# A special new arrival



## hcarlton

It's been a couple years since my last pet acquisition (the mantids don't count) when I got my two milk snakes, so today a visit to a reptile expo added another...he'll be staying with the milks at my sister's high school science room most of the year, but still my snake.

Meet Hobbes! He's an African house snake (Lamprophis/Boaedon fuliginosus), and I'm hoping that perhaps at the next expo I might have just enough funds to find him a girlfriend.



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## danl82

Very nice, easy to keep and really docile.


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## MantisGirl13

Pretty snake! Cute stickers on your laptop, btw   

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

MantisGirl13 said:


> Pretty snake! Cute stickers on your laptop, btw
> 
> - MantisGirl13


Of the two not visible, one of them better fits this thread, as it's a 3D snake...but I ain't gonna deny my love of Zootopia either  

As of today, it's been confirmed that Hobbes will be a decent feeder (if perhaps shy; he didn't touch his mouse until I'd left the room for a half hour), so things are definitely looking positive.

Also, if anyone's interested, composed a blog post for this species too: https://www.carltoncarnivores.com/blog/house-snakes-a-new-addition


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## MantisGirl13

hcarlton said:


> Of the two not visible, one of them better fits this thread, as it's a 3D snake...but I ain't gonna deny my love of Zootopia either
> 
> As of today, it's been confirmed that Hobbes will be a decent feeder (if perhaps shy; he didn't touch his mouse until I'd left the room for a half hour), so things are definitely looking positive.
> 
> Also, if anyone's interested, composed a blog post for this species too: https://www.carltoncarnivores.com/blog/house-snakes-a-new-addition


   I have only seen the movie once and I didn't really enjoy it. 3-D snake sounds cool! 

I an glad that Hobbes is eating now!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

We're gonna stand at odds on movie preferences then...


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## MantisGirl13

hcarlton said:


> We're gonna stand at odds on movie preferences then...


   Lol

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Hee hee, the family's still growing...I'll be getting a proper blog post up at carltoncarnivores.com for her shortly too



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

That famous pattern



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

She's got bicolor eyes too



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## Mantis Lady

A handful of snake. Callie is a beautiful snake with her pattern. Is she poisonous?


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## hcarlton

Little Mantis said:


> A handful of snake. Callie is a beautiful snake with her pattern. Is she poisonous?


Rule of talking about snakes, spiders, etc. that may carry toxins: careful what word you're using. There are maybe 3 that are poisonous, more that are venomous, and that is the word most people mean to use. It is an important distinction too, medically and how you deal with the animal.

But, no python qualifies in either category, they're constrictors.


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## Cole 78

hcarlton said:


> Rule of talking about snakes, spiders, etc. that may carry toxins: careful what word you're using. There are maybe 3 that are poisonous, more that are venomous, and that is the word most people mean to use. It is an important distinction too, medically and how you deal with the animal.
> 
> But, no python qualifies in either category, they're constrictors.




Couldnt she get large enough to idk how to put it politely... Constrict you?


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## hcarlton

Cole 78 said:


> Couldnt she get large enough to idk how to put it politely... Constrict you?


If you're dumb enough to put yourself in a situation where that could happen, it's probably deserved. Deaths by big snakes occur when either the owner decides to wrap the animal around their neck, the snake feels unbalanced and so tightens up to hold on, and....or, they fail to signal to the snake that it is not feeding time and they are not food (either by having food smell on their hands or by reaching into the cage without warning and startling the snake into a defensive or instinctive hunting strike) and end up a casualty. Either can be avoided and one who knows their animals knows how to read them, when it's safe to work with them and when they're in a mood and best left alone. Worked with wisely, these animals are leagues less dangerous than even that cat or dog probably laying in your living room.

Technically speaking, even a corn snake is large and strong enough to kill someone via constriction, but they are neither big enough to see us as food nor large enough to accidentally squeeze tightly enough to kill. The stigma of "it's a big snake, it can kill you!" is a hugely detrimental viewpoint to both those of us who wish to and have the means to successfully keep them as well as all conservation attempts surrounding them and other similarly stigmatized animals; every creature may have the means to kill, they just do so differently.


