Kalatoa 100% Pure SD Retic Progression (Pic heavy...)

Problem with slick flooring is that I'm sure Phyllis does what Caesar did when he was in breeding mode and would brace himself with his back half against the back of the cage and then just push and literally lift his body off the ground and shake violently while pushing.

As for the 'tube loop', that is a good idea. Could just use big plumbing size pvc piping and just build it the same way you would build a small climbing pvc jungle gym. Just use straight joints so you can break it down into manageable lengths to clean the inside and use 90 degree ones to bend it back around. Then just drill 2 holes next to each other on the either side and use big zipties to secure each section to the other.

I would use PVC piping that was thick enough for Phyllis to go through but not thick enough to double back on or else you could risk her getting stuck.

And btw, that is some serious swelling. Caesar would get some bumps and lumps from his breeding pushing but nothing that bad. Holy cow.

If there was such a thing I would like wider tubing..where she could easily double over..even after a big meal...and tubing that would be see through. So you could tell where she is and what she is doing.

I don't think there is anything like that though. At least not easily found. Well, we got a clear piece of pvc pipe for a pool filter connection once. But the diameter was small.

Would also be cool to make one tube go from one door of the cage to the door of another cage. One tube on each side of each cage. Creating one big circle.

Maybe I should come up with a retic habitat that has modular connections and areas that you can put together much like those Hamster ones. Only bigger and connecting to a good snake enclosure [emoji6] they do seem to like being on the go.


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Maybe find someway to fashion a cushion or soft barrier against the inside of the glass to soften the abrasion? Let her out for 2-3 hours a day? I'm so sorry, I really hope you find a solution soon — If it comes down to euthanizing, don't worry too much about the reaction of others. You know what's right for yourself and your family, not anyone else.

My olive python is still quite young but surfs quite often against the front of the cage, and this entire thread sits in the back of my mind everyday. Thank you for sharing your experiences so willingly.

Perhaps something along those lines?

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...ics/PUR150.jpg

or rather like this

https://www.gfps.com/master/en_US/pr...learsch80.html

If a loose duct type material, it would probably need to be fastened at certain intervals or short enough (leading to another cage) that she can't tie herself of the product in knots..

I don't know if it would help. But she seems to want to get out. So if the doors lead to "somewhere" even if it is just a loop or another cage that then again leads back to the first cage, it may fool her into thinking she isn't contained and can travel. Even if she basically just goes in circles..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zina10

I know my thoughts will be far out there, and not well developed yet.

Just thinking of some stuff..

Knowing that Retics are a species that usually travel for miles, and actively hunt for food, I wonder if some of them just have it hard wired into them to "travel". If they could get, in a way, claustrophobic. Perhaps their instinct tells them to get moving.

I have seen certain cushioned mats, usually some form or yoga mat, that are made out of a very cushioned but "slick" smooth material. Do you think it would help to line the inside of the cage with something like that. She could still push her face into it, but it has give.

The doors are more challenging. The snake knows that is where the cage opens, I also believe they feel the "air" moving in from there. However, you have to have doors. And then there are the gaps between doors. Can't really cushion them from the inside. I wonder, though, could those doors be replaced by some sort of plexi plastic glass? You could then cut a round hole into each of those doors and then connect a big tunnel, either going from one door in a big loop to the other door. Or. From one door to yet another cage that is nearby. Or go more elaborate and have that tunnel travel up and around, or along the walls ?

That may sound weird, but sort of like a over sized "hamster cage". Perhaps if she had somewhere to go, out of those doors, she wouldn't push trying to get out. Perhaps going into a tunnel , into another cage, or in a big loop around back into her own cage she would feel like she is "moving". Basically a big endless loop she could take.

What that tunnel could be made out of , I don't know. There are ready made bendable structures, but how solid they would be, I don't know. There is the possible problem of her relieving herself in the tunnel.

You could always swap the doors to the glass ones if you need her to stay in the cage.

I know this may sound really out there, and its just preliminary thoughts that flit through my brain. I just have a feeling that her instinct wants her to be on the move. And if you provide a endless circle, she always has somewhere to go to?

Of course that may be impossible to do or to far out there, or plain not work.

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I like the thinking here, however I think it would necessitate having to completely disassemble the tube contraption in order to open the doors every time I need to enter the cage. Which could possibly make keeping this animal even more annoying. Not to mention the investment I’d have to make in acquiring the tools needed to construct this thing. I can also see this easily being broken as she weighs 25lbs. Plexiglass is strong but not a material I’d choose to bear a heavy load.
She’s even pushed at the windows in my apt when I let her out to roam the entire house. It’s obnoxious and beyond frustrating. For the time being I’m just going to hope she eats soon. If she’ll start eating again she’ll be calm and I’ll just slam her with food. I know it’s not healthy but I’d rather have a fat, lazy snake than a lean one that tries to peel her face from her skull every day.
I just can’t keep up the vet and cage modification expenses for a snake whose behavior will simply not change.
Not meaning to be overly critical of any suggestions here, just thinking out loud I guess. As Gio said, this isn’t supposed to be a miserable hobby/stress project and that’s all it is for me at this point.



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It's sounds intriguing but not sure if it would really work, she may just be a pusher. The only things left I could think of which sometimes stop pushing is a much smaller cage, moving from a tank to a tub (rather difficult at her size but I've done this with young ones before) or turning the temps down a bit as some will push to get away from heat. But again even with any of those changes, she may just simply be a pusher and need a full room which I know is not really a possible solution.

I hope she eats soon as well. I forget but did the vet confirm she's a girl for sure? So odd that she will not eat.

