Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

Okay, so following a GIANT POOP BOMB delivery, she has gained a little weight, but not so much.

As said, her previous high was 1620G and usually stayed around 1600G, give or take 10-20G by summers end.

I weighed her today, empty, and she's 1640G.

I don't think 30-40G is significant, but it's also earlier in the summer still. We will see where she ends up.

Still convinced, by eating patterns alone, if nothing else, that she is very happy in her new home!

Here are two (eh) pictures from today. Not the best lighting or picture quality, but she's got a nice shape to her.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/ycJqlH5.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/bJmYQxX.jpg[/IMG]

Me and my big mouth!

Shayna refused her rat yesterday!

Oh well, I guess she's still a BP!

She didn't strike (which is normal for her) and I put down near her. She smelled and even grabbed for a second with her mouth.

I left it overnight hoping she would eat, but, alas, it was there this morning.

She's still doing great and I am not worried at all about a most meal. I am just wondering if I should have wrote that she hasn't been refusing much :).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Me and my big mouth!

Shayna refused her rat yesterday!

Oh well, I guess she's still a BP!

She didn't strike (which is normal for her) and I put down near her. She smelled and even grabbed for a second with her mouth.

I left it overnight hoping she would eat, but, alas, it was there this morning.

She's still doing great and I am not worried at all about a most meal. I am just wondering if I should have wrote that she hasn't been refusing much :).

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Maybe consider trying the 'hairdryer' method next time ..

PM me for more info if you're interested..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Maybe consider trying the 'hairdryer' method next time ..

PM me for more info if you're interested..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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Thanks Zincubus!

LOL, it doesn't matter, she does what she wants.

I prepare the rats exactly the same way every time; properly defrosted, properly warmed, etc.

Last feeding she struck (which she rarely does) before I even had a chance to shake it or put it down for her to pull in her house. This time, nothing. She's a BP and an odd duck, what can I do?

She's happy and healthy and she refuses meals sometimes and fasts in the winter. That's what she does. I have given up worrying about it and just roll with it.

A couple shots I got of Shayna before taking her out today to clean up a mess she made and change her water bowls.

They are iPhone shots, but the lighting was good in her tank.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/GMVeneR.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/XQWwMAM.jpg[/IMG]

Just posted this on the forum, a separate thread for some head scale irritation: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...79#post2635179

Shayna's rubbing/scale issue seems to have stabilized. I think I dodged a bullet there and I am very relieved.

She happily ate a medium rat tonight. That makes 4 successful feedings in the last 5 attempts. That's pretty good for her and she seems to be doing great. Very happy.

On 7-19-18, I wrote about how great the Boaphile tank is for Shayna and how well she is doing and how she is adding weight.

All those still hold true.

The Boaphile is fantastic for temp and humidity control and Shayna never has been happier. She eats virtually every time I offer since her fast ended (I offer a medium rat every two weeks), with an occasional refusal.

I weighed her today, totally dry, and she's 1,690G. WOW! Her peak weight over the past two years was 1,600G. I think she is really happy and doing great. She turns 6 years old in less than a week and I regret not getting her the best tank that I could afford earlier.

However, it worked out, because everyone got upgraded at once and the tank tower is working out great.

I am so glad Shayna is doing so well and seems happy and adjusted.

Here are some pictures of the happy and healthy girl.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/pFWniwx.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Ex0u7fr.jpg[/IMG]

Super cute!! :):)

Shayna doesn't do it too much, but when she does, it's awesomely cute!

UP Periscope!

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/YvOXnum.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/CDAKrbj.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/jKqNpsE.jpg[/IMG]

​Down Periscope! Hiding Mode On!

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/AGrfIQT.jpg[/IMG]

Shayna turned 6 years old yesterday. I've had her since she was 5 months old and 200G. She's happily taken F/T since she's been with me, and although she has her (generally 5 month) winter fasts, she's a good eater on an every two week feeding schedule. She's about 1,700G and doing great.

I had 2 corn snakes and a bearded dragon (George - after George Carlin - RIP) before my kidney transplant in 2012. I also kept fish, including a 240 Gallon (8X2X2') tank where I bred Mpimbwe Frontosa, a big African Cichlid that lives in brackish lakes with high PH. I kept 9 females and 3 males. The males get big humps on their heads and average 9-12 inches in length. The females don't have the hump and only get 7-9 inches or so in length.