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## danl82

You are quite right about how idiots die to large pythons, wrapping it around their neck.  I've told so many people over the years if you must handle large pythons/boas, don't wrap around you and especially not across shoulders or neck.  Constrictors could kill you without trying that way. Also preferably with two people once they're over 12 foot long.

That's a serious animal though, do you know how large the parents were to that baby retic? Sadly most don't have the temperament of burmese/indian pythons. The largest I ever got my hands on was nearly 20 foot long and mean as heck. I was teaching vet students exotics handling.


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## hcarlton

Burmese pythons are slow, doesn't necessarily translate to being more docile; from the reports I've heard they're more likely to be the biters when young as opposed to retics as well. Retics have a strong feed response and are more energetic, but this does not equate to being bad-tempered. Additionally, the standard recommendation is at least one person for every 3 feet of large snake, so a 12-footer should have at least 4 people in the room. This may be my first personally owned large constrictor, but I'm far from novice when it comes to reptiles.


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## danl82

Don't misunderstand, I wasn't criticising she's a beautiful animal. I've cared for many large and small snakes including retics and even breeding burms. I've heard ancedotal reports of nippy burms but in many, many years of working with snakes I've never seen one. I have however seen aggressive retics. 

Retics are to my mind more nervous and aware of their surroundings, so they just need a bit more care. But get them young like yours, handle them regularly and you should be able to have a tame adult. I can see you aren't a novice, they are just an animal which needs the care now to ensure they aren't a problem later. Good luck with her and I look forward to pictures when she's eating rabbits


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## mantisfan101

A retic! Cool!


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## hcarlton

The Carlton Carnivores family welcomes two new members; still haven't found a girlfriend for Hobbes like I wanted, but these will do for now  

First up, Irwin the Kenyan sand boa! He's a bit shy, somewhat shy about feeding as well, but I'm sure he'll come around.



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Just look at this adorable face!



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Second up is Rebel. He's a bull snake whose ancestry originates from near Abilene, Texas, and when he grows up he's supposed to turn somewhere between brick and terra cotta red



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

As seen here, he is also the adorbs. Much more hyper than Irwin ever will be, but otherwise just as docile



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hysteresis

Love the eyes.


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## hcarlton

hysteresis said:


> Love the eyes.


On which one? Both?


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## hysteresis

hcarlton said:


> Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


  looks cool


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## Mantis Lady

He looks: what is happening there?

Your snakes are beautiful


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## MantisGirl13

I love their patterns! So pretty!I

- MantisGirl13


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## Teamonger

These are some adorable and beautiful noodles. You should be a proud parent  

That cheeky looking grin on Irwin is just the best.


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## hcarlton

The family grew again...

This is Halailah; she's a newborn (still has her umbilical scar even) Baja king snake. Originally planned on getting a Mexican Black king, but she was cheaper and, besides the cool stripe down her back, she's just as dark as one. Good chance she'll stay that way too. 



Lampropeltis getula &amp;quot;nitida&amp;quot; by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Common consensus is that these guys are just a very southern, very dark morph of California king snake (_Lampropeltis getula californiae_, "nitida phase"), but with just how dark they are I think the Baja is just a touch cooler.

Other new arrival: Cinder, a Colorado Desert/Resplendent Shovelnose snake. 



Chionactis annulata by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

These guys are insect eaters (and the vendor said this one likes crickets, which means a new bug in the house too, for now), so they're more like feeding a mantid than the rest of the reptiles (including a far more often feeding schedule). I'm hoping I can coax him to eat the dubias I breed (one of their natural foods is roaches), or mealworms, but at least crickets aren't very expensive. He's not much of a handling animal though, very jumpy and sometimes likes to mock-strike, but once he settles he's cute.


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## Viking

It is a beauty. Are they bred in captivity? They stay small?

Many years I had A Colombian red-tail boa. I gave her away when I moved from Chicago. She liked to go to sleep wrapped around my arm.


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## hcarlton

Viking said:


> It is a beauty. Are they bred in captivity? They stay small?
> 
> Many years I had A Colombian red-tail boa. I gave her away when I moved from Chicago. She liked to go to sleep wrapped around my arm.


