch of perches and vines for cover. It will be much easier to maintain the right conditions.