In any event, as I got closer to my transplant, I got too sick and fatigued to keep up the huge breeding fish tank and a separate 90G smaller african cichlid tank. I had to give them up.

I was also told I couldn't keep reptiles because of the high risk of infection from them and from me being immune suppressed. I, unfortunately, listened to the doctors, who fear what they don't understand, but don't necessarily bother to research either. I got rid of my two corn snakes (to a good home), but kept George, my Bearded Dragon, because my ex-wife said she would look after him, which, of course didn't happen.

So, severely, immune suppressed and recovering from transplant surgery and a separate, more invasive surgery to fix a structural issue with the transplanted kidney (7 month recovery in all), I cared for George anyway. You know what, I didn't get sick from him.

After transplant, I began researching reptile keeping again. I talked to various people and did a lot of research. When severely immune suppressed I wear gloves to clean after the reptiles, and otherwise, I wash my hands all the time and don't lick reptile feces. So far, 6 1/2 years later, no issues.

When things started calming down after the transplant and the surgeries and 6 months of frequent rejection and BK Virus, I wanted to get some more reptiles. Number one on my list was an Albino BP. I had wanted one since I was 10 years old, and they were crazy money back in 1990.

Getting back to the point of this post, I got Shayna, an Albino Spider BP from Mark Petros. She's been wonderful and a great snake/reptile ambassador. She's so bright and beautiful and hardly intimidating. She's also very calm and gentle.

I couldn't have asked for a better animal to get me back into reptile keeping. George passed almost 3 years ago at about 11 years old. He developed Pancreatitis and it hurt him to eat. I could have potentially done a very invasive surgery to remove his pancreas and he would have had a 3-4 month recovery and might have bought him a year total. Having just been through two major surgeries, I couldn't put him through that and I put him down. I know it was the right thing, but it broke my heart. I also signed my divorce settlement papers, and lost my Grandfather, the week before.

The collection got down to just Shayna and the Leopard Geckos, but it's back at full strength now and then some. 8 reptiles in total in 7 tanks (4 snakes, 1 Blue Tongue Skink, and 3 Leopard Geckos).

I want to wish Shayna a happy birthday and thank her for rekindling my love for keeping these amazing creatures and making them part of our family.

A long way to go for a short thank you, but I appreciate anyone who read through this.

Here's Shayna enjoying a nice rat dinner! Oh, by the way, do you know what the hard part about feeding a snake a rat on their birthday is? Where to stick the candles!

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/rM67prC.jpg[/IMG]

Here is a pictures of an adult male Mpimbwe Frontosa, like I used to keep.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/DMdZymt.jpg[/IMG]

Happy belated birthday Shayna,looking great dakski

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Congrats on the successful recovery D and Happy Birthday Shayna! I'm glad it all worked out well for you brother!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Happy belated birthday Shayna,looking great dakski

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

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Thanks Richard! She certainly enjoyed her birthday rat!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Congrats on the successful recovery D and Happy Birthday Shayna! I'm glad it all worked out well for you brother!

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Thanks El-Ziggy, I really appreciate it.

I had forgotten about the pictures below.

Katie wanted to hold Shayna this past Friday while I was cleaning her tank and water bowls.

Unfortunately, Katie was rather tired, and actually fell asleep holding Shayna! I was there and so the whole thing unfold and snapped some pictures. Shayna was never at risk.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/3seviO1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/eYnfW0r.jpg[/IMG]

Funny story about Shayna tonight and also, some good news.

Shayna shed last night and was due to eat today, so I offered her usual medium rat. She had zero interest in it. Lately, she's been gobbling them down. It is getting close to when she fasts and she shed yesterday and was out today while I cleaned the tank up (she did not leave waste, which is unusual).

I put the rat in and left it for about 20 minutes (F/T of course). When I came back, the rat was in the middle of the tank still, and there was a massive butt bomb on the left side of the tank. Hmmmmm, didn't drop one last night and wouldn't eat tonight, I should have known!