If referring to the Shovelnose, many are wild-collected but some are captive-bred; hoping mine is among the latter but he's already fairly large for the species (they only get to about 15" max).


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## hcarlton

I actually caught the shovelnose munching on a roach a couple weeks ago...such a rare thing since they're very nocturnal and very skittish around people.

In other news: the zoo is still expanding  



Tsefan by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

This is Tsefan; he's a Mexican Black Kingsnake (_Lampropeltis getula nigrita_), an animal I've been pining after for years. Only been in the house a couple days, and already he's trending toward being far better behaved (and already bigger, despite being younger) than my finger-nibbling Baja king.



Tsefan by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

As can be seen a little bit in the above photo, he's still got some white patches on his chin and belly, which extend up and blend into the black on his sides, but as he grows up those will fade entirely or almost entirely, leaving an iridescent, solid chocolate-black snake. Since indigo snakes are so hard to come by, this is the next best thing.


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## MantisGirl13

Wow! He is stunning! I really want a snake now.

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Allow me to fuel that fire a little more  

The collection (at least for the next few years as my limit for hiding new things is filled) is nearing completion, and the latest additions are these two het hypomelanistic Baird's Rat Snakes (_Pantherophis bairdi_). 



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Female above, male below; this species is native to southwestern Texas and northern Mexico, a desert canyon specialist that gets about as long, sometimes longer than a corn snake, though a fair bit thinner, and adults look nothing like the hatchlings as they develop (depending on locality) colors ranging from striped or solid silver to yellow with silver heads, to brilliantly highlighted in oranges and pinks.



Jacob by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Jacob by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Jacob by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Wow, those are beautiful! 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady

beautiful snakes


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## The Mantis Menagerie

hcarlton said:


> The family grew again...
> 
> This is Halailah; she's a newborn (still has her umbilical scar even) Baja king snake. Originally planned on getting a Mexican Black king, but she was cheaper and, besides the cool stripe down her back, she's just as dark as one. Good chance she'll stay that way too.
> 
> 
> 
> Lampropeltis getula &amp;quot;nitida&amp;quot; by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
> 
> Common consensus is that these guys are just a very southern, very dark morph of California king snake (_Lampropeltis getula californiae_, "nitida phase"), but with just how dark they are I think the Baja is just a touch cooler.
> 
> Other new arrival: Cinder, a Colorado Desert/Resplendent Shovelnose snake.
> 
> 
> 
> Chionactis annulata by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr
> 
> These guys are insect eaters (and the vendor said this one likes crickets, which means a new bug in the house too, for now), so they're more like feeding a mantid than the rest of the reptiles (including a far more often feeding schedule). I'm hoping I can coax him to eat the dubias I breed (one of their natural foods is roaches), or mealworms, but at least crickets aren't very expensive. He's not much of a handling animal though, very jumpy and sometimes likes to mock-strike, but once he settles he's cute.


I have always loved snakes, but I hated the mouse part. Since you updated that these will indeed eat roaches, I may have to look into this species. How common are they at reptile shows?


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## hcarlton

The Mantis Menagerie said:


> I have always loved snakes, but I hated the mouse part. Since you updated that these will indeed eat roaches, I may have to look into this species. How common are they at reptile shows?


Not very. They are very rarely bred in captivity, a lot are wild-caught (which I don't recommend), and they're not handling animals. Plus as small as they are, they get out of cages that aren't wholly secure rather easily.

Most insect-eating snakes are similar, and many don't live long in captivity.


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## hcarlton

I don't have photos uploaded to a hosting site of my Australian ambassadors (a pair of snappy little spotted pythons -working on calming them down), but I do of a couple other recent arrivals. First, Gideon the gray-banded kingsnake. While I've already got several North American species, this one does hold a bit of a special title; incredibly unique in pattern and contrast and highly variable in the same note, they are rocky cliff specialists in the wild and present a special challenge for keepers when young (like this guy) in that many will only eat lizards, and will refuse mice until they get quite a bit larger. I was told this one's on scented pinkie mice now (ie. ones that smell like lizard), but we'll find out tomorrow...



