My pet project

[BFM_Ben1]

This is a good read, keep updating! Ive always wondered how having a snake really worked!

[BFM_JANE]

Well, he's getting ready to shed in a few days. His eyes are a milky blue and his color is dark and dull, from the layer of "skin" he's going to be shedding soon. Since he's practically blind right now, he's been hiding for a few days and is even flightier than usually... Not that that stopped me trying to get another picture! Trying to do it one-handed, I missed this one too. He's a squirmy one.

I guess they're supposed to clear up a bit (eyes and skin) a day or two before the actual shed, and I'm going to try to get a picture of him then. He should be much brighter after the shed, so hopefully a good before and after. I had him slithering around on the bed and he didn't move too fast, so I'm going to try to get a shot with no hands, since holding him with one hand isn't working.

But shedding: It'll happen about once a month and he'll be moody and reclusive for several days. No comparisons please

[jim360]

Well there's no comparison to be made. You're always moody and reclusive JANE.

[BFM_JANE]

I'm complex.

Was holding the snake again tonight! Time does fly while I do. I broke my rule to always know where his head is by letting him crawl around in my hair.

My hair was in a loose ponytail and he started by just going over my shoulder and to the back of my head. It tickled and was cute when he burrowed in and made his way to the top of my head... And settled there on top of my head, woven into my hair. And I couldn't see his head, so didn't know if he was about to jump out, or slide out, or invade my cranium through my ear, or what.

Had to take my hair down and shake him to the ends and I still had a hard time getting out. He'd wrap around some hair and was trying to get away from my hands.

Lesson learned!

His eyes have cleared, so any day now we'll have an empty snake suit.

[BFM_JANE]

Finally! After almost two weeks of him lying around and making me think he was going to die, he has shed, is moving around and lively, and his colors are brighter. It had been so long, I guess I started to think the brownish red was his regular color

Found it all in one piece, which is good. Nothing should be left behind on the snake and it shouldn't come off in pieces. The empty snake skin is much easier to catch than the snake itself, so here, for anyone interested. Turns out my estimate of "about a foot" long was off, and he's actually 19 inches. Still pretty skinny though.

And while getting a picture of the easier to manage snake skin, I figured out why all my other pictures have been fails... I haven't been holding the camera in place long enough. No wonder I keep getting things off to the side! 

So little snakey-poo hasn't eaten since Nov 29 (shouldn't eat while in the shedding phase) and I'll feed him tomorrow night. Will try once again to get a picture of him, now new and improved.

[BFM_JANE]

This is from a few days ago after he shed, looking straight down at him. Still a brownish red with yellow spots. Image not to scale (pun intended):




You're not supposed to disturb them while they're in the shedding phase (called the "blue" phase, or "in blue", because their eyes cloud over and turn blue), but I held him daily during that time. They're nervous because they can't see and they just don't feel good overall.

So I handled him 30-60 min a day during the week he was "in blue" and he was calm, didn't seem to mind. It was only after he shed that I saw how he normally is (moves nonstop and pretty quickly) that I realized I shouldn't have been messing with him. Poor little guy! I'm such a monster. I know better now

[BFM_JANE]

Maybe I should call him Steve McQueen because I just got him settled in after his great escape!

I decided to move him to a 10 gallon tank since he seems more comfortable now, give him room to stretch his legs (so to speak ). His old -- and now current -- cage is about half the size of a 10 gal, which is fine until he gets to two feet long. Got another few inches to go.

Anyway, less than 12 hours later, and he found a way out of it. I got off work early and didn't see him right away so took the lid off and started removing his hiding places. They like to hide most of the time, no big deal. I only got half the stuff out when I started thinking "he's not in here". And I was right!

My jungle of a bedroom never looked so cramped and full while I was expanding the search radius from his table and beyond. There's a laundry basket with clothes to the right, and a closet with a pile of clothes and other junk in it to the left. Which one to search first? I figured he got out through the left corner, since there was a telltale spot of poo under it (I know it was a tight fit getting out, he needed to make room lol), so went left into the closet.

Looked in the easy places first (in shoes, behind a box) before diving into the pile of clothes. It's tricky searching for him in clothes. He could be under them, but more likely, he's IN them. I was picking up each shirt and whatever and carefully shaking it out and setting it aside when it didn't release any sneaky reptiles. After three shirts I uncovered the floor just in time to see a tail slithering away, and I grabbed it.

I didn't think he was so strong or fast... I was holding onto him as gently as I could, but I could feel his little bones popping! Without hands, he somehow had a really good grip on a piece of clothing, but he was no match for me and my dexterity -- I got him out. He was cold, but fine. Nothing broken.

