I show my OH a video of the snake i next want to add to my collection and i can here his heart beat speed up with fear!

It was only a little retic in the video around 12/14 feet but i've never seen him go so pale! (try not to laugh)

then i get sharply told "you can have one but if it bites I'M NEVER going near it!!"

say the person who get moody if I don't let him hold the scrub python

ahh well tonight it going to be feeding shoots of ATBs and GTPs lol lets see what he think if these guys and their teeth

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The walls have eyes and ears!!!

Anyone got some Polyfilla and a sharp stick?!

He sounds like a total wuss, no offence But, at least he doesn't stop you having them even if he decides not to go near!

for someone who used to be petrified of snakes and now happily handles and feeds my scrub, and adult male BCI (doesn't like the female) I think he's doing really well.

even though i won't be able to get the retic till next year i thought i'd get him ready for the kind of animals I want to get and how big they get, kinda forgot i hadnt shown how big the scrub was gona get till I showed him a video and got the same sentence again lol

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The walls have eyes and ears!!!

Anyone got some Polyfilla and a sharp stick?!

You just buy a young snake and then all grow (used to it) together

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Hotherps... Hot = venomous - herps = reptile...I've used this name on forums for many years, yes it is an American phrase, but I happen to like Americans.

Will wan to get hold of a little one for that reason so Myself, my OH and the snake get used to each other as it grows

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The walls have eyes and ears!!!

Anyone got some Polyfilla and a sharp stick?!

Is that so it has time to size you both up to eat you as it stretches alongside you...? 'Cos I had a friend who had a dog who had a friend who had a snake that did this... and when she took it to a vet to see why it did it, the vet told her it was sizing her up to see if it was big enough to eat her....

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Anybody with a spare five minutes and an Android or iPhone please help me out... http://www.captivebredreptileforums....-please-d.html


Today's word count that hasn't gone towards my novel... /\ /\ /\ THIS MANY AND COUNTING!!!


Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc



"There is a pleasure, sure, in being mad, which none but mad men know"
John Dryden, "The Spanish Friar"

HAHA Francis luckily my OH isn't stupid enough to fall for those stupid urban myths lol

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The walls have eyes and ears!!!

Anyone got some Polyfilla and a sharp stick?!

Hi Hun.

I did give you a late reply on the Jordan thread, just in case you missed it.

You may already be aware of what I am about to say, but better safe than sorry, so they say.

The idea of getting a young retic is an excellent one as like you say you get used to each other whilst the snake is young, and you can learn by mistakes too whilst the snake is not big enough to do much damage.
I would suggest that whilst getting to know each other well, and building up a trust, that you practice gently wiping your finger over the snakes eyes, and stroke around his/her's head and mouth , even gently parting it's lips so as to be able to see the snakes gums. Also get the snake used to having it's tail touched and gently held. This prepares them for any time in the future when huge, if there is thought to be a problem, or indeed it does have something wrong, like a retained eye cap for instance, it should remain totally calm for you as what you will be doing nothing out of it's normal routine. I so wish I had that advise when I first reared a large python. The struggle to contain a very large snake because it was frightened of the unknown was a nightmare.

I have known people that went to touch their large pet python's tail to be met with either a tail lashing around spraying at the same time, or swinging round very fast and biting them, leaving all in shock, and it was not the snakes fault, yet it was up for rehoming. This happened many times sadly, but some were willing to work with their pets to overcome this, but it was so much harder in the later years.

My large snakes here allow one to just place two fingers at the entrance to their mouths, and the mouths are then gently opened to look inside without teeth being any issue whatsoever, but I don't recommend this unless you have short finger nails, and are shown how to do this by some one else first that has plenty of experience. I was very lucky to have Mark O'Shea show me on one of my visits to see him.

Another tip for you is that shadows on the glass of the snakes viv can make them very jumpy and liable to strike at the glass as you walk for for example.

I remember one instance of being called out to rescue and rehome a large burm because it continued to strke at the glass, thus making the owners too frightened to tend to the snake anymore.

As I sat in their front room talking to them, I was aware that the snake was in a large viv directly on the floor at the other end of a 24 ft long room, so a fair distance from us, and there was not a problem until the people's Children started playing on the floor right near me. The snake then started striking the glass, and I could see that the Children's shaddow's were reflecting on the snakes viv glass and that was all that was wrong with the burm. Once that problem was addressed the snake became a gentle giant.

I'm sure you wil have plenty of other's to advise youas time goes on, but I never see the above mentioned on the forums and they are very important tips for the future smooth running of owning a large snake. The above should only be practiced once the young snake is past the hatchling bitey stage, and at ease with you.

Mo.

Gosh Jo,

looking at the length of my post, I sure am an old wind bag.

Sorry hun.

Hey Maureen,

yes sorry I had seen your reply just been stupidly busy recently.

I have a year to get my research done on retics or burms, so any information freely given by those who have had Giants before comes greatly welcomed lol.

We are currently working on my scrub python on keeping her a nice calm handleable snake from a small age, as currently meeting this with great success.

with concerns to shadows over vivs, i have seen my Boas and scrub react to outside influences quite alot so have taken this into account for the positoning of the Giants viv with in the reptile room (to be constructed).

Thank you for your advice on getting the snake used to getting touched around the head, I currently have a large female BCI with a hatred of her tail and head being touched and am working with her to allow check ups to be less stressful (last time she stalked the vet the whole time)

The thing I really have to sort is not really myself and the snake being comfortable with being handled or touched, more my OH getting used to handling a snake of such length, currently he handles the scrub and male BCI (the royals are just puppies so no one worries about them) but still needs his confidence built up with the large snakes (my female BCI being the dreaded one) so hopefully with a retic hatchling he will be able to learn its moods, movements and everything he needs to as it grows

but these are things I can only deal with when the time comes I must say, he did once swear he'd never go near another BCI again after being bitten by my first female, he now handles my male so I'm sure with time and nice rewards I'll get him handling all sized snakes without any effort

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The walls have eyes and ears!!!

Anyone got some Polyfilla and a sharp stick?!