Gideon by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gideon by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gideon by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gideon by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Secondly is my Latin American ambassador, Domhara. She's a Dominican mountain boa, a species once allied with the rainbow boas of South America (with good reason, as they have a very similar if more slender body structure and that same phenomenal iridescence) but now classed in its own genus with other Caribbean boa species. Also lizard eaters when young (this girl's well past that stage though), they are a a species typically highly inquisitive and very docile, though they do like to musk when disturbed.



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

No, that photo is not upside down by the way  



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Wow! Domhara's pattern is so intricate! And I love the bright colors on Gideon. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady

Nice pics of your snakes. What do you feed them? roaches? mice?


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## hcarlton

Little Mantis said:


> Nice pics of your snakes. What do you feed them? roaches? mice?


Sorry, didn't see this.

The vast majority of snakes do not recognize insects as food. Nearly all mine eat mice.


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## MantisGirl13

hcarlton said:


> Nearly all mine eat mice.


My mom would LOVE that! Lol

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady

hcarlton said:


> Sorry, didn't see this.
> 
> The vast majority of snakes do not recognize insects as food. Nearly all mine eat mice.


Do you feed them live mice? or dead ones? I saw a snake feeding vid where some snakes accept dead mice, but others don't eat them.


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## hcarlton

Most snakes will take frozen-thawed; the ones that accept live only are few. None of mine have that issue, beyond perhaps one hatchling that doesn't want anything I give it (but he's a basket case all his own that I at least partly blame the breeder for).


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## hcarlton

Well, since those photos, a few others have joined (notably, my European representative Ladder Snake and federally protected Black Pine), filling out the collection for the forseeable future. Pics on the others will show up on my blog posts at carltoncarnivores.com, but here for now, a shot of my new male corn, Dreamer:



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

He's a Ghost motley (hypomelanistic anerythristic and recessive pattern mutation), hopefully a Coral Ghost (Strawberry instead of standard hypo allele) and Tessera (dominant pattern mutation). Only time, and breeding, will tell though.


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## MantisGirl13

He's pretty!!

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady

looks like Dreamer feels himself comfy.


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## hcarlton

Decided to share a couple more pics for the heck of it...



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And my Black Pine, judging me from on high.



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

You have beautiful snakes.

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Oi....what is it about me being bit that people find so amusing? This and the other photo set I have of similar setting are quite possibly the most popular posts I've ever made on FB and IG...and he obviously finds it enjoyable.



Tsefan noms by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

No, it doesn't really hurt (yet; once he gets to mature size, 3-5 feet, then it might be a bit more of a pain), but it's a fact of life if you keep anything in the common kingsnake complex (_Lampropeltis getula ssp._). Anything in their vicinity might just look like food (he's tried eating my iPod once before), and unfortunately when handling fingers are usually the most nearby, warm, and squishy objects available. Luckily Halailah the Baja kingsnake is becoming much less inclined...though she'll also still go for an occasional taste-test as well.


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## hysteresis

Do little ones break the skin?


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## MantisGirl13

Tasty finger? Lol

iPods really don't sound like good snake food. 

What a beautiful snake!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

hysteresis said:


> Do little ones break the skin?


He's not particularly little anymore, pushing 2 feet, so yes, he breaks the skin. If they grab at the right angle even a hatchling can too. But, it's a pinprick either way; if you can avoid flinching and pulling away though, even a large reticulated python bite is little more than a bunch of tiny punctures.


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## hcarlton

Trying out something a little different; if you might be interested in one, let me know:



Snakeskin jewelry by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

These were made with a shed from my Cape House Snake, Hobbes. A natural jewelry with an educational aspect; I intend to send these out with a little info slip about the snake they came from, and his species as a whole.



Snakeskin jewelry by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Snakeskin jewelry by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Snakeskin jewelry by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

This is so cool! What did you use as the main body of the pendants? Could you try different colors? Maybe transparent?

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

They're resin, and the resin is clear on its own. I mixed the color based on the color of the snake the sheds come from.


