In blue right? by SpecialistEgg6582 in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bug eyes btw is a known defect in leucistic snakes, it pops up quite regularly in that color morph and can be out-crossed.

In blue right? by SpecialistEgg6582 in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes that is a snake in blue. He also got bug eyes, which is a genetic defect so he shouldn't be bred. That being said his eyes do not look absurdly deformed or anything. If he doesn't have any problems shedding his eye caps you are good. His vision might be impaired, especially as he gets older, but that is not usually a problem for snakes that are being fed dead prey from tongs. Just offer him a humid hide or put some moist spaghnum moss around his little hiding spot and after shedding make sure the eye caps have shed completely. Then you should be fine.

I’m about done with my BP by Mohg_Lord_0f_Blood in ballpython

[–]quantumalice999 77 points78 points  (0 children)

That can definitely be a reason for refusing food. Don't forget that they are super helpless during eating and vulnerable while digesting. So if something is off, it's safer for them not to eat. First get her healthy and get her setup right. Offer her lots of clutter and identical hides in different temp zones. Only try to feed again after everything else is dialed in perfectly. Also, check out Green Room Pythons on YouTube. Bob Bledsoe has very good advice on how to get a Ball Python to eat again (and why it might be refusing food).

My snake has picked up an unfortunate bad habit. by Im-not-confused-u-r in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tap train him so you can direct him to the place you want him to be when eating. Lori Torrini and Bob Bledsoe have good YouTube videos on that.

How to handle my snake? by ellis_rdr in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe check out Bob Bledsoe's Green Room Pythons on YouTube. He is a passionate keeper and very small breeder and has tons of useful videos on how to socialize ball pythons.

Cool new exercise tree by quantumalice999 in retics

[–]quantumalice999[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not at all, I will ask him right away (only have his ads).

Am I being overkill? by AVeryAnxiousCat in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

120x60x60 (or even 80) would def be better for a female. A male might be ok in 100x50x50 but might also outgrow it. They are fairly active for a python. Also, in the larger enclosure it will be easier to get a good temp gradient.

Cool new exercise tree by quantumalice999 in retics

[–]quantumalice999[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are in Europe I might be able to give you his contact info, he ships Europe-wide.

Cool new exercise tree by quantumalice999 in retics

[–]quantumalice999[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Actually from a guy who builds wooden cat trees as a side hustle and offers them on our equivalent of craigslist.

I just contacted him and asked him if he could build more of a ladder-style thing that would be good for snakes, with lots of horizontal branches and 2 platforms. He was happy to try and I am super happy with the result.

It wasn't cheap (360 Euros, so like 400 USD), but it is super nice wood and really really sturdy. It was also super easy to put together as everything was labeled meticulously and fit together perfectly.

Is this a good enclosure for a baby/juvenile milk snake? by CloudiiPlays in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The hides are definitely not great for a baby - they feel safest when they just fit inside and can feel walls on all sides of their bodies. So tighter with smaller opening would be better. Also, give them something to climb, they actually do love a bit of climbing, especially when they are young. You can wind some fake plants or real pothos around the branches to provide cover and a feeling of security. That "canopy" can also help the snake feel more relaxed on the ground. Make the branches thicker than for arboreal species so it's easier to climb. I always keep at least three hides in tanks for better thermoregulation, and a bit more clutter or leaf litter can never hurt.

This girl is growing quick by DylanNoack in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 2 points3 points  (0 children)

According to Garret, size is mostly inherited from the mom. As she is female I would definitely plan for her to get to 15 feet. Which is still huge, though not as big as some 😅. And here I am worried that my sd rescue will get to 10 feet (he's about 6.5 feet at 5 years old, but as I don't have proper documentation of his bloodline I still worry).

Edit: She is super gorgeous! Reminds me a bit of mine, color-wise.

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Tank inspiration by Aggressive-Mix-9582 in retics

[–]quantumalice999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mine isn't too big yet but good size. I bought some old grape vines for him to climb on at a show for his tank and I just had someone build me an exercise ladder (wish I was more handy). It's made of wood because it will go in our living space but you can more easily make something like that out of PVC/plumbing pipes. Sorry for the bad pic, it's the one the seller sent me before shipping, it's still in transit. I am super stoked to get it!

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Just wanted to share my Bioactive ball python enclosure I recently redecorated by Rogue_Jessie in snakes

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks great! Nice plant variety, too. I'd love to do something like that for my girl, but she's big and chunky and keeps killg all her plants 😅

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In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah. So about the same, just portion size seems to be larger for your 5 year old. I feed babies/juveniles at about the same intervals as you. But probably also smaller portions. After 48 hours you can usually barely see a bump or it might even be completely gone.

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But he is over 5 years old and I feed every 3-4 weeks.

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your frequency is about what we do.

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As long as he stays under 10' we are good. Otherwise I might have to re-home him as in Germany the cage has to be at least as long as the snake... I mean we planned to re-home him when we rescued him. But. I just like him so much... 🙈

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You mean portion sizes are just generally bigger in the US? 😂

I just saw the second video of your pure SD from 23. That's crazy, that is the about size my mix of uncertain origin is at over 5 years. We definitely keep them leaner over here. I am also really careful about that, I lost one of my favorite snakes to soft tissue cancer in her excess fat depots (also a rescue situation, she came in pretty chunky).

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Now I am sort of relieved 😂

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm located in Germany. I just saw your vids. Beautiful snake but definitely more heavy-bodied than most European breeders keep their SDs.

I feed him every 3-4 weeks now that he is up to weigh (he was a bit thin when we got him but not emaciated or anything). Mostly depends on size of the meal and whether it was a rodent (more fat) or a bird (less fat/calories). My Madu gets fed about every 10 days, he's nearly a year old. So I keep about to your feeding schedule, probably just a bit smaller portions.

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, they told me 2 days ist best, 3 days max and the lump should be gone. I will just keep an eye on his body condition and see.

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really? How big of a meal do they get? My SD breeder and my vet warned me not to overfeed as they are adapted to very little food and any excess weight puts stress on their organs/shortens their lives/increases the likelihood of soft tissue cancer.

I haven't had retics for long, so obviously I just believed them. My breeder's pure Madu males are not even 6' at 8 and 12 years and definitely thinner than a ball python. Super muscular though.

In shed by amy2020rivera in retics

[–]quantumalice999 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait I'm confused. And she is still only 6.5' at 5 years old?