This Little Guy Has Landed In My Lap...

[RockNRollProcelain]

So here's the story behind this little guy: I went and picked up a Mojave BP that has apparently been very VERY nippy. The owner claimed that the snake struck at him as he was bringing him to me. I've now held the snake for about 45 minutes (I'm getting him used to my smell as we travel and now as I set up his new home) and while I can tell that he is EXTREMELY nervous and afraid (body is tense, anything he touches while he explores causes him to flinch, etc) he has not struck at me even once, hasn't hissed at me even once, has even explored on my arms, and is currently laying in my lap. Hopefully this guy will calm down over time, with lots of patience and proper care (he's over-fed and hasn't had enough humidity since he has stuck shed - and that's only what I can tell right off the bat). My understanding of this guy's history is that he never got handled much after being hatched, and then had a feeding incident with a live mouse that led to him getting bit (this apparently happened about a week ago). Now, just a few months old, the owner is upset with his nippy behavior. This little guy will not be going back to his previous owner, as the owner decided that the snake would be better off staying with me (my original offer to the owner was for me to foster him and try to tame him, then return him to the owner with the understanding that I would teach the owner how to properly care for him and how to properly handle him). So this was definitely a surprise adoption, but I'm happy to have him. He's absolutely gorgeous, even if he is a chub chub.

Once he goes into his new set-up, I'll be leaving him alone for a week. He'll get fed with me for the first time next Friday, and then his first handling will be a couple days after that. Hopefully he ends up with the sweet temperament I think he's capable of! I'll keep you all updated, if you so wish. This is one of many examples of a snake being given up due to behavioral issues that really aren't "end-of-the-world" problems. It is possible to keep a nippy snake. It is possible to work with a nippy snake and help him get used to being handled. And should he stay nippy? Doesn't mean I won't still adore him! He's found a forever home here with me. =]

[JoRandom]

He is very pretty. Looking forward to updates

[RockNRollProcelain]

He is very pretty. Looking forward to updates

Thank you =] I think he's a real looker as well. He has a lot of potential. I can see the sweetness in him!

[LLLReptile]

A lot of times nippyness can be due to an inexperienced keeper being paired with a nervous snake. With a good setup and patience, he'll probably mellow out and be just fine.

He doesn't look overfed to me, he looks fine. What makes you say he's "overfed"?

-Jen

[RockNRollProcelain]

A lot of times nippyness can be due to an inexperienced keeper being paired with a nervous snake. With a good setup and patience, he'll probably mellow out and be just fine.

He doesn't look overfed to me, he looks fine. What makes you say he's "overfed"?

-Jen

That's what I've noticed about nippiness. None of my snakes are nippy. They're all docile snuggle-bugs. So hopefully this guy relaxes and settles into his new home and turns into the sweet snake I think he'll be.

I say he seems overfed because he has a lot of space between the scales on his back - to the point that you can see a lot of the skin under them. He's not super over-fed, but he definitely appears to be a chub chub. Granted, I'd rather he be a good eater than a finicky snake. I'll take a close-up picture sometime next week - I'm leaving him be now until next week so he can relax and I can keep his stress to a minimum. But yeah, he's not terribly over-fed. It's just enough that it's noticeable when you're holding him. You can see more of skin than you probably should.

[NH93]

Glad you have him. Just a question, how can he be a "chub chub" if he's so young (just a few months old, as you've mentioned)? I think he looks completely fine - very beautiful in fact!

[RockNRollProcelain]

Glad you have him. Just a question, how can he be a "chub chub" if he's so young (just a few months old, as you've mentioned)? I think he looks completely fine - very beautiful in fact!

I suppose I could be wrong about his being a chub chub. I could just see quite a bit of skin between his scales while I had him out, and my understanding is that that's a sign of them being overweight. But this is true, if he is young, maybe he needs the extra chub.

[slipknot711]

adorable! im looking into a mojave next i think

[AlexisFitzy]

Oh he's so cute! And the chub chub thing is so freaking hilarious lol I've heard chubby, chunkster, and chunky monkey but never chub chub haha I love that. You've got a beautiful chunky boy there I don't think he's over fed, he's just a big ole handsome boy


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[Archimedes]

I'm glad you have him! He's definitely pretty, and hey, if he'll eat, feed him! Lol.

The best way to tell if a BP is overweight is if they have a "pear" shape to them. What I mean is if he is VERY round, with a concave line along his spine, he's eaten too much and should be put on a diet of sorts. If he's perfectly round without an indent along his back, he's fine, and if his spine is in any way prominent, or if his body is shaped like a triangular prism, he's underweight.