So back to his smaller tub. No frills, just a few hides and a water dish. No food, one week. They're easily stressed out and I imagine this got him nice and wound up. Trying to feed him when he's stressed could mean he won't eat, or worse, he'll eat and regurgitate later, and that's life threatening for him.

Phew! Too much excitement for both of us!

[BFM_JANE]

More snake pics, with a quarter for size compari$on (click for huger image). This is 19 inches and 18 grams of pure snakey goodness:

         


I still can't get a good one of him outside his tub, he's always on the move. We have to settle for taking out all his furniture and getting him that way. He seems to be pretty comfortable with me now. I reached in to get my money back, which was right near his head, and he didn't jump away or react. We're buds.

[BFM_JANE]

Fed him tonight. I feed him in a pretty small container since it's easy for them to not find or not go searching for their food. Put snake and food in a small container, can't miss it.

He tries to leave the container as soon as I take the top off (the top being "It" by Stephen King, his heaviest book) so I pass the little mousie over his (the snake, not Stephen King) head to get his attention, then drop it in. Did that tonight and he apparently missed the drop. Was clearly looking for and anticipating his meal, but was standing up higher and higher and looking like he was aiming for my hand. Thought it was the first time I was going to get bit!

But not today. I grabbed the mouse and waved it in front of him again and suddenly we were all on the same page.

I feel certain I dodged a bite tonight! It was exciting.

[Marty]

...with a quarter for size comparison...

Seeing as how you're hosting the images on imgur, shouldn't you be using a banana for scale?

[BFM_JANE]

I moved him to a larger tub last week, something about the size of a 10 gallon tank. I can use big binder clips to keep the lid on, so no adventures this time.

The tub's got lots of junk in it now (graduated from wadded up paper towels, still some toilet paper tubes), but snakeypoo mostly just hides in a corner under some fake foliage. A few times though I've found him at the top of his tree:

(Do click for larger image, don't mind the flash)
     


I don't know if he's more stimulated in his new environment, but he's definitely grumpier when I dig him out to "play".

Upped him to two small pinkies for food. He eats one, I wait for it to get to the stomach area, then give him another. He'll be pretty huge soon.

I think he's going to shed soon. He's sluggish and anti-social and seems dull (color, not personality ). I'm telling myself he's going to shed soon, not die. One day I'll get used to the whole "shedding, not dying" thing and quit fussing over him. If he IS going to shed, I missed the point where his eyes turn a bluish color... He's shedding, not dying.

[Øụ†₭ąṧ‡]

Is there a name yet for Sneaky Snake?

Lyrics to a song on a childrens record that I grew up with in the late 70's:

Sneaky Snake Lyrics
by Tom T. Hall

Boys and girls take warning
If you go near the lake
Keep your eyes wide open
And look for sneaky snake

Now, maybe you won't see him
And maybe you won't hear
But he'll sneak up behind you
And drink all your root beer

And then sneak snake goes dancing
Wiggling and a-hissing
Sneaky snake goes dancing
A-giggling and a-kissing
I don't like old sneaky snake
He laughs too much you see
When he goes wiggling through the grass
It tickles his underneath

Well sneaky snake drinks root beer
And he just makes me sick
When he is not dancing
He looks just like stick

Now he doesn't have any arms or legs
You cannot see his ears
And while we are not looking
He's stealing all of our root beer

And then sneak snake goes dancing
Wiggling and a-hissing
Sneaky snake goes dancing
A-giggling and a-kissing
I don't like old sneaky snake
He laughs too much you see
When he goes wiggling through the grass
It tickles his underneath

 

[BFM_JANE]

He shed today, and it's about time! I was going through snake withdrawal big time. He's a monstrous 24 grams and 21 in. (53 cm) long now.

I thought I'd missed the stage where his eyes turn blue, but one day after deciding I missed it, his eyes had turned really blue and his whole body had a pale look to it. And one week later, he's practically a new snake, shiny and bright.

He's perkier too finally and I'm glad for that. I found him climbing around in his tub and when I got him out, he was moving quicker and was more alert. Makes my day to see him back to normal.

And he pooped on me yesterday, the little jerk. Hadn't eaten in two weeks, but still got me. That's what I get for thinking I was safe.

[BFM_Enoch]

Aside from all the profanity, I very much enjoyed what I have read.  Beautiful snake!  Some time when I am in your area, I will stop by and do a photo shoot for you.  We can try to plan it for after the next time he sheds.  I would much rather take pics of a snake then some bratty kid.

[Øụ†₭ąṧ‡]

Isn't the Snake with No Name going to turn bright red or something? and When. Is the Snake gonna get big enough to feed him rabbits