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TheNothingNew posted:So, news. I'm glad to hear that he's showing a little improvement. Really hope it's something like a sprained muscle or pinched nerve that will resolve with time. Poor fella.  I have a pinstripe too. First morph I ever bought, so pinstripe will always have a special place in my heart. Still one of my favorites. Mine's a 10 year old big boi now (2400g) but he's super shy, which is kind of hilarious and adorable considering how big he is. BPs are exceedingly derpy, but spiders are pretty notorious for being lousy at striking even if they don't have other wobble symptoms. If you feed frozen/thawed, make sure those rodents are very warm (like 95-100 degrees) when you offer them. Ball pythons are alerted by scent, but they can't target on smell and can't see worth a poo poo, so they use their heat pits to guide their strikes. my cat is norris posted:Can snakes have strokes or something similar? That overall description (including the show recovery) really feels neurological in nature, but I'm not a vet so this is just going off gut. I don't see why a snake couldn't have a stroke, but it's hard to say. Ball pythons always heal slowly in my experience. But they're also very resilient. I've seen a number of them recover from the brink of death due to malnourishent or severe injuries. I had one rescue come to me nearly dead, literally a skeleton, with his skin sloughing right off in places under many layers of old shed. I never expected him to survive, but somehow he did. On the other hand, sometimes we lose them and even with a necropsy, we may never know why. Last year my beautiful and sweet ivory male passed suddenly. He showed no symptoms, was eating fine and everything. Just found him dead one morning.  Broke my drat heart because he was far and away my favorite. He was my ambassador snake because he won the heart of everyone who ever met him.
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Aug 5, 2020 15:11
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They can have strokes, but much of what causes strokes in humans is an aging effect that causes blockages in your brain's circulation. The build-up of that plaque is mostly incredibly slow due to being based on chemical factors rather than biological ones, so animals (which mostly just don't live that long) rarely suffer from strokes for the same reason human children don't: it actually takes 45+ years to get there, to the point where less than one in twenty stroke victims is ever younger than that. Elephants and particularly long-lived turtles and tortoises might be at risk, so but only the latter is really of any interest to pet owners.
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Aug 5, 2020 16:10
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Cardiovorax posted:They can have strokes, but much of what causes strokes in humans is an aging effect that causes blockages in your brain's circulation. The build-up of that plaque is mostly incredibly slow due to being based on chemical factors rather than biological ones, so animals (which mostly just don't live that long) rarely suffer from strokes for the same reason human children don't: it actually takes 45+ years to get there, to the point where less than one in twenty stroke victims is ever younger than that. It probably helps that animals like tortoises and elephants aren’t eating the sorts of diets that contribute to arterial narrowing and blockage. Worth noting that whales are extremely long-lived too, and eat almost entirely carnivorous diets. Not all cetaceans are extremely long lived though, harbor porpoises live fast and die fast (11 is old for a harbor porpoise)
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Aug 5, 2020 16:30
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snake and bake posted:
Solid advice, up there with the one that took me too long to figure out: turn the heat lamp off before feeding. Oops. Comforting to know they heal slowly, too. It's been another week and we might have intentional forward movement, but I'm not sure.
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Aug 7, 2020 22:25
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Or not. I regret to inform you all that Mr. Skookum has died. He is survived by the spider ball Lady Beryllium and Mr. Tesseract the corn snake. Ah well.
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Aug 12, 2020 04:10
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Apologies, that sucks. 
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Aug 12, 2020 04:16
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drat. I'm sorry.  Mr. Skookum.
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Aug 12, 2020 16:01
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Poor Skookum. I'm sorry.
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Aug 12, 2020 16:04
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Went hiking at the Walensee (Switzerland) yesterday and almost stepped on this cutie We think we can ID it as Zamenis longissimus. Looks like it just ate something and that's why it was to lazy to move further from the trail. There's plenty of lizards in that area, guess that's how it got so fat. Here in it's full length 
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Aug 17, 2020 11:01
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Hello it's me with the giant swollen finger because Miss Sweet and Gentle thought she'd have another go at eating me alive!!! She was seriously so tender and gentle and just hanging out in my hand and then CHOMP. Love her, though. 