I got the rat out, and since she had no interest in it and rarely strikes at even her food, I blocked her head with a hide and touched her a few times. Then she let me pick her up and take her out to clean the tank. Everything is nice and clean now and she's back home. I'll offer again in two weeks.

Now, the good news (X2). First, I weighed Shayna dry tonight. She's 1,770G! He previous record was last year and the year before at 1,600G before she fasted. I think she loves her new digs and has been eating pretty regularly. She seems very happy. Not at all worried about this year's fast if it just started or if it starts soon. Healthy girl.

Secondly, she had rubbed her snout and neck area and had that black indentation on her snout/top of mouth area. He neck was a little raw as well. Not sure exactly why she did that, but I hit the snout with anti-biotic cream for a few days and it got better, but not gone. After her shed last night, the snout is totally healed and the neck area looks pretty normal again. I am very happy.

Pictures below:

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/GhCxWVL.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/5rXkUmv.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/VyqTWGJ.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/TchNVjJ.jpg[/IMG]

And so it begins; well, the fall/winter fast anyway.

Shayna topped out a month ago at 1,770G dry (last weight, but she had one meal since - 1 month ago as well), but has refused her past two rats (last night and 2 weeks prior).

This is about when she usually starts her fall/winter fasts anyway, and she's been gobbling down rats all summer, so I am not concerned. Just Shayna being a BP, like normal.

I am going to offering 1X a month until she eats. No need to bother her. She's healthy and happy otherwise.

Shayna hasn't eaten in about 7 weeks and I will offer again next weekend (every month once I know she's fasting). She peed and I weighed her this week. 7 weeks of not eating and a good pee and she's down to 1,730G, or 40G. Not a big deal at all.

She's been pretty inactive, but was moving around last night a little (I caught her going from hide to hide). I took her out today for a quick once over and she looks great. I limit taking her out to maybe once a week (unless she sheds, pees, etc.) while she is fasting too let her rest and preserve her energy.

I'll keep everyone posted on the yearly weight loss, but I don't expect her to eat again until February or March. She will probably be down to about 1,600G by then, but will make the weight back quickly.

This will be year 4 of this (Shayna turned 6 this year), so not a big deal for me anymore, and she certainly doesn't seem to mind. Just part of owning a BP.

A couple of pictures below of Shayna on the scale.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/h0Knr65.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/ye86iLw.jpg[/IMG]

Admiral Shayna: "Raise Periscope!"

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/KUmICmw.jpg[/IMG]

Shayna refused two meals in a row (2 week intervals) 2 months ago and it's that time of year, so I switched to offering monthly. Tonight was feeding day and it's been one month since offering. So, I offered, figuring I was throwing a rat away.

To my amazement, she ate! Proved me wrong! Try to keep up with BP's today; they are always throwing you a curveball when you are looking fastball!

SAY WHAT!?!

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/C4fSJAj.jpg[/IMG]

Shayna used the bathroom last night, and got weighed today when I cleaned her tank.

She weighed in at 1,770 grams. Exactly what she weighed dry on 9/30/18.

She's had one rat in the past 3 months (she started her "fast" on 9/30/18 after having a rat on 9/16/18) on 11/13/18 and has lost zero weight in the past 3 months.

Amazing how efficient BP's, and snakes in general, can be. She's basically been brumating, and spends 90% of her time, even at night, curled up and hidden. She hasn't been hunting or exploring, for the most part, and I was shocked when she took the rat on 11/13.

Here's Shayna refusing to stay still for a photo and weight. She's looking a little faded (it's also bad lighting) and hasn't shed since 9/29/18, so she might be due soon. She usually sheds 3 to 4 times a year.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Ys4OseY.jpg[/IMG]

Pretty girl!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Shayna used the bathroom last night...

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I hope she remembered to put the seat down...? :giggle:

Shayna has been doing great. She is brumating this winter, but is skipping every other meal or so, not virtually every one, like she does most winters. I am offering every 3 weeks, when I offer Behira, not every two weeks, as I do during the summer. Still she's eating every 6 weeks or so and hasn't lost any weight yet this year since she started brumating/becoming less active and starting to refuse meals about 3 1/2-4 months ago (I need to check exactly when she started).

