how on EARTH am I meant to measure the length of my snake?

[brierleys_girl]

Title pretty much says it all. Really silly question, hoping I don't get a silly answer lol
I've seen people like "yea he's x cm long and x yrs old"
And I'm just like uhh... when my snake it out he's never once been straight enough for a measure! So... how do I do it? I've got sheds but aren't they supposed to be somewhat smaller than that?

Cheers!

 

[littlemay]

google 'herpmeasure'

 

[solar 17]

"STRING" lol solar 17

 

[Firepac]

See this thread

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/herp-help-38/measure-snakes-199828/

 

[brierleys_girl]

Thanks guys

 

[bencrowe]

wait till he sheds and use his skin

 

[Snapped]

When you've measured him, come back and tell us.

I just did it by my enclosure, it's 5 feet long, so when my MD stretches out on a branch that is the enclosure length and still has a few inches of his tail curled around, that's how I figured it out. LOL

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Ask your boyfriend how long the snake is and divide his answer by 2.54. Result

 

[Jamesss]

wait till he sheds and use his skin

Very inaccurate- their skin stretches when they shed it. Somewhere around 30% larger than the actual snake normally. Herpmeasure is what I use.

 

[andynic07]

Very inaccurate- their skin stretches when they shed it. Somewhere around 30% larger than the actual snake normally. Herpmeasure is what I use.

Wouldn't it be easy to work out if it is 30% larger than the actual snake. lol I have used hero widget and the string method. About 4cm different from each other.

 

[ronhalling]

I have always used a piece of clear plastic tubing with 1 end having a cork in it and when she relaxed marked her length and removed the cork, do this about 4 times then add up the 4 results devide by 4 and you get a pretty accurate result..........................................................Ron

 

[Ssssnakes]

I use a fabric measuring tape from Spotlight - the kind dressmakers use. It's soft, so while my snakes are on the floor, I just put it on their head, hold it gently and work my way down.

 

[thomasssss]

Wouldn't it be easy to work out if it is 30% larger than the actual snake. .

well not really , you dont really know for sure that its 30% stretched , could be less maybe more we just know that they most definitely do stretch

take a shed skin , notice all the little gaps between the scales , these are what give it the extra length on your snake this area is hidden underneath and between your snakes scales and the only time it will be visible is when the snake has had a massive feed , or in breeding females ,

but when they shed each little bit of this skin also gets stretched out as it comes off so each scale is further away from the other than it ever is when the skin is on the snake thus giving it a fair bit more length , does this make sense ? im hoping so

 

[andynic07]

well not really , you dont really know for sure that its 30% stretched , could be less maybe more we just know that they most definitely do stretch

take a shed skin , notice all the little gaps between the scales , these are what give it the extra length on your snake this area is hidden underneath and between your snakes scales and the only time it will be visible is when the snake has had a massive feed , or in breeding females ,

but when they shed each little bit of this skin also gets stretched out as it comes off so each scale is further away from the other than it ever is when the skin is on the snake thus giving it a fair bit more length , does this make sense ? im hoping so

Yeah mate I realise , I was just having a bit of fun with the poster and that is why I use the two methods that I use for my measuring.

 

[brierleys_girl]

Ask your boyfriend how long the snake is and divide his answer by 2.54. Result

Lol! Best answer yet!

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Classified

If someone asks a question that is way off subject...............A question that appears on every thread I have visited today. Why am I not allowed to reply with a response that is as far off topic??
Question above should have been deleted surely.

 

[brierleys_girl]

When you've measured him, come back and tell us.

90cm... (give or take). Used the whole "let him straighten against the wall" thing. Didn't realise he was that long took awhile though cuz he kept trying to squirm back to me...

 

[Wally]

I'd weigh mine before I'd measure their length.

 

[Snapped]

90cm... (give or take). Used the whole "let him straighten against the wall" thing. Didn't realise he was that long took awhile though cuz he kept trying to squirm back to me...

Its funny, they never seem that long.

 

[Skelhorn]

I second string...nothing works better!!!