Bi-Polar snakes

[dragon_tail]

i dont know if its wrong, but i do know that feesding a 40cm python a small rat is pretty standard aparently, especially after reading the thread about feeding stimmies thats up now.

 

[Laa Laa]

Okay so i think we agree the size of enclosure is fine, and that we might need to upgrade the food again.

 

[Laa Laa]

One other thing, if someone could confirm for me:

Would 6 month old pythons even notice that it is coming up to breeding season?Would this affect their behaviour at all? i.e they can sense each other and have the mating instincts going on?

 

[mrsshep77]

Maybe??? I've noticed lately when I've had our 2 jungles out they just want to curl up together and the same with our maccies!! They get close and then they're a tangle of tails and heads...
It could be instinct who knows???

 

[OuZo]

It's definately feeding behaviour...a lot of my pythons will do similar things. I assume they usually constrict first, then bite? I reckon that the feeling of a pulse could turn them on lol. If there's definately no food smell on you then I wouldn't be surprised if it's your pulse or perhaps even just your body heat (maybe a combo of both). Are they wrapped around your wrist maybe when it happens?

 

[Laa Laa]

No, she doesn't constrict first. She is usually just sitting in our palm, then kinda moves onto the other side of my hand, so we turn the hand to stop her from falling. She did constrict after she bit last night but took a while after she latched on, for her to start constricting.

Its all very weird and she always goes for the kncukles. i know it seems unlikely, but it is like she actively seeks out the knuckles, no matter how you hold her. i.e if holding her palm up, she will twist her neck under your hand to try bite the knuckle from upside down. And the rest on her will stay curled up in your palm. she doesn't even hold onto anything when she goes underneath.

 

[mrsshep77]

You'd be amazed at how acrobatic maccies are!! Both mine will ALWAYS eat from a branch hanging upside down... it's like they suck the rat up into them... amazing to watch!!! Then you have our (unco-ordinated) diamond who can't even drag a rat up a branch and he's 7ft long!!! hehe!!
They seem to have no fear about where they hang or on what they hang from!! I've seen Sassi literally throw herself from the breakfast bar into my lap!!!

 

[Earthling]

What are you using for heating for the snakes?
Whats their POO look like?

 

[OuZo]

I still think it's food related...it certainly doesn't sound like aggression! I know some snakes get a little lazy in Winter and won't strike at food but just slowly move up to it and start eating..maybe it's winter laziness lol. Hopefully they just grow out of it

 

[Laa Laa]

They have a 15w heat cord that goes under the hide side of the enclosure, with a loop under the actual hide.

And fecal matter looks the same as it always has, as far as i know, but due to previous convo about worms, i shall have a better look next time.

If it is laziness, i hope they do grow out of it. While they are this small, i don't mind them trying to eat me, but when they get bigger, i might not be so sympathetic to them

 

[Earthling]

From what your saying the cord only goes under half the enclosure yeah? If so goodo. Have you put a thermometer in their to see what temps it gets to in the hot and cold part fo the enclosure? Just to be sure.......

Maybe you could try an extra hide in the cool end too.

 

[ALLANA]

This is just one of them mind boggling one's. All I can really think is that when you move your hand either way your knuckles move quite a bit so it might be looking very inviting to her and that could be the reason for her going for them in perticular?. If she's not striking at you and getting really agressive it can't really be that she's stressed or really wanting to scare you. Have you tried wearing gloves not to prevent bites but to see if she still wants to eat your hands,normally they arn't so keen to bite a glove and if they do rarely do it again. I would give it a go because if she dosn't bite you on the hands with gloves it has got to be something on your hands weither it be from the perfume of handwashes/ soaps etc as I have heard of snakes carrying on this way. Mabye if the glove trick works next time you handle her just use hot water to wash your hands and no soaps/ handwashes at all?.

Allana

 

[sweethips12]

I have a spotted that pushes on his cage and stuff when he is hungry, he doesnt bit, so i would just suggest feeding them more, trust me they can be little guts when they want.

 

[Laa Laa]

Warm end stays around 28-30 cool end 25ish
And yes heat cord only on one end.

Neither of them go into their hide very much as it is. Sometimes they will, but mostly they lay all tangled through their leaves (in both the warm and cool end). They seem to like lying under the papertowel smack in the middle of the hide, and this is puffed up most of the time for easy entry under for them.

I also thought maybe the movement has attracted her to the knuckles, but since she actively seeks them out straight away, i don't think it can be that. She goes for them without seeing them. If that makes sense. Time will tell though.

And we gave them 2 decent sized fuzzy mice on Tues. Took them a while but they got through them (even though they decided to go from the bum end each time). They have an extremely sizeable belly now and have just been basking on top of thier hides or under the paper towel. Haven't got them out as yet to see if they still want to eat me, but I miss them already so hopefully they are feeling social tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

ps - I will try the gloves and no handwash lotion to see how that goes Allana.

From Allanah i have never seen the spelling with 2 l's and no h. New things every day

 

[Just_Joshin]

Do you have dogs or cats and pat them???

When you wash yours hands do you soap the backs of your hands as well, if not then maybe the smalle is still on your knuckles???

 

[Laa Laa]

No other pets. Well, we also have a scorpion, but we dont pat him

And yes both sides of hands get washed, along with up our arms as well.

Edit: by no other pets, i mean we only have the snakes (6 total)

 

[Just_Joshin]

Have you recently started wearing a different perfume or changed soaps??

 

[ALLANA]

Warm end stays around 28-30 cool end 25ish
And yes heat cord only on one end.

Neither of them go into their hide very much as it is. Sometimes they will, but mostly they lay all tangled through their leaves (in both the warm and cool end). They seem to like lying under the papertowel smack in the middle of the hide, and this is puffed up most of the time for easy entry under for them.

I also thought maybe the movement has attracted her to the knuckles, but since she actively seeks them out straight away, i don't think it can be that. She goes for them without seeing them. If that makes sense. Time will tell though.

And we gave them 2 decent sized fuzzy mice on Tues. Took them a while but they got through them (even though they decided to go from the bum end each time). They have an extremely sizeable belly now and have just been basking on top of thier hides or under the paper towel. Haven't got them out as yet to see if they still want to eat me, but I miss them already so hopefully they are feeling social tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

ps - I will try the gloves and no handwash lotion to see how that goes Allana.

From Allanah i have never seen the spelling with 2 l's and no h. New things every day

Yeah it's actually pronounced as alana just spelt different (thanks mum:lol: ). Personally hate the name but I guess we all do. Let me know how the gloves go

 

[Laa Laa]

I wear different perfume everyday, but they are ones i have always used.

And yes, we did change hand wash a while ago, but she actually does it with the hand wash that we previously used as well as F10 and other ones. So no specific hand wash is used. It changes.

 

[dragon_tail]

the fact the come up slowely (not striking) and kinda try to stretch their mouths over your finger, to me, suggests that you should try larger prey, rather than more of it? i think they want to open their mouths more!