Brett's Updates, Pics & Stuff :p

[dashnu]

I use a screen top for all my enclosures, this is the major reason I have the humidity issues im sure. Least I know they are geeting good ventilation.

[Loren]

The other thing to remember is moist conditions breed bacteria faster, so cage cleanliness is more important.
Personally, if one of my snakes needs more humidity, I prefer to mist in a way that no part of the cage stays wet at all times.

[Jenlang_79]

Seems everyone has a different opinion on these guys..

Thanks for advise.

That is so true!!!..LOL! I just bought my first ball python about three weeks ago and I got all kinds of mixed advice from people..the cage should be big..no it should be small..they should be handled..they shouldn't be...humidity high, humidity low (I think you get the picture)...I was more confused than ever!!..lol!! I did what I thought made the most sense and hoped for the best!!! Anyways..this is very useful information for me too...I was trying to keep my humidity up but not having it so high seems to be what most agree on here..so I will keep it lower. Your snakes are beautiful!!

[dashnu]

@ Loren, yea that is one of the big reasons I like this fogger thing. It does get a bit wet directly next to it however the rest of the cage remains dry.

@ Jenlang, Thanks!

[infernalis]

OK Brett, you asked - and thou shall receive!



and here he is doing what milks do best..



Now what strikes me about this specimen, he is docile as can be!
You read that right, the day I picked him up he was crawling up my arm,No bites, no musk or any of the "Normal" aggressive traits common in WC Eastern milks. (never bit me yet) His feces passed the exam, no injuries aside from a bunch of dried shed stuck on his tail, and he is not lethargic at all, just "tame".

Love to show him to locals! "Omg that's a spotted adder, aren't they dangerous" and one dude even swore that he saw one stuck to a cows utter! (I don't know what he was smoking, but I want some)

There is a package arriving today with some zoo med sprays in it to help soften up his overly dry skin, let's see how docile he remains while wayno sprays him down

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

[infernalis]

We recently "rescued" an adult BP who was dehydrated. The gal had him in an apartment with forced air heat, screen cover and tiny little (scuzzy) water dish.

Well, as an emergency measure, I put about 4-6 inches of water in the bath tub, and placed him in there.

He swam around for 10 minutes, dumped a big ol nasty log in the water and then wanted out. Several days later we plopped him in the tub again, and he did not seem to protest at all. So he gets a weekly "bath" and the bonus is he always craps in the tub! (keeps the cage a lot cleaner)

Regards,
Wayne

[dashnu]

Awesome! I noticed mine shaking its tail like a rattle snake Is this normal!!!??? He does it prior to feeding when the pinky gets close to him.

When he is doing this and his tail is next to the back of my cage it sounds like a weed whacker

I really really find this guy to be one of the more interesting snakes I have come across

[infernalis]

Brett,
Yes they commonly imitate a rattle snake, that cost a baby milk it's life last summer when my "bozo" neighbor chopped up one with a shovel, then came over and asked me if it was dangerous!! (I'm thinking at that moment DUH, its dead HOW can it be dangerous??)

It was all I could do NOT to beat this guy with his own shovel

Eastern Milks are awesome critters, we encounter them all the time here.

Nature has "programmed" these snakes to act like a rattler to ward off would be predators.

My Corn snake does this sometimes too, but Corns are so closely related to milks, just compare, they both have spots with "saddles" (The black ring around each spot) and a checkered flag for a belly. So it seems reasonable to me that they would have similar reactions to adversity.

Now I forgot what else you said

Regards,
Wayne

[Jenlang_79]

Yes they commonly imitate a rattle snake, that cost a baby milk it's life last summer when my "bozo" neighbor chopped up one with a shovel, then came over and asked me if it was dangerous!! (I'm thinking at that moment DUH, its dead HOW can it be dangerous??)

That is sooo sad...I am usually peaceful..but I think I would have lost it..your a better person than I. There used to be an abundant amount of them here a long time ago(minnesota)...Some experts theorize that their population has dwindled because so many people used to kill them thinking they were rattlers....As I'm sure you know there used to be a bounty on rattle snakes in most counties(at least in minnesota..not sure about other states)..(how horrible is that!! ..even though the rattle snakes that live in minnesota would more likely slide away than bite..they are not aggressive...(even though I believe most people are good..it makes me feel sick inside to think of how naive people can be at times)

[infernalis]

Rattlers are protected in NYS, it's a poaching charge to kill one.

but again, uninformed fear will overpower the law in most cases.

I even mow my lawn during the hottest part of the day, so I don't run over any snakes. (small ground snakes prowl for food in the early am/pm hours when it's cooler out.)

Regards,
Wayne