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## Mantis Lady

That looks cool


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## hcarlton

No sales of the pendants yet...perhaps the next set will garner more interest. Meanwhile, reptiles:



Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

With the passing of my oldest, Candice, (13 1/2 years), Midnight is now the elder of the house at 10 1/2, and largest in the house currently at over 5 feet (since the retic stays elsewhere she doesn't count). Daughter of my first snake ever, she's got his gentle personality too (if a bit more explorative).



Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

I've posted about the gray-band Gideon before already; as he hadn't eaten on his own since I got him, I wanted a snake I could rely on so he could visit the high school, so here's Gubler:



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Gubler hasn't missed a meal since arriving, all mice too; naturally though, a week after he showed up Gideon finally decided to eat on his own too, but now I've got two brilliantly patterned alterna to use for education



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Tsefan the MBK I showed has a taste for fingers; Halailah the Baja king apparently developed a thing for pants...



Halailah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Halailah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And last for now, Domhara the mountain boa's future (several years' future) boyfriend, Reynard:



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

He's still on lizards, but starting to show interest in scented pinkies. And, 2 years younger than Domhara, but he's already almost as orange as she is so he's going to be brilliant as an adult



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MrGhostMantis

Oh. My. God. LOOK AT GUBLER'S EYES!!


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## MantisGirl13

So pretty!!

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis

I can barely handle mantises. How you manage to include plants, snakes, and whatever else you have... wow dude. Kudos!


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## Mantis Lady

Halailah is very hungry. She is trying to eat the scarf she is sitting/laying on

How many snakes do you have @hcarlton?


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## hcarlton

It's a pair of pants, not a scarf. Wasn't aware of her attempt until I noticed she hadn't moved for several moments, and looked down...

I have 24 snakes. They're actually cheaper than the mantids, and most a lot more willing to interact with people.


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## MantisGirl13

You've got me hooked. I really want a snake now, I've been doing my research and the rosy boa sounds perfect. My menagerie is already pretty big for a teenager, so how do I convince my parents to let me get a snake?

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Exposure. If they don't already like snakes there's not much that is going to help, so that would need to be fixed. Otherwise, literally, it's a frozen mouse a week and the cleanup after for most species, heat pad on one end, clean water bowl on the other, and I shred paper as substrate.

As a first snake I'm not sure I'd suggest a rosy, as females tend to be chewy, some males off-and-on feeders, and you have to balance the desert conditions they need most of the time with higher humidity for shedding, plus there are some keepers who report them living 60+ years so it is a VERY long commitment. The gopher and rat snakes, or most of the kingsnakes, are somewhat more forgiving.


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## MantisGirl13

My parents are fine with snakes, they don't hate them or anything, but the problem is that I already have a lot of animals and every time I add another, they ask what I'm going to do when I get to college in a few years. I just wish I could see into the future and know what to do and what not to do right now. 

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

It would be wise to figure out a plan for that future time before getting the animal then, especially as just about any snake should live at least 10+ years and most can push 20 minimum and will be around then, and most college dorms etc. are not often willing to permit more than a goldfish.


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## MantisGirl13

Yeah, I know. My siblings would be more than happy to care for it (and all my animals) for me, but my parents don't exactly trust them with responsibilities right now as they are still younger. 

A snake is probably just a dream that is out of reach for me right now, maybe someday though!

- MantisGirl13


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## MantisGirl13

Nevermind what I said before. For my birthday today, my parents gave me permission to get a corn snake!!!!! 

- MantisGirl13


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## hysteresis

MantisGirl13 said:


> Nevermind what I said before. For my birthday today, my parents gave me permission to get a corn snake!!!!!
> 
> - MantisGirl13


Thats very cool!


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## hcarlton

Callie is over 8 feet now



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Wow! So pretty!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Male vs. female, typical vs. T+ amelanistic house snakes; Carmel dwarfs her eventual (hopefully) boyfriend, and still could almost double her own size



Carmel and Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Domhara became an ankle monitor



Domhara ankle bracelet by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And Callie gave me a 10 foot shed



Callie shed by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie shed by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Now, she's not that big herself (sheds stretch), but at 8 feet plus she's still a handful. Only references I can get of her head are with someone else doing a video (one of those on the Carlton Carnivores FB page).