When you give her toys does she push them around the cage (or push her water bowl around) or is she only pushing on the cage itself?
edit - oh just saw you say she pushes on windows even when out.
dangit.

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

It's sounds intriguing but not sure if it would really work, she may just be a pusher. The only things left I could think of which sometimes stop pushing is a much smaller cage, moving from a tank to a tub (rather difficult at her size but I've done this with young ones before) or turning the temps down a bit as some will push to get away from heat. But again even with any of those changes, she may just simply be a pusher and need a full room which I know is not really a possible solution.

I hope she eats soon as well. I forget but did the vet confirm she's a girl for sure? So odd that she will not eat.

When you give her toys does she push them around the cage (or push her water bowl around) or is she only pushing on the cage itself?
edit - oh just saw you say she pushes on windows even when out.
dangit.

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Yeah, I’ve tried temps as low as 72* and up to 95* with no behavioral change. Same with cage size.
She probed at 7-8scales deep. Shallow for a male but deep for a female. However her one pairing with Gerald in August showed all the telltale signs of an uninterested female: wagging her tail, gaping vent, peeing everywhere all while Gerald was spurring away at her.
Toys do nothing for her. She’ll push her water bowl around but only to use it as leverage to push harder at the doors.


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Wagging tail, gaping vent and peeing are all things that my BP females do when they are very interested. Perhaps you could try to pair her again?

Perhaps the issue was Gerald and even though he seemed interested, maybe he just didn't figure things out?

As to the feeding issue, I know they use different senses to locate and identify prey. Those senses are all located in the head/face. Nostrils for scent, heat pits for heat signature and the Jacobson organ.

Could it be that her facial swelling and injury is tampering with those senses ? If the swelling is on her face/lips, could it pinch of her nostrils internally, enough to make it hard for her to "smell" the prey?

Could the heat pits be compromised as well, as they are quite the intricate structures internally. Perhaps she just doesn't recognize prey, or it confuses her because it doesn't seem to be "right".

Perhaps you could try to make her prey a little hotter then usually and also quite stinky. Like male mouse bedding stinky. Something really rank and penetrating.

I know that when my nose and sinuses are swollen, I can only smell really strong scents.

Once again, those are really far out ideas and thoughts. And I know you are so frustrated that right now even reading about ideas and thoughts of others may just be stressful.
I have a horse with some health issues and some strange symptoms that go along. I have researched it to death, tried everything there is to try, had hopes, had hopes dashed. Again and again. Each time I talk to people about it they have questions and suggestions. Many of which I have tried or know won't work, because of knowing my animal and the circumstances. Each time it all has to be explained all over again. It can get exhausting, even though I know its well meaning and I appreciate that. So I understand. If it gets to be to much, just tell me to stop, and I will. I understand what you are going through.

Ultimately, its your animal. You know her better then anyone else. You know what you've tried and done. I hope she just starts eating for you and things will calm down. If not, its clear you love her enough to make a decision that is in her and your best interest, whatever that ends up being.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zina10

Wagging tail, gaping vent and peeing are all things that my BP females do when they are very interested. Perhaps you could try to pair her again?

Perhaps the issue was Gerald and even though he seemed interested, maybe he just didn't figure things out?

As to the feeding issue, I know they use different senses to locate and identify prey. Those senses are all located in the head/face. Nostrils for scent, heat pits for heat signature and the Jacobson organ.

Could it be that her facial swelling and injury is tampering with those senses ? If the swelling is on her face/lips, could it pinch of her nostrils internally, enough to make it hard for her to "smell" the prey?

Could the heat pits be compromised as well, as they are quite the intricate structures internally. Perhaps she just doesn't recognize prey, or it confuses her because it doesn't seem to be "right".

Perhaps you could try to make her prey a little hotter then usually and also quite stinky. Like male mouse bedding stinky. Something really rank and penetrating.

I know that when my nose and sinuses are swollen, I can only smell really strong scents.

Once again, those are really far out ideas and thoughts. And I know you are so frustrated that right now even reading about ideas and thoughts of others may just be stressful.
I have a horse with some health issues and some strange symptoms that go along. I have researched it to death, tried everything there is to try, had hopes, had hopes dashed. Again and again. Each time I talk to people about it they have questions and suggestions. Many of which I have tried or know won't work, because of knowing my animal and the circumstances. Each time it all has to be explained all over again. It can get exhausting, even though I know its well meaning and I appreciate that. So I understand. If it gets to be to much, just tell me to stop, and I will. I understand what you are going through.

Ultimately, its your animal. You know her better then anyone else. You know what you've tried and done. I hope she just starts eating for you and things will calm down. If not, its clear you love her enough to make a decision that is in her and your best interest, whatever that ends up being.

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Yeah, with retics I’ve been told the tail wagging and pissing and such is a sign that the female isn’t receptive. Unfortunately I had to rehome gerald several weeks ago because he became incredibly violent and combative due to wanting to breed and I’m a solo keeper... can’t have an 8-9’ angry chainsaw because he could have done some serious damage to me and I have no one to assist me if things got hairy. I’m also in no position to have a clutch of retics atm so that’s off the table for now.
I don’t understand the feeding issue, she’s always eaten with her face in various states of swelling/trauma from her pushing. She was eating great, turned down a meal, ate again after shedding in August, and now hasn’t eaten since.


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Jesus Christ... she’s now managed to push to the point that I just found one of the antibiotic beads they implanted in her face stuck to a cage door.
Maybe she was just never meant to be a captive animal? She is first generation in captivity after all. Even my vet just told me she’s running out of ideas for what to do at this point


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