"Milagro" (translation "miracle")

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Originally Posted by RickyNY

You know what a real milagro would be? If you post a picture :rofl:

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Uh Oh :O, Been there tried that :D:rofl: See Post #17


(p.s. just making a funny no offense to anybody intended or implied :cool:)

Quick update on Milagro: she went into a shed cycle starting a few days ago, & still hasn't shed...she's just been laying low. Yesterday I saw her peeking out at me
from her box of damp moss, so today I decided to add some moisture as the moss has been drying out. Sure enough, she was still in there & I gently removed her
and she stayed cupped in one hand while I watered & fluffed up the moss. Before putting her back in, I left the water dribbling in the sink & cupped my now-free
hand in front of her while she drank for about 2 minutes from the water I was catching...she sure knows how to be cute. :snake: -I'm prejudiced, I know... ;)

Still no efforts to bite me and if she's thinking at all about the universe she hatched into, she must be wondering about this psychic giant that seems to know when
she's hungry or thirsty? :D I confess, this "giant" sure loves rat snakes...

Still no change on the remaining 5 "good" eggs...if anything hatches out, it should be by the end of this month. Very slim chance, but you never know. :cool:

Really glad she's going well, fingers crossed you get a couple more hatch

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Really glad she's going well, fingers crossed you get a couple more hatch

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:colbert: NO! Thanks, but no...I never got around to posting in that thread about "how many snakes we have?" but my answer is a firm "enough!" :)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

:colbert: NO! Thanks, but no...I never got around to posting in that thread about "how many snakes we have?" but my answer is a firm "enough!" :)

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??
Not really sure what you meen, lol

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

??
Not really sure what you meen, lol

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I mean I've got a full house, & only so much energy, lol...I never expected any of these eggs to hatch* & have no desire to breed any more snakes, which is why I haven't for many years now. *It was just hard to toss out these viable-looking eggs though...maybe next year I'll send them over to you...:rofl:

Don't get me wrong...Milagro is adorable, but...enough already. ;)

So a little update:

Milagro shed (2nd time) on 10-15. This shed is about 3" longer than her first one, & her pattern (of blotches) is also noticeably darker than on her previous shed.
I don't think that she is actually getting darker, but maybe that her shed skin is a little thicker this time, making it appear darker? She is visibly more robust now.

On 10-16, I decided to offer her a pinkie (her 9th) & had to search her cage since she wasn't actively looking for prey when I finally had it ready (thawed). Removing
one thing at a time, she was the last place I looked, in her cardboard roll "tunnel". Holding the tunnel with her inside in my left hand, I wiggled the pinkie using tongs
at the open end & after a minute, she cautiously approached it (despite my presence) and began to swallow it. She backed up into the tunnel as she continued to
work it down. It was too dark to see into the tube & I didn't want to disturb her but about the time that I thought enough time had elapsed for her to have finished
swallowing it, I felt her sliding against my left hand from inside the tunnel, so with a slight tilt, I let her slide out into my cupped hands.

To my surprise, she only had the pinkie half-way down! OOPS! :oops: But being the trooper that she is, she just kept right on going & did her best to ignore me and
the fact that she was now exposed & sitting in my hands having dinner. She finished & I only held her briefly -she looked like she wanted to bolt- so I lowered my
hands near the tunnel & she went right back in. I then planted her tunnel back in her cage. I saw her briefly later on...she is such a string bean that even a pinkie
makes a pretty big bulge in her tummy, but today she's already out of hiding in her cage & looking good.

Because of the stress involved & her tiny size, I never weighed Milagro when she first hatched out, but now, after 9 pinky-meals she weighs all of 14 grams.

She's noticeably bigger & stronger now than when first hatched...I'd have to guess that she weighed in about 8-9 grams right out of her egg. :snake:

For anyone considering a hatchling colubrid, keep in mind they are tiny & delicate, as well as squirmy & fast when they want to be (ie. when they panic).

It's truly best to let them grow & get stronger for a while (like a baby in a hospital nursery) before moving forward, so until now I've only handled her briefly
as needed to clean her cage & such. As before, she is alert but never tries to bite -by no means true for all similar colubrid hatchlings- some rat snakes can
be much feistier until they learn not to fear their humans. Instead, Milagro's preferred reaction is to suddenly try to bolt from my hands & this is also typical-
all hatchling colubrids are best handled over something safe & soft, like a bed. They need a very light touch, since restraint only results in their panic. She
did very well for a while today, sitting in my hands & even near my face today without panic. I'll be offering her another meal soon, I'm very proud of her. :D

It's been 6 days since her previous meal, & even though she was handled a bit earlier this afternoon, she just ate 2 f/t pinkies & she's now resting happily. :D
Such a good little rat snake. :snake:

Another meal today...just one larger pinkie. As before, she is interested but stops just short of accepting (eating) from the tongs...her vote is clearly in favor of 'drop-
feeding': "Giant, please just leave my pinkie in my cage, I'll get to it, I promise." She is very much on the passive side...she doesn't bite me, or pounce on (constrict)
her food...just quietly eats. :snake: She was settled on her branches when I first offered, hoping she'd feel brave enough to take it while there: she thought about it,
but nope, not yet anyway.

Now for the tease: I should have some news coming soon about the remaining 5 eggs that I've been incubating. :D But that's all I'm saying...:P