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Aug 20, 2020 02:18
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my cat is norris posted:Hello it's me with the giant swollen finger because Miss Sweet and Gentle thought she'd have another go at eating me alive!!! Be careful (you’re the same goon that got bit last time right?), humans don’t tend to build up an immunity or tolerance to animal venoms, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Successive bites/stings can often elicit a stronger response. If you notice your reaction getting noticeably worse than last time don’t hesitate to see a doctor about it.
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Aug 20, 2020 02:45
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Yeah, that was me. I'm still learning to read my hognose's behavior and mood. She was clearly hungry today, but had no interest in my hand until I guess I twitched my finger the wrong way.  I appreciate the advice and warning!
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Aug 20, 2020 03:10
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Snake language is hard. Only time I've been bitten by one of mine was when I was holding the corn snake and sneezed. Apparently that made my mustache twitch just right to read as food, and he tagged me on the side of the lip. At least he didn't try to hang on.
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Aug 20, 2020 23:50
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I have been nailed by ball pythons, rainbow boas, and corn snakes. I think a milk snake once. Kenyan sand boas. In the Before Times, it was easy to have a ton of hand sanitizer around, and that will make almost any bite release asap.
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Aug 21, 2020 00:56
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Cowslips Warren posted:In the Before Times, it was easy to have a ton of hand sanitizer around, and that will make almost any bite release asap.
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Aug 21, 2020 00:58
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I've heard liquor will make them let go in a hurry too.
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Aug 21, 2020 01:06
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Honestly the worst thing about this bite and subsequent swelling is how much the whole dang thing itches. Swelling is pretty much all gone already (woo), but man these little pinprick chomps are so ITCHY, and the surrounding skin that was swollen is also super itchy. arrrrgh
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Aug 21, 2020 19:06
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my cat is norris posted:Honestly the worst thing about this bite and subsequent swelling is how much the whole dang thing itches. Insect and arachnid venom itching is usually countered with antihistamines- either otc pills like Benadryl or topical stuff like calamine lotion. No clue about snake venom tho, or if suppressing the histamine response makes the potential damage better or worse. Maybe keep soaking your hand in hot water to denature the proteins faster?
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Aug 21, 2020 19:25
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According to an article on the website of the NCBI, histamines are only relevant to snake bites in cases where the patient reacts badly to the antivenin, in which case antihistamines are the indicated treatment. You should be fine if you use a topical cream or even Benadryl.
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Aug 21, 2020 19:33
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Hey, does anyone here have personal experience with keeping jumping spiders as pets? I found this video on Youtube and it is quite interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV8tG01mnH4 As the description says, it does make the appearance of being quite personable. It seems to understand who the hand that comes near it belongs to and actively approaches it without any fear. It's still a spider, of course, but that does give the impression of being noticeably curious and willing to initiate first contact. Cardiovorax fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Aug 27, 2020 |
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Aug 27, 2020 18:08
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poo poo I love jumping spiders.
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Aug 28, 2020 03:48
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Cardiovorax posted:Hey, does anyone here have personal experience with keeping jumping spiders as pets? I found this video on Youtube and it is quite interesting: With how fast that thing jumps, and how it keeps pivoting to watch the person's face, I spent that entire video terrified it was going to suddenly just go for the eyes. Then when it ended without carnage, I was confused until I realized it wasn't liveleak, but youtube.
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Aug 29, 2020 15:26
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Jumping spiders are totally adorable. I've never heard of anyone keeping one, but apparently some people do. 
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Aug 29, 2020 15:55
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Spouse was looking into them before everything broke down. There are only a few US breeders and none of them will ship right now because live stuff has to go USPS (I think) and USPS can't guarantee overnight shipping.
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Sep 6, 2020 16:25
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Welp. 2 weeks ago when I was camping in rural WA, a snake came slithering through the parking lot and hid under a car. The family who owned the car was trying to leave, and when I looked closer, it appeared to be a ball python, so I reached under and grabbed it, initially planning to just move it out of the way. Now I have a baby ball python.
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Sep 10, 2020 08:58
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Pics of Parking Lot, please. I mean, I assumed you named him Parking Lot. I would've.