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And while Domhara became an ankle monitor, the male Reynard became an eyepiece



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Gubler's starting to grow fast



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And has also added to the mystery: why, why do snakes like my hair?!



Hair hide by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hair hide by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Beautiful snakes, as always. What kind of snake is Callie? She's gorgeous! 

- MantisGirl13


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## MantisGirl13

Also, I'm also wondering why snakes love hair! Lol

Mine just tangled herself into my hair and it took me a while to get her out. 

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Callie is a reticulated python, the longest species on earth.


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## Mantis Lady

Maybe they like to hide in your hair 

my hubby wont allow me to keep a snake. He didnt like it when i took in a mouse who was looking for a home Kids came at the door with him and i decided to take him in. hubby think that was strange because last year we has a mouse infestation. now snake in my home, but i can enjoy your pics of your snakes.


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## hcarlton

Ever more red with each new shed...



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And iridescent



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Once the more snappy, skittish of the two, Namer the male spotted python is now the one I trust more (because Serafina has decided it's okay to occasionally "taste-test" me). Luckily, he's got the nicer pattern.



Namer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Namer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Pretzel, anyone?



Carmel Pretzel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Callie sat still long enough for a head shot, for once...



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And one of the few non-snake reptiles not meant for snake food in the house...just look at all that judgement...



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

So much judgement...



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And, someone very special has shown up recently....what's long, reptilian, scaly, legless, but ISN'T a snake?

Answer: Piberius, the Eastern Glass Lizard



Piberius by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Among differences from snakes: a very lizard-esque head, ear holes, eyelids, a lateral groove where his legs would have lined up, and most of his length is tail rather than body



Piberius by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Piberius by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Beautiful snakes as always! Callie is gorgeous! Anoles are so much fun. Yours looks pretty tame! And the glass lizard is so cool!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Stairs make for a good exercise platform for large reptiles...



Stair Snek by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

With ever shed the black pine gets blacker



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Marmora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Beautiful snakes as always! Thanks for sharing your pictures!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

This guy's had a hard time of things...hopefully my back yard and the field beyond will be kinder to him



Rescue bullsnake by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rescue bullsnake by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Off to an iris patch...



Rescue bullsnake by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The resident bull was also looking handsome



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Arm sleeves don't last long; she was more interested in trying to reach the rafters



Callie arm sleeve by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Adorable...



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

BLACK is BEAUTIFUL



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And also very curious



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Really, she looks like a sleeve of black diamonds



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

New shed means photos needed for Domhara



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara in the Evening by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And then this guy...top intelligence, really...



Nom! by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Nom! by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Nom! by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And lastly, recent herping trip turned up no snakes, but we did find a turtle



Western box turtle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Western box turtle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Western box turtle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Perfect coil



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And a curious house snake...



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

...who's about to be a dad



Boaedon eggs by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Congrats on the eggs!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Tiny python...



Serafina by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Even tinier boa



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And I got lucky enough to find a male Chapala garter to pair with Maya; he needs to take a lesson from her on how to chill though



Cymus by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cymus by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cymus by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Beautiful! I love how Reynard's head is so much bigger than his body. So adorable!

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

Not a pet, but they're residents in the yard...



Pot squatters by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Callie was also hanging out with friends recently



Callie and Friends by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie and Friends by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Recent herp trips have turned up at least a few wild animals:



Pituophis catenifer sayi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And some of them, I have made videos for; hope to expand the channel when I have time too:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Wg6rOWsfqIzLiLMN1_dxg?view_as=subscriber

Among the featured animals, this guy:



Crotalus viridis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Crotalus viridis by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And this guy



Thamnophis elegans vagrans by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Back to the home crew:



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Spitfire by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Spitfire by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The big girl hanging out



Callie and Me by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie and Me by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And, I shared pics of the eggs a while back, but now, there are babies in the house!



Cape house snake neonate by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

3 females, 3 males, 5 of the 6 have fed already so they'll be ready for new homes shortly



Cape house snake neonate by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cape house snake neonate by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cape house snake neonate by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cape house snake neonate by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cape house snake neonate by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

So pretty!!!!

