Red-phase pickeringii

[adamanteus]

As some of you may have read, I acquired a pair of 'red-phase' T. s. pickeringii last September from a European breeder. I was never happy with the female, she was tiny in the extreme when she arrived, less than half the size of the male. Just like a little piece of string.

For four months I have struggled to get her to feed. Every now and then she would accept a worm and I would 'post' something a little more substantial in behind it, but she failed to grow or gain weight. She has always had difficulty sloughing and has generally been a very problematic snake. For the past few weeks I have been waiting for her to die.

Anyway, about 10 days ago she took a piece of unscented pinky, (intended for the male). Then she took another. I have been feeding her every second day since then, and she is eating as though it's going out of fashion! She now accepts pinky halves, trout strips, salmon strips and worms, all with equal enthusiasm. I haven't changed anything in her environment, it's as though someone threw a switch and she decided to survive. I'm no longer waiting for her to die!

Pictures to follow shortly.

Anyone else had similar experiences with apparently 'suicidal' snakes?

[gregmonsta]

Fantastic news!!! Nice to hear that she's pulling through :)

[Lori P]

Oh, that's GREAT to hear James!! Don't question it; just feed feed feed!!! LOL I wonder what clicked for her...

Miriam is now an eating machine, but we know with her it's the parasite treatment. She acts like someone threw a switch, too, but we know what the switch was in her case.

I'd love to see them, so pls send pics. And enjoy your *new* snake!!!!!

[Sid]

Great news, James. Happy for the final turn-a-round. My experience this past year had the very opposite end. I purchased a trioof Wandering babies. Two would wolf down anything offered from the very first day. The third would take a small worm rarely. Tried everythinf, including force feeding. Nothing worked. Guess she wasn't meant to make it.

[Stefan-A]

Great to hear, James. :)

You already know about my suicidal snake, but that was a bit different. And the tetra was allegedly a poor feeder at first, according to the previous owner. So no, no first-hand experience here. :) But that's still good news.

[adamanteus]

It is strange. I had force-fed her once or twice (weeks ago) but I felt that it was counter productive. Who knows what changed to make her want to eat? If anything, it's re-affirmed a lesson I learned long ago...... never give up on them.

Anyway, I can't stop grinning!:D

[Lori P]

So where are the pics???!!! (Tapping foot impatiently)

[adamanteus]

It won't be today! It's midnight here, the lights are out, she's full of food, I'm full of Australian Shiraz. I'll take pics at the weekend!:D

[Lori P]

LOL Ok, we can wait then. :-) Congrats again!!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I had a baby garter turn around after force feeding once JUST like this. He ate a plunk (pinky chunk, i call them plunks for short haha) and then another and ever since has really taken off. Something about baby muse organs...

[Lori P]

Plunk!! LOL I love it!!

[adamanteus]

On this occasion the forcing didn't do it. She was so resistant to force-feeding that I'd decided to stop it in case the stress killed her. The decision to feed came from her, spontaneously.

But I think there is something in what you say about mouse organs.... I've seen similar stuff before that made me think that.

[tikichick]

Yay, I'm so glad she's eating!! I love the term "plunk" LMAO!!

[drache]

what an amazing turn-about - very cool
you just never know what they're gonna do
congrats, James

[GarterGuy]

Great news James, it's always good to hear of the problem snakes that make a turn around for the positive.

[Tori]

Congrats! I know how it feels to try everything and end up having to just wait it out, not expecting them to live. You always feel there ought to be something you could do if you just could figure out what it is. The sudden turn around is what we always hope for and never really expect. Keep us up to date on her.

Tori

[Snaky]

Great news, James. I'd love to see some pics of her now :)

[enigma200316]

Very kool James, way to hang in there with her, pics asap..........:D

[Thamnophis]

Very good news, James.
It is most of the times impossible to tell what triggered the snake.

I've seen it before in other species and I was never abled to say what triggered them.

[Roy Munson]

Excellent news, James. :) I've had a few neonate snakes that seemed intent on slow suicide but turned around. But I've also had to euthanize a couple that seemed beyond hope. I won't allow a snake to starve itself to death.

