"Muscle tone" in ball pythons...?

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Nobody worries they're gonna fall? I know I do

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I worry about mine when they slide up the the corner of the tank, and then fall over backward. (all 15 grams!)
That one Reinz posted a couple weeks ago of Elvira (?) heading for the attic stressed me out.

I suppose they actually do OK on smooth furnishings, but the idea makes me want to set up an overhead grid of actual tree limbs that have the rough bark still attatched.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Nobody worries they're gonna fall? I know I do

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In my experience, only the hatchlings fall most of the time. Just like human kids, once they start growing up and learning to coordinate themselves they really don't fall much.

Donuts used to fall all the time (small heights, don't worry!) when she was younger but now at 4 months old she's only fallen once in the past few weeks and that was because she was trying to be on my leg when I was wearing pajamas with a material that her scales slid right off of.

I feel like every "kid" could stand to fall a few times or else how will they ever learn how to explore? Which is understandably not an issue for BPs that are kept almost exclusively in their tubs but I like my Donuts to explore.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Ax, I've been giving them "exercise" too, but also weirdly unsure if it would stress them out. Probably just being paranoid though. :P

I guess the question in the first post is... is it even possible for ball pythons to have low muscle tone, unable to constrict prey properly? I assumed that snakes almost have a fixed inherent level of muscle tone/strength. Is intentionally strenuous "exercise" or "practice constricting" even necessary? aka, other than just letting them slither around on the ground and on your arm and such LOL.

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oh yes, i believe a healthy BP has a fixed inherent level of strength for whatever size they are. it's gotta be the result of a bajillion years of evolution. they pretty much just hide and sleep until they're hungry. i think their strength is i just as natural as their instinct to hunt.

and for BP's that are like blobs, i think those ones just aren't flexing. ;) :strong:

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Nobody worries they're gonna fall? I know I do

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It's uncommon for my adults.

If you study them while they are climbing, most of the time they have their tail wrapped to anchor themselves. But when they don't, you can see the muscularture of another area of their body "gripping".

I'm always keeping a close watch just in case.

Just like here when they really push the envelope.

This is Mack, my 5-6 ft 2 yr old Coastal Python. This trim molding that he is on is less than a half inch thick.

I Caught him as he fell.


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...263690fafa.jpg




Then here's Lizzy my 7 ft + Coastal cruising on thin picture frames.

I pulled her off of them before everything would come crashing down.


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...fd30e9abe5.jpg

@Reinz - I always love your climbing photos! that pix of Lizzy on the picture frames :O! you've got some athletic snakes!

My Coastals and even my BP are more adventurous than my Boa!

You would think just the opposite.

The Coastals just have this "never say die" attitude, even when at the end of their rope.


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...f634477e7f.jpg

Mack

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...471ffc22ee.jpg

Star Gazing, see star at 11 o'clock.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...941a2069a9.jpg

Just want to keep going up.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/10...c8bcf2e70b.jpg

There ya go, great exercise!

Beautiful snake

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Originally Posted by Reinz

There ya go, great exercise!

Beautiful snake

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Thanks! That's our big boy, Boots lol

Reinz, I always love to see your big kids' photos.

SCWood, I am in love with the idea of a snake named Boots. I'm inclined to name my next one Socks or something else that goes on feet :P