I take her out less in the winter as she is much less active and since she's eating less, I do not want to overstimulate her.

However, I had her out yesterday for a little while and she looked particularly good, especially since she hasn't shed in a few months. I took a few pictures. See below.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/P3xtSZV.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/V1dlTVU.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/zzk90sz.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Zyu2AHD.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Xpyb0x1.jpg

She's still beautiful! Looks like she hasn't missed a meal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shayne

She's still beautiful! Looks like she hasn't missed a meal.

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Thank you!

She's missed MANY meals! That's the beauty of snakes, and BP's in particular! They can miss a meal, or many, and still be healthy and happy long-term.

Edit: She's missed meals because she wanted to, not because I didn't offer, to be clear :).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Thank you!

She's missed MANY meals! That's the beauty of snakes, and BP's in particular! They can miss a meal, or many, and still be healthy and happy long-term.

Edit: She's missed meals because she wanted to, not because I didn't offer, to be clear :).

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Absolutely!

I just got my 1st noodle on Dec. 8th but he's a PORKER. He'd eat 7 days/wk if I left it up to him. Never had f/t until I brought him home last month.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shayne

Absolutely!

I just got my 1st noodle on Dec. 8th but he's a PORKER. He'd eat 7 days/wk if I left it up to him. Never had f/t until I brought him home last month.

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Glad he switched to F/T easily. They usually do, especially when young.

When young, they tend not to skip meals too often. However, as they age, it's more common. So when/if it happens, just remember, it's not uncommon for BP's. We will be here for support either way :).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Glad he switched to F/T easily. They usually do, especially when young.

When young, they tend not to skip meals too often. However, as they age, it's more common. So when/if it happens, just remember, it's not uncommon for BP's. We will be here for support either way :).

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Ha! Good, cuz I'm gonna need it. LOL I fall asleep thinking about Monty and wake up thinking about Monty. It's a sickness but at least y'all understand. :D

Looking great, her yellow in her markings look really bright today in those pics

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Looking great, her yellow in her markings look really bright today in those pics

Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk

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Thanks Rich. BP's can fade pretty good with age, and she was quite bright and glowing as a youngster, with more white on her also. However, she's still pretty stunning now, it just depends more on the light, and it's more subtle. However, if she shed recently, or is having a good day, and you catch that "spider" pattern right, she absolutely glows. Katie says it looks like someone drew on her with a yellow hi-lite pen! Her heard, especially, has retained much of that neon brightness.

As you know, I'm loving my Boas, and Yafe, my Carpet Python, is growing on me. However, I've always had a BP in the collection and a BP was my first snake (corn snake second - and yes I love Figment and Solana as well - but I've had corns for almost as long as BP's). What Shayna lacks in inquisitiveness, she makes up for in beauty, gentleness, and for getting me back into reptile keeping in a big way 6 years ago. I guess you could say she was my gateway snake; BP's always have been. I've always enjoyed them and they felt safe to me. Shayna was such a great snake (and I already had George at the time - bearded dragon who made it to 11 before having to be put down - RIP) that she inspired me and gave me the confidence to try keeping other species. I wouldn't have Behira, Feliz, and Yafe, if not for Shayna.

Shayna will always have a special place in my heart.

Shayna doesn't come out much during the winter because she's pretty inactive and mostly brumating, and she refused her last meal (she's been taking every 6 weeks or so and maintaining weight). However, I had her out for a few minutes today and she looks pretty good. Good body definition and shape and good color. Snapped a couple of pictures and thought I would share. Still sweet as always.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/9FetwlK.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/rzjedRS.jpg

Great looking snake dakski!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cletus

Great looking snake dakski!

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Thank you Cletus. She's really a good girl too. Very sweet and fairly exploratory once she takes a few minutes to get out of "shy" mode when taken out. I can trust her with other people, even younger folks, when supervised, and she's a great Reptile Ambassador. She got my niece Meghan (who just turned 8) into snakes (yellow is her favorite color as well) and they have grown up together. Now, Meghan loves all the reptiles and is writing book reports and researching different types of reptiles for school and on her own.