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Sep 10, 2020 16:17
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I present: Henry
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Sep 11, 2020 06:05
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inputfailed posted:I present: Henry Congratulations on your parking lot snake, he is a cutie
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Sep 11, 2020 19:51
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Cowslips Warren posted:I have been nailed by ball pythons, rainbow boas, and corn snakes. I think a milk snake once. Kenyan sand boas. There are tons of hand sanitizer in stores, I think everyone has already stocked up. I have like, two bottles in my car and at home. Probably won't have to buy more for a year.
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Sep 13, 2020 14:27
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Is there a goto place to buy frozen rodents? I feel like this is probably something the internet has solved, but I'm also not wanting to contribute to some mouse holocaust... not sure if that's avoidable, lol.
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Sep 16, 2020 20:47
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Found this little dude last night and put him on the laptop. He (she?) seemed to like the heat. It was pretty cold. 
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Sep 18, 2020 02:20
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Blow posted:Found this little dude last night and put him on the laptop. He (she?) seemed to like the heat. It was pretty cold. A beauty!
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Sep 18, 2020 10:36
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inputfailed posted:Is there a goto place to buy frozen rodents? I feel like this is probably something the internet has solved, but I'm also not wanting to contribute to some mouse holocaust... not sure if that's avoidable, lol. I use Big Cheese. Been using them for years now, never been disappointed. Rodents are always good size, smelling and looking clean & fresh. I like how they pack them, too. Most sizes are vacuum sealed and flat packed in neat rows on styrofoam meat trays, so they stack up pretty nicely in the freezer.
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Sep 19, 2020 03:55
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I've also been using big cheese recently. Their prices are good and shipping is reasonable, and as person above me said they are good quality.
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Sep 19, 2020 05:12
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I found a baby softshell turtle in my yard recently. Cute little bugger. Not sure how it got here, unless maybe it was dropped by a bird? I'm in FL, tons of water around me, but none of it seems close enough for a baby turtle to just stroll into my yard. I'm glad I found it before it fell in a storm drain or something.
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Sep 19, 2020 15:30
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Thanks for the line on Big Cheese! Status update on Henry the parking lot snake... He's a voracious eater and generally active and happy dude! He's been cruising around the tank hunting almost once a week, and takes food every single time I notice him prowling, which I'm assuming means these fuzzies aren't nearly a full meal. 
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Sep 19, 2020 20:09
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Henry's a cutie. He looks a little lean but not too underweight. Try to feed him prey that's about the same thickness as the thickest part of his body. If you have a scale, 10-15% of his body weight is an appropriate sized meal. Consider mice vs rats too. An adult mouse looks about the same size as a rat pup, but the rat pup is heavier and has more nutritional value. That's why most BP breeders switch to rats ASAP. If you're feeding mice, that's fine too, but if he seems hungry on mice then you could try giving him 2 mice per feeding until he chunks up a little. Edit: Alternatively, if you can post a picture of him with something in it for scale, I can tell you what size rodents are good for him snake and bake fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Sep 19, 2020 |
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Sep 19, 2020 20:37
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snake and bake posted:Alternatively, if you can post a picture of him with something in it for scale, I can tell you what size rodents are good for him He's 121 grams and ~20 in long
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Sep 20, 2020 03:55
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inputfailed posted:He's 121 grams and ~20 in long Ok cool. He should be eating either 1 small adult mouse or rat fuzzy, or 2 mouse hoppers, or 2-3 mouse fuzzies per feeding. Bump him up to larger adult mice or rat pups when he hits about ~250 grams. Feel free to poke me here or PM any time with any questions. Ball pythons are my jam. I breed them (although I did halt my projects for at least this year, due to covid) and I've been keeping them for almost 20 years now.
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Sep 20, 2020 06:01
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snake and bake posted:Lots of good info I super appreciate it. My only other snake experience is with 3 poorly socialized corns that were dumped on me by a breeder friend. That only lasted a few months of refused meals and defensive strikes before I insisted he take them back. Henry's personality is basically a black lab, all about snacks and napping in funny spots.
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Sep 20, 2020 10:06
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