Cute New Member of the Family; Python Regius

Velvet just "hanging out"

 

On Wednesday I received a new baby Ball Python. She's a little 6 month old female Butter Black Pewter (a morph made up of several co-dominant genes; Butter, Plack Pastel, and Cinnamon). See many of the different color and pattern mutations these beautiful snakes come in here at the World of Ball Pythons where you can learn just about everything you want to know about these wonderful creatures.

 

I don't have a video camera or a cell phone to take videos with but did manage to put together a slideshow type video to post on Youtube;

 

I named her Velvet because she has such a soft gradient look to her. My favorite Ball Python morphs are ones such as Soulsuckers, Mystic Potions, Purple Passions, Super Phantoms, (all very expensive) but she has that look, so when I saw her back in July I just had to have her!

 

I did a payment arrangement with the breeder, and 5 months later and after alot of saving and sacrifice my little bundle of joy was delivered via Fed Ex! I was so excited. It was the perfect start to the holiday season.

 

I had her cage all ready and waiting for her, complete with heating pad, a branch I had attached some fake foliage around, a natural-looking rock style water dish, thermometer, and hygrometer to monitor temperature and humidity, and a red plastic folgers coffee container used as a hide so that she can curl up in a nice secure space when she wants some privacy.

 

When I first opened up the little bag she came in I was surprised at just how petite she was; her neck only about as big around as a pencil and her head the width of my thumb!

 

Ball Pythons when full grown reach about 3-5 feet in length, and can get pretty thick in proportion to their length.

 

She currently eats rat pups (baby rats with fur already but only about 2.5 inches in length). With her tiny little neck she would not physically be able to swallow anything bigger than that. Velvet ate her first meal on Friday since she arrived here with no problems. Here she resembles a stuffed tube sock as she stretches to fit her food down her throat.

 

Over the next year I think her growth will probably increase quite a bit.

 

She's still a little shy but overall is pretty active considering she hasn't fully gotten used to me yet.

 

The day I got her she climbed on my arm, and after awhile she went up my sleeve and curled up under my arm in my shirt.

 

If you look closely you can see that she has unusual eyes that seem to match the stripes on the sides of her face. The top part of her eyes is sort of a light blue, and then it gradually fades to brown as it goes toward the bottom. My theory about why this is, is that it could be a form of camouflage. These snakes in the wild would be more protected from predators if their eyes blended in to their surroundings as much as possible. This is why Albinos are pretty rare among wild populations of most animals. They stand out too much thus making them easy prey.

 

In captivity though, selective breeding has produced a number of Albino and other recessive hypomelanistic forms of Ball Pythons.

 

Generally Ball Pythons of breeding age and size breed just once a year, but some lay eggs and hatch them in Spring or Summer and others in Fall and Winter. It is always exciting to watch these little snakes being born.

 

If you're considering a pet snake, a Ball Python is a very good choice. Other than some minor particulars such as going off food for periods (they store nutrients so healthy snakes can live this way for a number of weeks or months without suffering malnutrition), and the need for heat in their enclosure to ensure proper digestion, these snakes are relatively low maintenence, and they are easy to tame; most having a very mild temperament.

 

Contrary to the stereotype (that they just sit there and have very little going on upstairs), Ball Pythons are quite intelligent and aware of their surroundings. They do hear you talking to them, know when you enter the room, and can track movement on the TV screen or computer monitor. If you don't believe this take a look at some videos by this woman on Youtube whose username is 1softkiss; https://www.youtube.com/user/1softkiss?feature=watch

 

Her videos act as observational studies on snake behavior and I believe have made a significant contribution to improved understanding of the capacity of these animals, not only among those who do not have snakes as pets, but within the snake/reptile community as well.

 

There is mounting documentation that snakes are not the one dimensional limited "primitive brain" animals that they were once believed to be, that they perceive alot more about the world than most give them credit for, that they can bond with their owners, and with other species, and that they are capable of showing affection!

 

Just as cats and dogs do, snakes have a "language" all their own, a form of communication that is species specific. Up until recently we humans have not generally paid as close attention to the meaning behind their behavior, as we have with other animals comminly kept as pets, and I believe this is in large part because so many are afraid of them and prefer to avoid them. With the recent legislation connected with the Lacey Act, humans are now more interested in more thoroughly understanding them, partly out of necessity, and partly out of curiosity.

 

Understanding snakes' communication is important for a number of reasons. It allows us to predict their actions, thus preventing a bite, it lets us know whether they're happy and healthy, and it allows us not merely to view them from a "cautious" distance, but to enriches their lives, and ours too through more meaningful interaction with them! 

 

The one positive outcome resulting from all the knee-jerk legislation recently covered in the media is that snakes are no longer relegated to the darkest corners of our minds, tucked away and not thought about, mired in superstition and forboding. Instead they are out in the light, and more people than ever before now want to make their peace with them, even make friends with them, and take them into their homes as a loved part of the family.