Shayna also happily takes F/T, and although she fasts in the winter, eats well in the summer, and is healthy as can be at 6 1/2 years old. She is rather shy and reclusive in her tank, but then again, she's a BP. 95% of the time she doesn't even strike her food, but either takes off the tong, or begs me to put it down and she will drag her rat into her house and eat quietly by herself. Frankly, she scares the crap out of me when she does strike. It happens about 1X a year and I never know when it's coming.

Shayna has refused for almost 2 months now (she ate last on 12-23-18). She was eating every 6 weeks, but refused the last two feedings (I offer every 3 when I offer Behira). I will offer again in 2 weeks (she skipped last week last), but she seems fine.

She's doing her normal brumating BP thing and staying hidden 99% of the time and not even exploring at night.

She's lost a total of 40G to 1,730G from 1,770G when she started skipping meals. I am not concerned.

Shayna shed two nights ago and I got pictures. She's looking good and is starting to get a little more active. I think she might actually eat tomorrow, but I am not selling the farm.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/M62Nmsh.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/8F4tEi0.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/lxy8OUr.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Do8M02j.jpg

I hear ya there. My male, Geoffrey, has eaten longer into January this year than ever before in the last 4-5 years and has now refused the last few meals. Anxious for the boas to be big enough to take his refusals...
she looks awesome though!

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Fingers crossed she eats for you Dave, looking nice and bright

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Do the albinos have any of the unfortunate bad genes in them that cause involuntary movements?
They are beautiful!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Do the albinos have any of the unfortunate bad genes in them that cause involuntary movements?
They are beautiful!

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I think it's probably circumstantial and dependent on lines and breeding etc.

Having said that, Shayna, who is Albino and Spider, shows almost zero Spider issues.

If 100% is full Spider neurological issues, and 0% is a normal albino, Shayna is probably around 10%.

She eats great, moves great, and has no discernible wobble, 90% of the time, and occasionally, and slightly, if you look for it. If you didn't know what to look for, you would never notice it.

Some better pictures of Shayna.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/WtISx8C.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/gr3Nyg4.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/q5TBjj2.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/er7eLNB.jpg

Shayna did not eat today. After shed and waste the other day, she was down to 1,630G, from 1,770G before her semi-fast.

She looked at the rat, smelled it, tasted it (with her tongue), and slithered away.

Again, I have no doubt she will eat when ready and she's hardly wasting away. I just like to post updates and also want other people with fasting BP's to see they are not alone. This is the 5th or 6th year of fasting I've gone through with Shayna, who turns 7 in September. Neither of us sweat it too much anymore.

That's very thoughtful...new keepers especially can feel like the only one this (fasting) is happening to, it's so stressful thinking this beautiful new creature is
sick or something. My only real "faster" is my TX longnose snake, but my rosy boa skips many (but not all) meals in winter too...all normal & expected.
So hang in there, everyone with a fasting snake (of any kind). ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

That's very thoughtful...new keepers especially can feel like the only one this (fasting) is happening to, it's so stressful thinking this beautiful new creature is
sick or something. My only real "faster" is my TX longnose snake, but my rosy boa skips many (but not all) meals in winter too...all normal & expected.
So hang in there, everyone with a fasting snake (of any kind). ;)

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Thanks Bogertophis!

That's what this site is about. Sharing knowledge and being a community. If you can help one person, or one snake, etc. you've had a good day.

I got some good pictures of Shayna "glowing" in her cage light.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/pxznDzO.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/IsHn7cJ.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/RDVccGv.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/a8mfHDo.jpg

Great pics Mr Dave, looks so nice

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Shayna has eaten 2 rats since September, and nothing in 3 1/2 months. Last night though.......

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/pzllCBp.jpg

That's good then Dave

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Shayna has eaten 3 rats in a row now (every two weeks offering). The fast is over!!!!!!

She had a medium rat - about 100G, when she first ate first this year. However, I've offered small rats since, about 70G each, in the hopes of getting her to eat (close to) every meal this spring, summer, and fall.

She did gobble down mediums most of last summer, but I want to see the impact of a slightly smaller meal on her.

That's great news dave, glad she's back on track with her feeding schedule

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