Marnie's Snakes

[Light of Dae]

I'd say don't let her dry out in between or on her 'breaks' keep her moist and warm. It will help the old skin be loose n little more flexible. When it dries out it would be shrinking n constricting

[chris-uk]

Athena sounds like my Bethan from last year. When you're helping her shed if you have her in a bowl of warm water in good light it might help you spot the edges of the retained bits of shed. Getting those bits of shed off is a different matter.
Hope she comes out better than Bethan.

[EasternGirl]

Yes Chris...I was thinking of you and Bethan when I was working on her shed yesterday. The weird thing is...I also thought it would be easier to see her shed pieces when she was wet...but it actually seems like I can't see the edges at all when she is wet. And I agree, Michelle, that she should be kept moist...I tried to make her a moist hide...but she got inside of it and couldn't find her way out and was panicking! What a mess. any other suggestions for keeping her environment moist? She is in a small critter keeper with carefresh...that she likes to burrow under. I am out of moss...and won't be able to get any today. I think I got most of the shed off though...probably not the end of the tail...but I am more worried about her breathing than anything else...and I think I got the areas that were restricting her breathing off. I think it's just going to be one of those things where either she is going to make it or she isn't...I wish I could put her in with the other babies so she has company but she is so tiny I'm afraid of the size difference.

[Invisible Snake]

Hey Marnie I hope Athena makes it. If possible can you take pictures of where she has the retained shed? I know the two of you extremely stressed by the situation but maybe it would help give us insight to the situation.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...I will try to get a pic up in the next couple of days. My son has been sick, so I'm preoccupied with that right now. I did buy some moss and put a big pile of moist moss in with Athena. Maybe that will help. And, she ate again...so that's good.

Steve...I packed up all of Cee Cee's things and she is on a Greyhound bus right now on her way to Steve's Garter Boot Camp. Lol. She did it again! This time...if I could have gotten it on video and played it back in slow mo...it would have made a great video. She went at me a couple of times and then she got serious and lunged through the air across the tank and struck hard and fast...so hard, she left two teeth marks and a bruise on my thumb. It looked like a rattlesnake lunging and striking at someone. I am a bit fed up with her biting me, but it was just so cool, I was actually pretty impressed. Plus, I figure...she has always been upfront about being a snake. It isn't as if she pretended to be a fluffy little bunny when I first found her. If you are going to have a snake...deal with getting bitten. But even so...I took her out and told her we were going to have a chat. Her answer to that: "No, we are not...but I will empty my bladder and bowels all over the floor". She won that one. This whole thing is weird...she never used to bite or even musk me. Now she musks me if I pick her up, bites me if I put my hands in the tank...and the thing with her urinating and defecating all over...was exactly like the time at the vet when she was terrified...her cloaca was turning inside out. She was terrified. Why is she suddenly terrified of me???

[chris-uk]

Have a think, is there anything at all that you changed that could have triggered CeeCee changing her behaviour?
I know she's a handful to hold right now, but is there any sign of an infection or illness? Perhaps she's just feeling vulnerable and hence much more defensive?

[ConcinusMan]

Let's not forget that failure to shed, or difficulties shedding especially when it becomes "normal" for a particular snake, is usually a symptom of very serious health issues. Not necessarily caused by bad husbandry or envirionment though.

[EasternGirl]

To reply to Richard...since Athena is a baby and I just got her...I have no idea if this is something that will be an ongoing issue. But she doesn't seem completely healthy either...so yes, she could be ill.

Chris...I have been trying to figure that out. I mean, she is in with Sadie now...has been for several months. But she and Sadie get along very well...love to cuddle and so forth. It's interesting, because when she sees my face up near the glass looking at her...she has that look on her face like "Hi...I know you"...and comes to see me and stuff. But when I put my hand in...she acts like it's an alien and attacks it. There is the whole mite thing that has been going on...and usually when I take her out...it's to soak her or put mite stuff on her...maybe she is just angry about that...and associating my hands and being removed from her enclosure with unpleasant experiences.

But I tell you this...I am starting to feel like I should have a reality show as some crazy hillbilly snake catcher. I have been bit so many times in the past 24 hours. Just now, I tried to take the new yearlings out to sex them and Snapper started biting me.

[kueluck]

Sounds like they've been taking notes and watching Cee Cee.

[Light of Dae]

she has that look on her face like "Hi...I know you"...and comes to see me and stuff. But when I put my hand in...she acts like it's an alien and attacks it. There is the whole mite thing that has been going on...and usually when I take her out...it's to soak her or put mite stuff on her...maybe she is just angry about that...and associating my hands and being removed from her enclosure with unpleasant experiences.

But I tell you this...I am starting to feel like I should have a reality show as some crazy hillbilly snake catcher. I have been bit so many times in the past 24 hours. Just now, I tried to take the new yearlings out to sex them and Snapper started biting me.

First off. I think you've got it nailed. She has come to see your hands mean bath n we've been over this Marnie ... CeeCee don't like swimming!!


Secondly .... You named him "Snapper" ...He now has a duty to live up to his name.