August 2011 Photo & Caption Comments Thread

[katach]

Thank you! It was kind of hard to do. I was holding the tail in one hand and had the camera in the other...

[RedSidedSPR]

Wouldn't have guessed, it's a sweet photo.

[katach]

Thanks!

[ConcinusMan]

How do you DO THAT?!?! I can NEVER get a good picture with their tongues out!

First off, bright sunlight allows for fast shutter speeds which is essential. Otherwise, all you get is a blurred tongue. Still blurred a little bit. Macro mode, snake sitting still, camera very close, and taking photos as fast as I can until one happens at the right time.

I try to let my snakes out at least once a week for a minute or two when temperatures allow it. Let them "sprint" around until they're breathing hard. It's good for their heart, lung, and muscles IMO. That's something they just can't do in any practically sized enclosure - get exercise. I think if you don't do this once in a while, they get out of shape, flabby, and their muscle tone goes to pot.

[RedSidedSPR]

Im always afraid to let mine out. The babies are small, my adult panics if I set him on the floor for measuring.... Bu I have noticed sunlight makes faster shutter speed..

[ConcinusMan]

Don't have to worry about your babies too much. It's when they get older and live a sedentary life with no vigorous exercise that they tend to get "mushy"

[RedSidedSPR]

Ok good.

Still, my adult would probably do something I'd regret

[ConcinusMan]

Yeah, you definitely have to be very comfortable with "snake wrangling" and know them well enough to predict what they're going to do. Also, I would never just let them take off if I didn't have a huge cut lawn to place them in the middle of.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah, and it's not that I'm worried about him escaping, even if he tried he couldnt get away from me, I just think he'd freak out like when he's on the floor. I do that for the measuring software, and he panics. He's pretty calm, I don't know why he does it but he does.

[ConcinusMan]

Well that's the idea. I put them down, and they do freak out. They take off like a bolt. I just keep re-adjusting their course so they don't escape. Eventually, they tire out and I put them back in their enclosures.