- MantisGirl13


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## Ax55

Your reticulated python is absolutely stunning! How old is it?


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## hcarlton

Ax55 said:


> Your reticulated python is absolutely stunning! How old is it?


2 1/2 years old. And needs a new enclosure because her current tub is too small (and she's breaking her climbing branches).


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## hcarlton

Domhara displaying her dark side



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Still a long ways from adult, but Leah's colors are constantly shifting



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The snake-like non-snake who hates interaction



Piberius by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And adorable sausages



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Seriously, look at this face and try not to think it's cute...



Marmora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Marmora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And still working on this guy's sociability, but we're getting better...



Cymus by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

One of 10 tiny noodles that really need new homes...



Cape house hatchling by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Cape house hatchling by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The male spotted python has finally become handleable again...female still sports a mild interest in even nibbling on the long-sleeve shirts I have to wear because of the weather now, so she's still a work in progress



Namer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Namer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Mother of the baby (and all its siblings of course) at the start of the post



Carmel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Displaying the species' naturally curious disposition



Carmel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Pain in the rear is finally eating regularly again, so he's growing and losing more of his baby pattern



Spitfire by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Spitfire by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Spitfire by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

She's nearly 4 feet long now; might actually be mature next year



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Ruby by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Ruby by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Awaiting a new cage for this monster, because she's well-outgrown the current tub



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

What species are the babies that need homes?

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

MantisGirl13 said:


> What species are the babies that need homes?
> 
> - MantisGirl13


Cape house snakes.


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## hcarlton

The nicest black snake in the house is getting really big now



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Though still nowhere near full grown



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Rebel had an off day recently though...he's usually quiet (if skittish), but this was the only photo I got before my mother somehow irked him by walking by (which she's done many times before with no issue) and he spent the rest of the evening hissy and pissy.



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Winter blues have made Namer very handleable...but very uninterested in food. His future girlfriend is still a bottomless pit though



Namer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Namer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

On the flip side, Domhara the female boa has been the difficult one (though late-night tease-feeding still works with her)



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

While the young male remains the bottomless pit



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Halailah is also off feed...but she's chunky at the moment so we're not worrying yet.



Halailah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Halailah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Tsefan, however...



Tsefan and the sweater by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Not even his own photo on my phone is safe...



Tsefan and the phone by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

9 baby house snakes are still here waiting for new homes...and they have no concept of personal space.



House snake antics by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



House snake antics by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

They take up very little space when curled up though



House snake hatchling by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

This one...does not. Castle's the only thing that sort of shows her real size (it's 4 1/2 feet tall, she more than doubles that), but even that doesn't properly do it.



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Derpiest thing with glowing eyes you'll ever see



Marmora by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And derpier, but one without glow



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Proud father became a living knuckle brace



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Hobbes by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And the strange case of Jacob the stunted ratsnake...



Jacob by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

vs. Leah, the female who is at least 3 times his size and the size/color he should have been by now



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Just kind of weird though that her best colors come right before, rather than right after (as in the photo here) her shed cycle



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Black pine do an upside down...



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And lastly... "Can has food?!"



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Took a bunch of photos in a "welcome to the New Year" thing, and several since too



Lux by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Girl waking up from hibernation, readying for breeding



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And Serafina is getting "somewhat" more handleable, while the male regains his appetite and has started looking suspiciously at my hands again...



Serafina by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Serafina by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Cannot properly capture a Baird's' colors on camera, not matter the angle



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

My glorious black girl



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Tsefan in his only semi-safe state of being



Tsefan by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The not-snake, unhappy about being disturbed as usual



Piberius by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gideon by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Spitfire by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Shiny girl



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Sleeve snakes are common...



Sleeve Snake by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Sleeve Snake by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Pickle the Mighty, he judges from On High



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Pickle by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Unfortunately, with all this positive, some negative too...the new male garter I got in order to breed my original female arrived with some sort of latent illness (contrary to the vehement claims of the person I traded my other female with for him), most likely either a parasite which we were trying to treat here or a virus, and it's ended up killing both as of today. I am now without my water snake ambassadors, and have no idea if I'll be able to replace them.


