Pixie the tanimbar scrub python

That is pretty incredible. What a little super hero ninja!! Scrub intelligence is definitely impressive.

Never underestimate their intelligence or reach! Love her.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Pixie just displayed some very neat behavior!

I opened her cage door a crack (sliding glass doors) with her sitting on sort of the opposite side of the enclosure. My hands and everything were still outside the enclosure. Within a second, she shot across the cage with her mouth open and then made a distinct U-turn around the crack in the door to bite at me on the outside!

Most snakes would just strike at the glass like a buncha morons. She's my only snake that obviously comprehends glass barriers AND clearly learned the exact location the sliding doors open. That she needs to strike AROUND the glass to bite at something outside shows a level of intelligence beyond my other snakes, and it's really interesting! I don't think I've seen a snake do a U-turn strike before either. I wish I had it recorded, but Pixie's unpredictable behaviors surprise me every day lol

Also quick reaction time, because I had only just opened the sliding door for a second LOL.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso1_1280.jpg

Anyway, here's a pic from yesterday :P

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If scrubs didn't get so big I think they'd be a lot more popular. Maybe someday there will be a dwarf form available.

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Originally Posted by PiperPython

Ugh, Pixie is perfect. I need a scrub in my life. Very interesting to read about that behavior, I guess most of my snakes aren't very intelligent. :D

Also, does her shed have iridescence in it? I looked at my white-lipped python's shed and the head portion had noticeable iridescence in it - it was pretty cool to see.

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haha while my GTP wants to eat her RHP every single meal for the past 2 years and will never learn anything.

how interesting, I haven't noticed if it has iridescence! I'll need to take a look next time!

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Originally Posted by dboeren

If scrubs didn't get so big I think they'd be a lot more popular. Maybe someday there will be a dwarf form available.

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Mine is a tanimbar scrub and they don't get big at all! 6-7 feet max, and their head and overall proportions stay quite small and thin.

OK, good to know. I had thought they all got pretty big.

What a gorgeous critter! That iridescence is like a frkn rainbow.

A rare opportunity for this girl! LOL. She decided to be in a good mood today right after being pissed about a cage clean and moving her decor around. Honestly, she makes no sense haha

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso2_1280.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso1_1280.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso3_1280.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso4_1280.jpg

And misc pics of DURING the time I was messing with her cage, in which she was pissed when I put her back. :rofl:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso1_1280.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso1_1280.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso5_1280.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2zso6_1280.jpg

Looks good. I especially love the glove lol. Roll the dice and go glove less!!!

She looks GREAT Red! She's stretching out and filling in nicely. I like your gloves too :) . I have to get myself a cooler pair. I used to snicker when I saw folks handling non venomous snakes with gloves until I got a scrub. Is Pixie snappy outside her enclosure? My male is most likely to bite when I'm taking him out. He's usually ok after that. He's only tagged me one time when I was handling him but I think my GF startled him. They always seem poised to strike to me though.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Looks good. I especially love the glove lol. Roll the dice and go glove less!!!

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thanks! LOL I can't, it's hardly a dice roll because she always flips out if she feels me bare hand on her. Or if she senses my bare hand nearby, she lashes out at it 90% of the time

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

She looks GREAT Red! She's stretching out and filling in nicely. I like your gloves too :) . I have to get myself a cooler pair. I used to snicker when I saw folks handling non venomous snakes with gloves until I got a scrub. Is Pixie snappy outside her enclosure? My male is most likely to bite when I'm taking him out. He's usually ok after that. He's only tagged me one time when I was handling him but I think my GF startled him. They always seem poised to strike to me though.

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haha thanks! Pixie is normally snappy both inside and outside her enclosure (always worse inside though), but I happened to catch her in an oddly calm mood today! Or she just decided to have mercy on me. :P

She's tagged me a few times out of the blue while outside the enclosure, so I just don't really take my chances because it's a high chance that any handling=get bit. She acts like she is all chill, just slithering slowly along your arm as if she's a docile ball python... then WHAM she bites without warning. LOL

I've heard both ends... that tanimbars are either more docile, or that tanimbars are significantly less docile, compared to mainland scrubs. Pixie is obviously less docile, so there's my input for the species LOL

Wowwwww she is stunnnning. I hate that they are a conditional species in Florida. It hurts my heart.

