Rescue Royal

Snakefood · 06-19-12, 08:07 PM

So I got a call from a friend, who knows someone who just moved into a new house on the 15th, apparently when they got there the previous tenant had left all thier animals there. A dog and cat, which the tenant decided to keep herself, and then a Boa and this guy. She found a home for the Boa (good thing too as I know nothing about Boa's), the new tenant knew absolutely nothing about snakes and when I got there, this poor dude was in a dirty tank, there was NO heat source at all and he was like an ice cube when I picked him up, other than breathing he wasn't moving at all, GOD I HATE PEOPLE SOMETIMES!!!

The new tenant was telling me that the landlords said the house had been empty for 2 months before they moved in on the 15th. He doesn't seem emaciated but is about the same length as my pastel boy, but only about 1/2 the girth. Once he warmed up inside my jacket, he started moving around alot more and seemed more curious about what was happening, I stopped at the petstore on the way home and picked up a heatmat and CHE with dome, and have him all set up now and plugged in to the thermostat.

DID I MENTION THAT I REALLY HATE PEOPLE SOMETIMES!!

Anyways thanks for dealing with my rant, and now help me ID this little darling, he is either a pretty normal, or a dark pastel.

And also there are these 2 little "horns" (can't describe them any other way) sticking slightly out of each side of the vent, now I have a female and a male, and I haven`t seen anything like that on my babies, so what do you make of that!!

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DavethePython · 06-19-12, 08:27 PM

Looks like our big girl Tequila . I would say she is a normal . But I am not even close to knowing for sure. I am going to have both our bp's identified by an expert named Micheal Cole . Perhaps some of you have heard of him lol. I am also guessing the horns are spurs and what you have is a male. Our Burm we just acquired has the same thing.

Ivalynfyre · 06-19-12, 08:53 PM

Looks like a normal to me. I like normal ball pythons, because their pattern can vary so much.
The things on the side of the vent are 'spurs', those are normal.

Snakefood · 06-19-12, 08:56 PM

well I`m going to have to check Torruk, because I didn`t see them on him!!

DavethePython · 06-19-12, 09:18 PM

Maybe your other was sexed incorrectly ? My little guy Dave has them too , just much smaller as he is still under a year old. But they are visible .

Snakefood · 06-19-12, 09:34 PM

Nope, I went and checked and torruk (who is 2) DOES have them, but they are very light colored, so I guess, I just never noticed them before (not like I sit around looking at his vent!!LOL)

DavethePython · 06-19-12, 09:40 PM

Lol snakefood , why not ? Isn't that what all snake owners do? Sit around checking out their snakes junk LMAO!!

Snakefood · 06-19-12, 09:50 PM

LOL

You know, I`m new to the BP world, just had my corns before, and I was always told there was no `visual`way to sex a BP, so since these spurs are visible then obviously there IS a way to visually sex a BP???

and all these people saying they had to be popped or probed, when all you have to do is look for these spurs!!

alessia55 · 06-19-12, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakefood

And also there are these 2 little "horns" (can't describe them any other way) sticking slightly out of each side of the vent, now I have a female and a male, and I haven`t seen anything like that on my babies, so what do you make of that!!]

You mean these?

They are called spurs. They are the leftovers of legs through the process of evolution. They now serve to help lock male and female ball pythons together while mating. Both males and females can have them.

Snakefood · 06-19-12, 11:50 PM

YUP, that`s exactly what I am seeing on both this rescue Ball and on Torruk, except Torruk`s (a Pastel) are much lighter in color than the rescue ball`s spurs

OK, so BOTH males and females have them??? So this rescue Ball is not neccesarily male then???

I should go check Neytiri now to see does she have them!!!

StudentoReptile · 06-20-12, 07:15 AM

Yes, both sexes have them. They can also be lost, torn off and regenerated, so there's no "males have larger spurs than females" bit either.

mykee · 06-20-12, 07:22 AM

All ball pythons have spurs. Trying to sex a ball python by spur size is a myth. Pop or probe. Period.
Congrats on your cool looking normal.

Snakefood · 06-20-12, 09:45 AM

Thanks Mykee he/she is pretty isn'nt it?? I'm not sure I am keeping it though, it is taking up the space I had planned for my Mojave!!

But I will keep it for a while, make sure it`s healthy (get it to the vet) and maybe have the local breeder sex it, then I may re-home it (or I may keep it and buy a new enclosure for the mojave), I really haven't decided yet. Either way it is out of that horrid conition I found it in!!

DavethePython · 06-20-12, 10:16 AM

To many of these stories lately . Glad you got it . And like I said in my message if you do te home it let me know. I can find a good home for it right away. These are times where it is so important for us to work together.

Snakefood · 06-20-12, 10:20 AM

Yes, I am keeping your offer in mind, but like I said, I want clearance from a vet that he`s A-OK, and maybe find out the gender when I run up to henry`s this weekend.

I`ll let you know before before you go home, but if I do re-home, the fee will be the cost of the vet visit.