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## Mantis Lady

Sorry for your losses  

But your snakes are beautiful. How many do you have?

Pickle is a cutie too.


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## Mantidfinatic13

YOUR SNAKES ARE GORGEOUS!!!

I WOULD ABSOLUTLEY LUV A PET SNEK!

Unfortunetly in Australia we have very, very, VERY strict laws when it comes to reptile );

and my parents are scared of snakes anyways


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## hcarlton

Little Mantis said:


> Sorry for your losses
> 
> But your snakes are beautiful. How many do you have?
> 
> Pickle is a cutie too.


23 snakes now. I hope to find a new Maya and Cymus at some point, though it may be a while.


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## hcarlton

The unnamed gecko who hates human interaction as much as Piberius...maybe more since he's actually willing to bite



House gecko by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And the 2nd biggest snake in the house, at least 5 feet and a couple pounds already but could still have a ways to go



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## Mantidfinatic13

your bull snake is beautiful.

Your gecko is adorable


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## hcarlton

Black pine is nearly 4 feet long now



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Callie will forever reign supreme though; at least 10 feet at this point



Callie by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Hungry little monster who likes fingers as much as mice



Serafina by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Leah was being cute though; pics are blurry but I couldn't get rid of them



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

"Are you ticklish?"



Leah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Carmen headwear by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Baja king tying herself in knots looking for nonexistent "finger" food



Halailah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## MantisGirl13

Beautiful snakes as always! You inspired me to get into snakes about a year ago and now I have a corn snake and a ball python. Snakes are awesome. 

Callie is stunning by the way.

- MantisGirl13


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## hcarlton

The corns got busy carrying on the legacy of my first snake (Midnight's the daughter of my first one), got some weird looks when I disturbed them...



Dreamer and Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Ruby by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Domhara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Pair of dorks...



Rebel and Me by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel and Me by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And the dark monster the only time he's safe



Tsefan by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Tsefan by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Not quite snakes, and not pets, but you'll find those on the same channel too:


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## hcarlton

[No message]


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## hcarlton

Midnight update: as of today (the 31st of July), she's come back home from surgery. There was a tumor in the wall of the colon that had to be removed, so now there's 2 weeks of pain med and antibiotics injections...but she's alive and well so far. Hopefully full recovery will lead her to many more years.

And in other news:

Halailah is always watching



Halailah by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Tsela likes hanging out upside down...



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And this is her with dull colors going into shed...



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Rebel's always up for hanging out (so long as he doesn't get food-triggered first)



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Rebel by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Food does not always cooperate...



Pickle with a hat by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Pickle with a hat by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Bindi wishes for more food, but cannot have because she just ate and is already fat anyway...



Bindi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

But fat or not, she is beautiful



Bindi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Bindi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Bindi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Bindi by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Gubler by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Between the two Dominican boas I have, with Reynard already showing as much color at this size as Domhara has at near-adulthood, Reynard is definitely going to be the brighter, redder one



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

The Black-ness monster...



Tsefan by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Sadly, after over $2500 in vet bills, Midnight went in for surgery, had a cancerous colon tumor removed...and then 2 weeks later an internal suture ruptured and the damage could not be fixed. These are the last photos to be taken of her:



Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Midnight by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

She had no new babies within the past few years, so the lineage started with my first snake continues no more...though she will be immortalized with the shed pendant I have and the shed I still have that will be made into more pendants.

Focus cannot remain on the past though, much as it hurts...I have many other animals that still need attention



Irwin by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Some are growing fast (and make good bracelets)



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Reynard by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

Others likely slowing down in growth...and like to laze about



Tsela by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Bindi &amp;quot;escaping&amp;quot; by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

He thinks he's hidden...but most of him is still sticking out the other end of the tube



Dreamer by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr

And...the corn snake project I have no intention of simply dropping due to a loss, and I had a hole that needed filling. This girl also fits the meaning of her name in personality (My Friend)



Mochara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Mochara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr



Mochara by Hawken Carlton, on Flickr


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## hcarlton

Made a new video focused on the big girl, Callie:


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