New Scrub - Very Frightened / Nervous

She's got plenty of reserves so she ain't starving. She might just be a light eater. Try only feeding her every 2-4 weeks.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

She's got plenty of reserves so she ain't starving. She might just be a light eater. Try only feeding her every 2-4 weeks.

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Yea, I ain't worried about it too much. She is long and slender. I will try spacing out the feedings more. That large rat was the biggest meal she's ever had.

Man, that’s lame. My guy always acts like he’s starving and would eat anything that looked edible! How often are you feeding her?

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Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

Man, that’s lame. My guy always acts like he’s starving and would eat anything that looked edible! How often are you feeding her?

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She's had her head out of the hide more frequently, which I'd take as a sign she's hungry. And she was eating consistently as you can see, which is why I am a bit annoyed.

https://i.imgur.com/C4IO71w.jpg

Oh yeah, I’d definitely knock her back to every 3-4 weeks now that she’s established. Has she been hiding most of the time or does she come out to bask?

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Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

Oh yeah, I’d definitely knock her back to every 3-4 weeks now that she’s established. Has she been hiding most of the time or does she come out to bask?

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She's still very skittish, so assuming I'm not near, she will have her head out of the hide, then she explores some at night.

I'm thankful one of my snakes always has a full shed at least.

https://i.imgur.com/ujvE4MT.jpg

In the water dish. Mites? There was maybe a dozen in there, but theyre like little dots, so it's hard to tell. This was the biggest one. I was eating dinner and have a crushed finger, so I havent inspected her yet. But I imagine if they're this small, itd be hard to see anything.

https://i.imgur.com/DgbFTp6.jpg

I can't tell if it's a mite but I really hope it isn't. Have you given all your critters a good look over?

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I can't tell if it's a mite but I really hope it isn't. Have you given all your critters a good look over?

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Not yet. I ran out of daylight and I'm down a hand, but I will just have to get it done tomorrow. Not sure why mites (if thats what they are) would suddenly appear; I haven't changed or added anything for awhile.

So I checked the undersides and face of both the scrub and retic, as they are housed in the same stack. And I did not see anything.

The specs I saw in the water bowl are just so small, combined with the fact I havent changed anything for awhile and nothing noticeable on the snakes, I'm not convinced they're mites. Maybe little bugs that were in the wood?

I'm not sure I want to do anything drastic without further evidence, so I will keep monitoring.

Still wont eat. Last ate 2/22. I even offered up a quail tonight.

Very suspicious considering the "bugs" that I may have found.

But tonight, I risked a bite to the face after she wouldn't eat and got up real close to double check, and I did not see mites anywhere on her upper half.

I could restrain her to be more thorough, but I'm pretty confident of what I was looking at.

In fact, maybe I will restrain her tomorrow and check. I'd rather be thorough now and rule out that issue sooner rather than later.

Despite being totally insane, she's clean.

https://i.imgur.com/5lSzGYh.jpg

She looks fierce!

That’s a great pic!

Ate a quail yesterday. First time eating since 2/22.

Still just putting it in the enclosure over night. Luckily she doesn't mind cold food.

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Originally Posted by wnateg

...But tonight, I risked a bite to the face after she wouldn't eat and got up real close to double check, and I did not see mites anywhere on her upper half...

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If I were you, I'd invest a few bucks in one of these: about $10 on Ebay, many sources now selling them for COVID.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...-pw/s-l200.jpg

Interior decorating. 100"

https://i.imgur.com/YaHDd5d.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nI9dfbu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aAy5VaK.jpg

Wow! Wild experience tonight that I thought would never happen. I was watching a movie in the living room. Next to the tv is the hallway with a bathroom and the two doors to the reptile rooms. Anna (my cat) walked into the hallway and started acting really funny. Sniffing around, jumping up, like she found something. I pause the movie and walk into the hallway.

BAM! My scrub was sliding through the hallway!! I grabbed Anna and rushed to lock her up in my bedroom.

This girl was stretched out all the way from the snake room door past the hallway bathroom toilet. I haven’t seen the scrub stretched out in a year at least, but I measured that distance afterwards and it was over 9 ft!

anyway, I opened up the snake room door and I had left the enclosure cracked about 2 in, because I was spraying down the enclosure and when I closed it, it jammed on something, so I thought it was closed.

So I grabbed her by the tail and used the snake hook to guide her back to the enclosure.

A wild situation that could’ve been a lot worse. Thankfully Anna wasn’t hurt (or eaten), and though, I’d like to think I’ll never make another mistake again, I’ll just prepare better for next time. I’ll be securing the bottom of the reptile room door, so no snakes can get out, if I do make that mistake again.

Your cat got lucky you were around...:O

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Your cat got lucky you were around...:O

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Yea, the stars really aligned to make the bad situation... less bad!

That was close! Glad no one got hurt.

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Originally Posted by wnateg

anyway, I opened up the snake room door and I had left the enclosure cracked about 2 in, because I was spraying down the enclosure and when I closed it, it jammed on something, so I thought it was closed.

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Do you have a lock on the cage? It's possible you did close it and she pushed it open.

My BP can actually slide the glass open if don't use a shim.

