Another common tree snake thread

[Tigerlily]

Hi I'm new, I just bought a common tree snake Eden and I feel like I've exhausted the search function for CTS but still have questions.

eg:

She's quite shy which I understand is normal, and if I wanted a regular handling snake I should have gotten a bredli (still on the cards) but.... I'm not completely new to herps and I fell in love with the CTS.... Don't mind the extra mess at all, so beautiful so worth it... I guess my q is, is it possible for a shy (but never aggressive) snake to come around and tolerate semi-regular (few times a week?) handling? The only difference with her and the pythons I've had is that if I don't have a conscious grip on her she will easily slip away...and once she's done that she's off like lightning! I'd just like to be able to put my hand in her tank without her ducking back into her hide. I know it's early days yet..

They say don't stress your snake out w too much handling, but how do you know if a snake is stressed? Apart from obvious signs like not eating... Which brings me to the next q:

I'm transitioning her from previous keepers' live gecko&skink diet to pinkie mice. She will take the mice if I scent then very well with a gecko; she doesn't like to take it from me I just leave it near her hide and it's gone in a few hours. My question is, how long do you think it will take for her to accept pinkies NOT scented? I tried scenting w gecko poo and she refused it (I don't blame her...) I guess I'm going too fast. But is there some sort of tapering/weaning/transitioning timeline I can refer to? My gut is telling me that the answers I get will basically say it will take however long it takes, each snake is different etc.... But I had to ask, in case there's something else I could be doing.

She's about 80cm long but verrrry slender... Is this normal? She was sold to me as a juvie but that could mean anything and all the snakes in other members' pics seem so much more robust. I'll try to post a pic soon.

Do CTS need UVB lights or no? I've read different things and would like to know for sure...she doesn't get any direct sunlight.

have loads more Qs but hopefully someone can help me with these before I start asking more, I'm typing from my iphone so please excuse any weird auto-corrects I may have missed... Thanks in advance!

cheers

Tracy

 

[Boiga]

Hi I'm new, I just bought a common tree snake Eden and I feel like I've exhausted the search function for CTS but still have questions.

eg:

She's quite shy which I understand is normal, and if I wanted a regular handling snake I should have gotten a bredli (still on the cards) but.... I'm not completely new to herps and I fell in love with the CTS.... Don't mind the extra mess at all, so beautiful so worth it... I guess my q is, is it possible for a shy (but never aggressive) snake to come around and tolerate semi-regular (few times a week?) handling? The only difference with her and the pythons I've had is that if I don't have a conscious grip on her she will easily slip away...and once she's done that she's off like lightning! I'd just like to be able to put my hand in her tank without her ducking back into her hide. I know it's early days yet..

They say don't stress your snake out w too much handling, but how do you know if a snake is stressed? Apart from obvious signs like not eating... Which brings me to the next q:

I'm transitioning her from previous keepers' live gecko&skink diet to pinkie mice. She will take the mice if I scent then very well with a gecko; she doesn't like to take it from me I just leave it near her hide and it's gone in a few hours. My question is, how long do you think it will take for her to accept pinkies NOT scented? I tried scenting w gecko poo and she refused it (I don't blame her...) I guess I'm going too fast. But is there some sort of tapering/weaning/transitioning timeline I can refer to? My gut is telling me that the answers I get will basically say it will take however long it takes, each snake is different etc.... But I had to ask, in case there's something else I could be doing.

She's about 80cm long but verrrry slender... Is this normal? She was sold to me as a juvie but that could mean anything and all the snakes in other members' pics seem so much more robust. I'll try to post a pic soon.

Do CTS need UVB lights or no? I've read different things and would like to know for sure...she doesn't get any direct sunlight.

have loads more Qs but hopefully someone can help me with these before I start asking more, I'm typing from my iphone so please excuse any weird auto-corrects I may have missed... Thanks in advance!

cheers

Tracy

Quite honestly these are all things you should have known before getting the snake and I'm sure in the not to distant future you will understand why.
I don't know what your experience with reptiles is but you post comes across in a way that hints towards you expecting it to act like a python rather than a colubrid, the difference between them is massive and they both demand different husbandry skills.
Personally I don't handle any of my green tree snakes unless I need to, while a lot will tame down the majority will be stressed by it and not enjoy it in any fashion which can cause a whole lot of other problems ranging from feeding to their immune system especially when it's origins are largely unknown.

If you are worried about handling and feeding the snake before you even understand it's basic husbandry needs then you are in for a rough ride.