 

No longer is the paradigm of cuteness restricted to animals with fuzzy fur and warm bodies. As we become more accepting as a society towards diversity in humans, we also begin to think about parallel diplomatic relationships between ourselves and other animals with whom we share the earth.

 

I have always loved snakes and wanted one, so all this new information wasn't a stretch for me, but for many, meeting the snake face to face is a form of healing and catharsis, and on an even deeper sociological anthropological level, it is the beginning of very important work in healing that larger intergenerationally fractured relationship between man and snake, and coming out with a more reality-based interpretation of how we define that relationship in the here and now.

 

 

 

Update on "Python Ban"

Reposted (so as not to rewrite) from what I wrote on the Diane Rehm radio show site; I am saddened by just how out of control this mass banning has become. What kicked this off was an issue taking place in the Everglades and it has now been totally blown out of proportion to involve the entire country, and drawn into it way more animals than its original intended target.

If people are concerned about giant feral pythons in the Everglades those individual snakes should be contained/removed; not the snakes kept in captivity that are not hurting anyone, are happy and healthy.

I don't know where people are coming up with this "animal abuse" angle from this. What abuse? Breeding? Keeping in captivity? Is that what is being considered "abuse"? If so, then that's really stretching it.

The fact of the matter is that for many years non-native animals have come to the United States and have assimilated to life here either in captivity or in the wild. Are we to start exporting all those animals that originated from other countries? And if so, then from how many years ago? What should be considered native species? Animals have been brought over with settlers, shipped in, etc ever since this country began, even domestic breeds of cat or dog, but they're here now and we can't put Pandora back in the box. It's done.

I received an e-mail today about legislation being proposed currently which takes all this "animal control" even further. It said that there are restrictions being proposed against adding to the endangered species list even when it would be warranted. What ever happened to animal rights groups promotion of conservation? That seems to have gone out the window in a matter of weeks or months.

Looking at the big picture it sure appears as if there are those who would like to see animals become extinct because they really just consider them pests and believe they interfere with their lifestyle, as if they were competing with man's very existance. That is not a solution.

If Florida wants to get big snakes out of the Everglades and prevent more from getting loose there are more effective ways to do that intead of a Federal and then state by state ban. Why not for instance Spay and Neuter the feral ones.

HSUS would make better use of its time and resources doing that than in waging this nationwide war and dragging every species into it that resides in this country.

If Florida wants to restrict or limit the number of big species of snakes going into that state, that's one thing, but the whole country should not be penalized, when these snakes cannot live in the wild in cooler climates anyhow.

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Yesterday while reading on one of the snake forums, I found yet another disturbing piece of legislation; this one introduced by the state of Rhode Island, and this one includes Ball Pythons, these very gentle and often shy snakes who aren't even capable of delivering more than a few small superficial puncture wounds (in the worst case scenario); certainly not vicious man-eaters by any definition!

Here is a link to the bill below;

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/SenateText12/S2033.pdf

To oppose S2033 go here: http://usark.org/campaign.php?id=31

I recieved a few responses to letters I wrote to legislators asking that they oppose this ban and overturn it. Senator Saxby Chambliss told me he'd pass on my thoughts to Fish and Wildlife and keep me posted on their response, and the Senator V. Susan Sosnowski of District 37 said my comments were very interesting and that she'd remember them when she addressed the issue in Environment and Agriculture Committee for a hearing. I read that as positive but I wish she'd told me where she stands on the issue so I'd know for sure.

Keep reading, everyone, please leave comments, and follow if you aren't already. I'm sure this topic will be interesting to alot of people, and there will be lots of new developments to come. Together we can make a difference so that people can continue to enjoy these beautiful and graceful animals.

In honor of the Python I'm offering a special deal for 20% off on finished jewelry purchases $60.00 and up for a limited time only. To get this price reduction you must enter the coupon code PYTHONDEAL during checkout and the amount of purchase must be at least $60.00 not including shipping. I don't do this very often, so I hope lots of you readers will make use of it while it lasts. Here's your chance to get some of my more substantial pieces for a great price!

And yes, this lovely snake bracelet with emerald eyes is still available.

Giftbearer

Snake-bitten Dog, Carmella, The Healing Continues

Carmella rested comfortably on my bed most of the day while I read, and took care of some Etsy business and then it was time for her dinner. She ate most of her food but still is a little reserved and her stomach isn't back to normal 100% just yet so she left a little in her bowl. She still has diarrhea, and is peeing alot more than she usually does. On her walk tonight she must have gone 4 times and I don't mean a little bit each time; but more like 4 bladders-ful! Hopefully that is a good thing and means she's getting rid of excess fluid. The vet did say she might have blood in her urine and that was normal; a way of flushing fluid and dead blood cells out.