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Originally Posted by Andiamo

Do you have a lock on the cage? It's possible you did close it and she pushed it open.

My BP can actually slide the glass open if don't use a shim.

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There is a lock, but it’s one of those jewelry case locks that slide on, so it was able to lock while still being slightly open.

I’m glad everything worked out well this time W. A good reminder to double/triple check and make sure those enclosures are secured. Sounds like your scrubbie is stretching out a bit. I think my boy is a tad over 7ft but still pretty slender even though he smashes large and jumbo rats like tic-tacs. I’m hoping to get some rabbits for him and the other larger critters next year.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I’m glad everything worked out well this time W. A good reminder to double/triple check and make sure those enclosures are secured. Sounds like your scrubbie is stretching out a bit. I think my boy is a tad over 7ft but still pretty slender even though he smashes large and jumbo rats like tic-tacs. I’m hoping to get some rabbits for him and the other larger critters next year.

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Yea, normally I'm pretty cautious about these things, but everyone makes mistakes I guess.

Yes, she's getting longer and longer! It was quite shocking. She's also fairly slender, about the size of my forearm, but the longest tail I've ever seen. I need to make a new hide box because she's barely fitting in her favorite one.

I feed jumbo rats as well. I'll be getting rabbits for my retic soon I think.

I've been there too!

I had an escape once. My boa's cage was all closed up and locked but one of the tabs in the upper left corner was not over the glass.

The next morning I sat and stared at the cage like an idiot thinking the snake was hidden somewhere in the substrate or behind something.

Then I saw the tab open but still thought there was no way he could squeeze through an area that tight.

I was wrong!

Fortunately I knew where he'd go. He was under the (at the time) retic cage next to the room heater just chilling out.

The retic I had back then was an up and coming Jackass and I started making a habit of redundant cage lockup checks from then on.

An escape is stressful enough. A potentially dangerous animal escaping adds another level to that. Luckily in my case the snake room is separated from the rest of the house by doors and stairs.

Glad you got things squared away.

Hahahahaha holy hell, I bet that about gave you a heart attack! How is she doing these days? Aside from growing like a weed.[emoji1787]


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Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

Hahahahaha holy hell, I bet that about gave you a heart attack! How is she doing these days? Aside from growing like a weed.[emoji1787]


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Long time no see! She eats like vacuum, so no wonder she's growing so fast! But mean as ever! LOL

That’s great, though!! Yeah, sorry. I’m pretty sure I forgot my password and was just too lazy to go through the steps. Is that sad? I have no idea how long it’s been. Last I heard updates, she was always scared and flighty! I’m glad she’s found her scrub confidence.

And YES, that feeding response is like nothing I have ever seen. My guy always acts like he’s starving. The other day, I gave him a medium AND a small rat...and he still acted like a devil until I heated a chick, too! I know I’ve been feeding him light lately because I moved back into my apartment (I had to go stay with fam in Texas for a year because I had a brutal, Viking-style surgery) and had a whole bag of chicks in the freezer.

Chicks are way too small, so I’ve been tossing him 3 at a time...but it’s still not really enough. Anyway, I digress. MANY breeding scrub keepers take their scrubs off food for the entire winter, so he is crying to the wrong person! I started feeding him every two weeks to keep him from getting crabby and throwing a fit. And I swear to god, man. He has long since learned that the sound of a hair dryer, no matter how many rooms away, means food. But now, just in case...it’s also the sounds of a vacuum cleaner, carpet shampooer, and the dishwasher. If he is ever lost, all I need is a blowdryer. It’s like a dog whistle to him.


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Originally Posted by Team Slytherin

That’s great, though!! Yeah, sorry. I’m pretty sure I forgot my password and was just too lazy to go through the steps. Is that sad? I have no idea how long it’s been. Last I heard updates, she was always scared and flighty! I’m glad she’s found her scrub confidence.

And YES, that feeding response is like nothing I have ever seen. My guy always acts like he’s starving. The other day, I gave him a medium AND a small rat...and he still acted like a devil until I heated a chick, too! I know I’ve been feeding him light lately because I moved back into my apartment (I had to go stay with fam in Texas for a year because I had a brutal, Viking-style surgery) and had a whole bag of chicks in the freezer.

Chicks are way too small, so I’ve been tossing him 3 at a time...but it’s still not really enough. Anyway, I digress. MANY breeding scrub keepers take their scrubs off food for the entire winter, so he is crying to the wrong person! I started feeding him every two weeks to keep him from getting crabby and throwing a fit. And I swear to god, man. He has long since learned that the sound of a hair dryer, no matter how many rooms away, means food. But now, just in case...it’s also the sounds of a vacuum cleaner, carpet shampooer, and the dishwasher. If he is ever lost, all I need is a blowdryer. It’s like a dog whistle to him.


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It is sad! There’s only so many scrub owners on here!

Yea, chicks are too small for me! I feed my girl a jumbo rat or a couple large quail every two weeks. And she’s still skinny. All those calories go to her length! Haha

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...CSgZ33R_d.webphttps://i.ibb.co/2nmT2RR/210-EDF5-A-...-CA4547-C9.jpg

How is this girl doing these days?!


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