 

[Beans]

I'm not too sure about colubrids but I think of them kind of like the scared flighty snakes. So like, pythons are alot more accepting of being handled and are just happy to put up with and go along with it till it gets to go back to it's house but colubrids are always on the go! I dunno with colubrids, I just wouldn't. They're like mice. Lol

 

[PythonLegs]

1) Yes, just do what you're doing...as long as your snake isnt going batsh* t when you approach, they do settle. But it take time. Eventually you might get her to the point where she'll come out and eat while you're on aps..(see attached pic)
2) Personally I'd forget skinks and mice and go with fish- swordtails, platies, mollies, goldfish. Much cheaper and easier to source.

 

[Tigerlily]

Thanks for your replies everyone.

PythonLegs your reply was particularly helpful because what I really wanted to know is whether she would be forever shy or if there was hope of her coming around in the future. She's still shy, but I leave her alone except when I clean her cage and hope that once I get her bigger enclosure she'll feel less threatened by me rummaging around in her space. I wish she would eat fish like yours because of the cost, but at the same time I'm pretty happy with how she's feeding on pinkies now.

Boiga, I won't comment on the tone of your reply and the assumptions you made but I do appreciate your input. I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that my snake is now eating unscented frozen pinkies very happily. As for the python vs colubrid point, all I can say is that all the cornsnakes, milksnakes, rat snakes and California king snakes I've ever handled (with the exception of ONE grumpy rat snake) have been very placid, calm and easy to handle. The classification of "colubrid" is a bit of a question mark anyway (as I'm sure you're aware) and in no way was I ever "expecting a colubrid to act like a python". Getting my CTS was definitely a new experience with a steep learning curve for me, but we're doing really well and I don't regret my decision to buy her one bit.

Can you elaborate on the immune problems that can be caused by stress? Because I haven't been handling her I don't have any way of noticing physical abnormalities etc closeup. What sort of immune problems are CTS susceptible to?


Beans thanks for your reply - I agree, my Eden is very "mousy" in personality. I still have hope that she'll come around though Do you have any more pics of your snake? I keep trying to click on it to see a bigger version but for some reason it's not working for me...

Anyone else who lives with these beautiful snakes I would love for you to post pics of them (yes I've seen the other threads, I just want more!), or tell me stories of whether yours calmed down to tolerate handling or not...

Cheers

 

[Beans]

I do have some around I'll try to post them up here for you xD [video]https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/1625732_10152068834691298_14249992_n.jpg[/video]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd....-9/1509913_10152068834976298_1333435448_n.jpg

I took these just then :3

 

[colubridlover]

Thanks for your replies everyone.

PythonLegs your reply was particularly helpful because what I really wanted to know is whether she would be forever shy or if there was hope of her coming around in the future. She's still shy, but I leave her alone except when I clean her cage and hope that once I get her bigger enclosure she'll feel less threatened by me rummaging around in her space. I wish she would eat fish like yours because of the cost, but at the same time I'm pretty happy with how she's feeding on pinkies now.

Boiga, I won't comment on the tone of your reply and the assumptions you made but I do appreciate your input. I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear that my snake is now eating unscented frozen pinkies very happily. As for the python vs colubrid point, all I can say is that all the cornsnakes, milksnakes, rat snakes and California king snakes I've ever handled (with the exception of ONE grumpy rat snake) have been very placid, calm and easy to handle. The classification of "colubrid" is a bit of a question mark anyway (as I'm sure you're aware) and in no way was I ever "expecting a colubrid to act like a python". Getting my CTS was definitely a new experience with a steep learning curve for me, but we're doing really well and I don't regret my decision to buy her one bit.

Can you elaborate on the immune problems that can be caused by stress? Because I haven't been handling her I don't have any way of noticing physical abnormalities etc closeup. What sort of immune problems are CTS susceptible to?


Beans thanks for your reply - I agree, my Eden is very "mousy" in personality. I still have hope that she'll come around though Do you have any more pics of your snake? I keep trying to click on it to see a bigger version but for some reason it's not working for me...

Anyone else who lives with these beautiful snakes I would love for you to post pics of them (yes I've seen the other threads, I just want more!), or tell me stories of whether yours calmed down to tolerate handling or not...

Cheers

hello, and welcome to the colubrid family hahah
i started a thread not to long ago people,like myself posting set ups and snakes on there.
love to see some pics of your snake, they never settle down,mine day will be happy with you walking past or opening tank next they freak out and bang around or fly out.
Plenty of hides and good substrate for them to dig in.