First BP, Looking for help on an ID...Calico Dad / Pastel Mom

[Hammertime1977]

Hello, I'm a longtime fish keeper and reptile keeper mostly focusing on Crested Geckos.

I had a nice tank kicking around in my spare collection and I have been cutting back on fish tanks for a while now. I happened to get a tank a few years back with 2 under pad heaters and pretty much everything else you would need to house a reptile. A few years back when I got our Crested Gecko this tank came in the trade.

I cleaned out the tank and made sure everything was working, the night light failed on me when I tested that but that just meant I had to pick one up. I didn't like the lid I had so I modified it to hold in more heat and humidity.

Tank set up is currently a 15 gallon with a 29 gallon in reserve for everything to swap over as he grows. Please don't attack my tank size or the fact that I'm using a fish tank, I've done my research and I assure you with my modifications I am able to maintain proper humidity levels and there is a warm side and a not so warm side, both having hides. I prefer the fish tank set up due to my background with fish keeping, not to mention I like to display my pets proudly.

I managed to find an unregistered breeder via an online site and managed to get this guy at an absolute steal of a price. Estimated weight was 500-600 grams (I will soon weigh) it's male with what I was told a Calico Dad and a Pastel Mom, apparently the Calico didn't come out in this one. He was just at the end of his shed.

https://twitter.com/Subaru_WRX_Kev/status/716152582440247297

Regardless of if it's a morph or a common, it's our family pet now and it will be treated the same either way.

I did a lot of research...which helped, but this is how the timeline has gone so far. I was happy and amazed that things have gone this well!

Wed AM - Tank was set up and brought up to temperature, hide picked up at the store

Wed PM - Picked up Damien (old Jake the snake reference) and played with him for a few minutes and put him into the enclosure.

Wed Night - He explored his tank and then went and settled in his hide.

Thurs AM - Sleeping in his hide

Thurs PM - Quick Play, the gf wants to play with it all the damn time...Added second hide to left side (heat lighted side)

Thurs Night - Really active, spent time all across the tank. Spent time on the rock I have under the heat light. Was really exploring and checking the lid a lot (6 clips and a 15 pound rock on top of my modified MDF lid cover

Now at this point I'm a new owner and I'm trying to hold off on the feed to make sure that he eats, I know BP's have the feeding issues. But I was prepared to deal with it, did a lot of research and was seeing nothing but feeding queues. I contacted my "breeder" and he confirmed that he was hungry.

Off to the store to buy small rats.

Fri AM - Sleeping

Friday PM - Quick play after I checked him using my hand at about 18" as a thermal queue and he followed my hand. Switched gears and approached him from the back so my gf could play with him...

*Friday night....as I noticed he becomes active around 9pm till 3-4am I wanted everything in our favour. Once he became active I began to thaw the rat. I danced it in front of him 3 times and on the 3rd time he followed it and hit it. I gave the tail a quick tug and he tightened up on it. He spent 10-15 minutes "pretend killing" it before he downed it like champ.

We're so happy that it ate this well and has adjusted so quickly!

I can't say I'm not going to feed him every friday night at 10pm forever now, I think I will do what we did this time around. Follow the queues "Damien" gives us and let him tell us when he is hungry. I think it's better for the long term if we feed him when he's hungry.

The plan is to never go bigger than a small rat which is what he is eating now.

Once all of the digestion is done, I will get an official weight and post an update.

I want to leave it alone all Saturday and all day Sunday to digest, but I know the gf will be bugging to play with him on Sunday... <<---please advise on this

Thanks,

Kev (Damien...unknown approx 1 year old, approx 500-600 gram Ball Python)

[Hammertime1977]

Had to photobucket, lame that I couldn't just upload it here...

http://s22.photobucket.com/user/bomb...bile%20Uploads

[Hammertime1977]

I'm guessing by how cheap it was for a 600 gram male, it's fairly common. I'm no snake expert, so I seek your advice on this.

Was told Father was Calico and Mother was Pastel.

Thanks in Advance!



Having issues posting pics due to being new...

<a href="http://s22.photobucket.com/user/bomb1977/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20160331_030004_zpspbexwznw.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b339/bomb1977/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20160331_030004_zpspbexwznw.jpg" border="0" alt="damien photo IMG_20160331_030004_zpspbexwznw.jpg"/></a>

Another try...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...pspbexwznw.jpg

last attempt

http://s22.photobucket.com/user/bomb...xwznw.jpg.html

...thats all 4 boxes from photobucket...im guessing I have to have "x" amount of posts to post a pic. Annoying for an adult seeking advice, I have to admit...I almost didn't bother posting.

[Hammertime1977]

Maybe this will work?

[Hammertime1977]

I have to assume by the price that it was a mis fire or something the "breeder" just realized he couldn't use to make money. Was told Calico Dad, Pastel Mom.

Regardless, my family now has a pet.

We have had him since Wednesday evening this week, he finished his shed with us and began to adjust to his new home very quickly. He was really showing feeding queues on Thursday night, he followed my hand Friday evening when my gf wanted to play with him. After the play, we went to the Local store and got 4 small frozen rats.

He became active around 9:30 on Friday evening and was stretched out sitting on his hot side hide. I started to thaw his first meal

(being detailed in case I need to be corrected by someone with more experience, no bro science please...)

Thawed for 20 min in warm water, like childrens bath temp...90-95 F (not C :p) Just enough that it would have some form of a thermal signature for him to pick up.

Lid half off, tongs on the back half...1st pass he took notice, 2nd pass he kept looking, 3rd pass he followed it and struck. I pulled the tail and it tightened up. 10-15 min of killing and he downed it.

Digesting happily in his hot side hide, keeping an eye on him to see if he switches to the cooler side hide. Both hides are identical.

You can tell me it's a $20 snake and I'd just laugh, we love it and will give it a great long term home

What a gentle snake...

[cristacake]

Congratulations on your new buddy

[SmoothScales]

Looks like a pastel to me. I'm not seeing Calico influence on it.

[Meerna]

Yeah, I can see the pastel for sure. I like his colors ^_^

[Albert Clark]

Yeah, i'm with Smooth that its Pastel. You can always pair him to a normal and see what the hatchlings turn out to look like. Or just pair him to a calico down the road. He is still a nice looking animal and pastel goes great with most every other gene.

[SmoothScales]

I want to leave it alone all Saturday and all day Sunday to digest, but I know the gf will be bugging to play with him on Sunday... <<---please advise on this

It really should've been left alone the whole first week to settle, get used to it's new surroundings and de-stress from the move.

I would tell her honestly that it's in the best interest of the snake to be left alone to process his meal and explain what could happen (i.e. regurg) if he's messed with after having eaten. I'm sure you love her and don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from something that could be a mutual interest, but the health of the animal isn't something you'll want to put at risk for the sake of sugar coating the potential consequences. Just be tactful, but honest. Regurg has it's own set of risks beyond just a missed meal, and imo it's just not worth it for a few moments of interaction.