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Originally Posted by PiperPython

Wowwwww she is stunnnning. I hate that they are a conditional species in Florida. It hurts my heart.

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Thanks! This species is simalia nauta and isn't prohibited =) Related to mainland scrubs, but they're not.

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Originally Posted by PiperPython

Wowwwww she is stunnnning. I hate that they are a conditional species in Florida. It hurts my heart.

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Only the two main scrubs are prohibited in Florida, Morelia amethistinus and Morelia kinghorni.
Can keep Halmahera, Moluccan, and Tanimbars like Pixie.

Fiona, how is Pixie doing? Got pics? Thanks ;)

So how do you calm down an overly bitey snek?

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

So how do you calm down an overly bitey snek?

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Don't handle them until their mouth is already full of half-swallowed rodent. :rolleyes: ;)

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Originally Posted by RickyNY

Fiona, how is Pixie doing? Got pics? Thanks ;)

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She's doing great! I post her pics and videos sometimes on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvUHo8AkAr/

She's 5 feet in length at adult size and hasn't grown for quite awhile, so very average for her species. Still spicy but has been much calmer when I handle her wearing gloves. Though frankly, she has still bitten the gloves a couple times while removing her from her cage LOL.

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

So how do you calm down an overly bitey snek?

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Some species are just naturally defensive and they'll never be "calm" in the way a ball python or boa constrictor is, no matter what you do. That's just how they are. And there are always docile individuals within the species that are out of the average.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

She's doing great! I post her pics and videos sometimes on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvUHo8AkAr/

She's 5 feet in length at adult size and hasn't grown for quite awhile, so very average for her species. Still spicy but has been much calmer when I handle her wearing gloves. Though frankly, she has still bitten the gloves a couple times while removing her from her cage LOL.



Some species are just naturally defensive and they'll never be "calm" in the way a ball python or boa constrictor is, no matter what you do. That's just how they are. And there are always docile individuals within the species that are out of the average.

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So where do you get the joy from with him?

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

She's doing great! I post her pics and videos sometimes on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvUHo8AkAr/

She's 5 feet in length at adult size and hasn't grown for quite awhile, so very average for her species. Still spicy but has been much calmer when I handle her wearing gloves. Though frankly, she has still bitten the gloves a couple times while removing her from her cage LOL.



Some species are just naturally defensive and they'll never be "calm" in the way a ball python or boa constrictor is, no matter what you do. That's just how they are. And there are always docile individuals within the species that are out of the average.

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So where do you get the joy from with him?

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

So where do you get the joy from with him?

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So where do you get the joy from with him?

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Kind of like asking why anyone would own venomous snakes, green tree pythons, amazon tree boas, emerald tree boas, and many other snake species. I also have a green tree python who is not really handle-able.

She's a rather uncommon species, is fun to feed, fun to watch, fun to keep, and fun to take her out for videos as long as she doesn't bite me in the face. Sometimes snake keeping isn't about getting another puppy dog to sit in your lap and do nothing.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Kind of like asking why anyone would own venomous snakes, green tree pythons, amazon tree boas, emerald tree boas, and many other snake species! LOL

She's a rather uncommon species, is fun to feed, fun to watch, fun to keep, and fun to handle as long as she doesn't bite me in the face.

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Does she bite through the gloves?

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Originally Posted by MR Snakes

Does she bite through the gloves?

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No, because it's a defensive bite and not a feeding bite. Defensive bites are almost always quick nips and never go deep, and her teeth are not long.

Is good to know she's doing great and you still love her much :gj:
Thanks for the link to her pictures.

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Kind of like asking why anyone would own venomous snakes, green tree pythons, amazon tree boas, emerald tree boas, and many other snake species. I also have a green tree python who is not really handle-able.

She's a rather uncommon species, is fun to feed, fun to watch, fun to keep, and fun to take her out for videos as long as she doesn't bite me in the face. Sometimes snake keeping isn't about getting another puppy dog to sit in your lap and do nothing.

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I totally agree with this. I don't particularly like handling my scrub either but I still love keeping him. He's my least favorite snake to handle but my favorite snake to photograph. :)

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I totally agree with this. I don't particularly like handling my scrub either but I still love keeping him. He's my least favorite snake to handle but my favorite snake to photograph. :)

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Yeah! Gotta have both for difference experiences!