Morelia in her new skin!

Ch^4 · 11-10-10, 12:46 AM

Our JCP is showing off her new skin after shedding about 2 hours ago (first time at our home)! I'm glad to see that she shed in one, clean piece, eye caps and all!

#1: Skin-sorry, no scale, but she is ~18-20"
#2: Hanging out---she has a heart on her back, which is funny because her nickname is killer bee as she "bites first, asks later!"
#3: Taking refuge in her half log---she is still a little camera shy.

More to come tomorrow during her scheduled handling and move into her larger juvenile cage....Can hardly wait to handle her as it has been about a week...

marvelfreak · 11-10-10, 02:14 AM

She's looking really good. Love the last pic.

shaunyboy · 11-10-10, 09:11 AM

looking good

they usually like to sit in the heat and peace and quiet for 2 or 3 days after they shed

always check the eye caps are present on the shed (which you did)

more importantly make sure the tip of the tail has shed (your picture just missed it)

sometimes a few millimeters gets stuck on the end.this can lead to blood restriction and loss of the tip of the tail

shes looking nice and bright

cheers shaun

Ch^4 · 11-10-10, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

looking good

they usually like to sit in the heat and peace and quiet for 2 or 3 days after they shed

always check the eye caps are present on the shed (which you did)

more importantly make sure the tip of the tail has shed (your picture just missed it)

sometimes a few millimeters gets stuck on the end.this can lead to blood restriction and loss of the tip of the tail

shes looking nice and bright

cheers shaun

Thanks for the comments everyone! I'll have better pics this evening.

Thanks Shaun.....I didn't want to make my original post too long, but I give all my snakes a night off from handling after shed and give them full inspections the next morning.

Oddly enough, my BP is the only snake of mine who has ever retained a couple mils of skin on his tail (I always remove it...gently).

TylerWortman · 11-10-10, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

more importantly make sure the tip of the tail has shed (your picture just missed it)

sometimes a few millimeters gets stuck on the end.this can lead to blood restriction and loss of the tip of the tail

cheers shaun

How would you take care of this problem?

TylerWortman · 11-10-10, 11:08 AM

Cool heart! Took me a minute to fine lol

Ch^4 · 11-10-10, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerWortman

How would you take care of this problem?

Thanks for the comment (about the heart)!

My approach to removing any skin remaining on the tail is to give the snake a bath. I have 2 techniques (it depends on the size of your snake, its temperament, and if it is "tail-shy" or not).

My BP is a gentle "puppy" and loves what I call giving him a massage down his back and to the tip of his tail. My BRB does not like her tail touched at all, but she is still young.

1) With my BP, following the bath, I very gently "stroke" his tail and that usually removes the excess skin (granted, the amount of skin varies, but it is typically about a few millimeters measured from the tip of the tail.....up to ~1/4 inch for US units).

2) If your snake does not like their tail being touched, my other approach is wetting a cloth or paper towel with the same bath water (comfortable temperature for your snake), and then I simply wrap them at about mid-body with the cloth/towel, add a small amount of gripping pressure, and let them slither through. This generally does the trick (in my experience).

Hope that helps and sorry for the super long post!

percey39 · 11-10-10, 04:38 PM

Also when measuriing a snake the old skin usually gives you around 17% more length and girth in my experience. The best way to get a 100% accurate length is to download a program called Herp measure. Its very easy to use and will give true lengths.

Nice jungle.

Ch^4 · 11-10-10, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percey39

Also when measuriing a snake the old skin usually gives you around 17% more length and girth in my experience. The best way to get a 100% accurate length is to download a program called Herp measure. Its very easy to use and will give true lengths.

Nice jungle.

Thank you! I have never measured skin.....was giving an approximation so people would know she's not a 7-footer (albeit, you can tell from the photo!

).

I typically let them slither on the ground, and use a piece of string to approximate length, but I'm intrigued by this "Herp measure." I will check it out.

Thanks for the comment and advice!

shaunyboy · 11-11-10, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerWortman

How would you take care of this problem?

i usually just gently rub it off with a fingernail

if its really stuck then id put the snake in a tub with damp sphagnum moss or even wet kitchen tissue for 2 to 3 hours.placing the tub in the middle of its vivarium

if that failed id try a bath,gently rubbing the sheed as it softened

if its caught early enough and its restricting blood then you have to get it off or at least get a line burst the length of it to let the blood circulate

if its been missed then the tip dies and falls off and you have to really watch for infection setting in

if the tip does come off then cleaning regular with a dilutted iodine soulution usually keeps it clean and infection free.

i have a snake i bought with 3mm of tail tip missing as a hatchling.shes sub adult now and her tail has a stub instead of a nice sharp point

cheers shaun

Ch^4 · 11-11-10, 10:40 PM

As promised, more pics of our JCP showing her new colors.

She is really taking well to the scheduled handling....she's been handled 3 times since shedding and not a single strike.

She's also very inquisitive, energetic, and more unpredictable than my others; it's very hard to get a good photo as she has her face all up in the lens every other second!

Enjoy!

shaunyboy · 11-12-10, 09:47 AM

nice pic's shes looking great

carpets...

you just gotta love em...!!

cheers shaun

Ch^4 · 11-12-10, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

nice pic's shes looking great

carpets...

you just gotta love em...!!

cheers shaun

Thanks for the comments!

I am beginning to see why you carpet lovers are so in love with them! My girlfriend is also starting to succumb to their beauty!

I wasn't sure she'd come around, because she saw how much I was getting bit and she was hesitant when it came to handling. How the tides have changed after a few weeks of acclimation and gentle handling!

I have relatively high expectations for her; her great-grandmother is Will and Mary Leary's infamous "Cover girl," and her mother is "Cover girl 2." The father is from the Schuett line.

I'll just have to wait and see!

I can only hope she grows up to be half as beautiful as one of your carpets shaunyboy and marvelfreak.....you both have exquisite examples of carpets!

shaunyboy · 11-14-10, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ch^4

Thanks for the comments!

I am beginning to see why you carpet lovers are so in love with them! My girlfriend is also starting to succumb to their beauty!

I wasn't sure she'd come around, because she saw how much I was getting bit and she was hesitant when it came to handling. How the tides have changed after a few weeks of acclimation and gentle handling!

I have relatively high expectations for her; her great-grandmother is Will and Mary Leary's infamous "Cover girl," and her mother is "Cover girl 2." The father is from the Schuett line.

I'll just have to wait and see!

I can only hope she grows up to be half as beautiful as one of your carpets shaunyboy and marvelfreak.....you both have exquisite examples of carpets!

thanks for the kind comment mate

your carpets got some great bloodlines in her

im looking forward even more now to seeing this one grow up

the leary's have produced some world class morelisa imo

cheers shaun

belovedboas · 12-16-10, 10:28 AM

ch^4.....beautiful carpet..nice sheddding too