Luckily her hind leg looks less purple today. The rest seems to be paying off. I think I see hair growing back where they shaved her too. I removed the bandage on her front leg this morning where they had had the IV. Both front legs have patches of hair missing. The left from the IV they gave her at the emergency clinic, and the right from that given at Dr. Norwood's office. There's some bruising on the left "forearm" leg.

It is encouraging that the color seems to be returning to normal in the leg that was bitten by the Copperheads, so maybe she'll be lucky and not have any necrosis. That odd dark vein is still visible though.

After dinner Carmella stretched out on the floor in the kitchen, chewed on one of her steak bones, then sacked out again to sleep some more.

I think the whole ordeal has made her exhausted. I have been pretty tired myself, so I can imagine how tired she must be after the assault upon her body.

Today I received a product I ha ordered earlier this month that is a newly developed probiotic for her breath called EvoraPet.

I first heard about EvoraPet on a TV infomercial. There are alot of products on TV that I don't order because they seem kind of iffy, but this one seemed plausible, so I took a look at their website; http://evorapet.com/ and read more about it and looked to see what people were posting about it, then also did some searching in other places online. Somebody was even giving away a box on their blog Is There A Bathroom on This Ship. I signed up but didn't win.  Most reviews were favorable and I did not find any reports of negative side effects. For further information go to http://www.oragenics.com/
They have two 800 numbers; (866) 998-9935 and (877) 803-2624 Ext. 251

It only costs $14.95 plus shipping for a 60 day supply (for a limited time; usually that price is for just 30 days' supply), and since Carmella seems to be prone to bad breath I decided to give it a try. It's most likely better than having to rub her teeth and gums with anti-plaque mouthwash every few days (which only works temporarily). Most people seemed to notice an improvement in their dog or cat's breath and whiter teeth in anywhere from a few days to a month.

The beneficial bacteria used in this mixture is supposed to be specifically to balance mouth bacteria unlike those longer-known vaieties that work on the digstive tract.

Inside the container is a small scoop and yellowish sort of pale peach-colored powder. The directions say to take that pre-measured dosage and then sprinkle it on the dog's (or cat's) food once a day. The beneficial bacteria act the same way in this same dosage for any size animal, and start to crowd out the potentially harmful bacteria that cause bad breath, dental problems, or gum disease. It will be very interesting to see whether it really does work as well as it claims. If so then it will be very helpful to my readers who have dogs and/or cats. If it is effective it sure beats having Carmella's teeth cleaned every year. Last year I had that done and it was expensive and with all the other medical expenses I'm struggling to pay off for Carmella's medical care it would be nice to find an alternative that is cheaper, works just as well, and doesn't requre that she go under general anesthesia!

Tomorrow night I will give this to her at dinner, and will keep you posted over the next few weeks on how it goes and if/when I notice any improvement. As a control, I'll take pictures of her teeth tomorrow for comparison. They don't look too bad currently but might have some yellowing in some areas. Her breath right now is not the worst its been but it's not great and if she breathes on me it definitely stinks!

If you would like to help Carmella, this adorable special needs dog please consider starting your holiday shopping in my Etsy jewelry shop; Giftbearer and for jewelry or craft supplies; GiftbearerSupply , use the donation button at the top righthand side, or purchase a little banner ad on my blog where it says "Are you in my Top Spots", through Scratchback. Thanks for your support of my work and of Carmella.

Carmella's Snake Bite Update

One of the vet techs at Dr. Norwood's office called me back to let me know that Carmella is doing better today. She said she was glad to see her alive when she came into work today and that it was a good thing that the bites were as far as possible from her heart. She has much more energy today and was able to get up to go to the bathroom outside.

Her inner thigh is all black because of bruising but so far no flesh has fallen off.  The swelling has gone down almost to normal after the Prednisone they gave her.

She is not eating though and has diarrhea so they are going to try to feed her by hand with some special high nutrient food. They think maybe the poison from the snakes could be affecting her digestive tract.

This dog truly has nine lives!

Tomorrow a company called Rid-a-Critter  which offers a free assessment is sending out somebody to look at the yard and see if they can find any snakes or identify what holes they might be using. The woman on the phone told me that this time of year they may not even stay in dens if they do have them and they are on the move so there's no guarantee they'll still be here when they look and they might have just been passing through. I hope there is something they can do which will prevent them from coming into the yard so Carmella will be safe and it won't happen again. Maybe they can also address my squirrel problem. They have been gnawing the wood near the roof of my house at odd hours of the morning and night.

I need to make alot more sales this month because although the pet insurance should cover a good bit of the recent vet bills it could take awhile to be reimbursed and it doesn't cover it all.

Currently I'm working on a new Budding Vine bracelet and a few other pieces but with all the stuff related to this emergency that needs doing I literally haven't had time to work on much.

I miss Carmella and look forward to when she comes home; if all goes well, before the weekend.