[adamanteus]

Thanks for the words guys. I will post pictures of her (and the male) at weekend.:)

[reptileparadise]

Awesome news James!
I had a parietalis from a german breeder who wouldnt eat as well...I hibernated it and now its suddenly eats like theirs no tomorrow!
Sadly, the 'cluchtmate' didn't make it...

[Gijs & Sabine]

That's great news, James :) although it took forever.....

[CrazyHedgehog]

Red Pickeringii: Ok, ok, - if the only way to stop him shoving things forcefully down my neck is to eat it then I'll eat it....hey...this tastes pretty good....

[anji1971]

Great to hear it James!!! And I'm looking forward to the pictures -- I have absolutely no idea what a red phase pickeringii looks like!:)

[adamanteus]

They look identical to fitchi! But we'll talk about that later.;)

[reptileparadise]

with pictures I hope :p

[adamanteus]

Absolutely. I hope to get the forums' opinion. Hopefully I'll have the chance to take some pictures this weekend.

[GartersRock]

Eh hem! Where are the pics! lol! =)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Pictures pplleaasseeeeeeee

[ssssnakeluvr]

piiiiiiiictuuuuuuuuuuuures......I neeeeeeeed piiiiiiictuuuuuuuuures..... :D

[adamanteus]

Alright! Alright! I promise I'll do it this weekend... even if I can't get them in sunlight, I'll take whatever pictures I can!

[ssssnakeluvr]

LOL!!!! I gotta go take a few more myself...getting requests to show how big my gravid red spots are... :D

[adamanteus]

Okay. You wanted photos, so I've taken a few.:) Please excuse the poor quality, the light is poor today so I had to resort to flash. There is a lovely iridescent 'petrol' sheen to the head, that gets lost in the photography.

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/red_pickeringii_1.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/red_pickeringii_2.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/red_pickeringii_3.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/red_pickeringii_4.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/red_pickeringii_5.jpg

[reptileparadise]

Very pretty snake(s) James!
Lovely markings on that snake!

[Sid]

Very nice, James and certainty an unusual morph for pickeringii's:D

[Lori P]

Hmmm. Honestly, that's not how I was picturing them. I wanted them to look just like the blue phase, with only black and red. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful, of course. But there's something about only having the two colors that appeals to me, personally.

[adamanteus]

certainty an unusual morph for pickeringii's:D


I don't think they are particularly unusual, Sid. Mine are quite similar (maybe a little redder) to the specimen photographed in Rossmans' book, to illustrate the sub-species.

[reptileparadise]

I agree James...It might be that red ones are more unusual in the States then they are in Europe...We don't get to see a lot of blue ones around here...

[adamanteus]

I might be tempted by the Blue Phase.... one day.:)
I think the reds, like mine, are actually the 'nominate form' for pickeringii.

[adamanteus]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//539/medium/pickeringii_portrait.jpg

[reptileparadise]

Hmmm, thats a tricky one. I find it hard to make up my mind about that.
Its just like with the easterns. What are the nominats? Are they the ones with some blue, with some red, with some greenish tones or 'just' the brown ones?

What makes you think these are the nominate form? (just curious...)

[adamanteus]

What makes you think these are the nominate form? (just curious...)

When you read a scientific paper/article on pickeringii, it seems to be this one they describe. As in Rossmans' book.

[reptileparadise]

Yeah, I agree. Most animals described by scientists are red...
Could it have something to do with the areas visited by scientists?

[Stefan-A]

Or are they just so much easier to spot? ;)

By the way, very nice snakes and photos, James. :)

[GartersRock]

Hmmm. Honestly, that's not how I was picturing them. I wanted them to look just like the blue phase, with only black and red. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful, of course. But there's something about only having the two colors that appeals to me, personally.

Lori,
I myself did already know that they didn't look like the other pugets. But yes, I WISH they were like that. That would be cool!!

Anyways! Thanks for posting pics!!! :D:D:cool::D:D

[Snaky]

Great pics, James. Thanks for sharing them :)

[anji1971]

They're quite attractive little snakes!
It's about time you got those pics up, James!:D