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

 

[danl82]

Very nice, easy to keep and really docile. 

 

[MantisGirl13]

Pretty snake! Cute stickers on your laptop, btw  

- MantisGirl13

 

[hcarlton]

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

 

[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

 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

 

[hcarlton]

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

 

[MantisGirl13]

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

 Lol

- MantisGirl13

 

[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

 

[Mantis Lady]

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

 

[hcarlton]

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.

 

[Cole 78]

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?

 

[hcarlton]

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.

 

[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. 

 

[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.

 

[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 

 

[mantisfan101]

A retic! Cool!

 

[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

 

[hysteresis]

Love the eyes.

 

[hcarlton]

Love the eyes.

On which one? Both?