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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
You can tell from the look in his eye that he really might expect you to steal one or the other, and he's not having it!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
So I just found this thread today and read the whole thing and now I really want a Tanimbar scrub so... thanks for that...lol. Seriously though, your boy is beautiful and I love his personality!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southpaw91
So I just found this thread today and read the whole thing and now I really want a Tanimbar scrub so... thanks for that...lol. Seriously though, your boy is beautiful and I love his personality!
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I’m always excited to see updates of this thread. :)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southpaw91
So I just found this thread today and read the whole thing and now I really want a Tanimbar scrub so... thanks for that...lol. Seriously though, your boy is beautiful and I love his personality!
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Thank yoooou! He is such a prince and I can say with 100% certainty that he’s the best decision I’ve made in my adult life! They are definitely an awesome species to keep, especially for someone interested in scrubs, but wary of a 15-foot leviathan of razor-sharp intelligence and teeth!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Lookin' good in the sunlight Pop!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Golden boi! [emoji7]
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Great photo, love the iridescence and amazing eye's
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Wow, he's so big now. Great job with him :gj:
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Great pics. This guy always puts a smile on my face. :)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Love the purple mouth[emoji7][emoji7]
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
I live the way the sun makes him glimmer. Was he biting or yawning in the open mouthed pictures? 🙂
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy
I live the way the sun makes him glimmer. Was he biting or yawning in the open mouthed pictures? 🙂
He was re-adjusting his jaws after dinner! But my fam did get to see him do that weird quirky thing he does when he is ready for food and thinks you’re moving too slow!
My sis was holding him last week while I stepped down the hall and into the bathroom to blast his rat with a blow dryer. It occurred to me halfway through that he might be able to hear it. That boy knows I use a hair dryer for one thing and one thing only. I heard my mom call, “Amiraaaaa, Apophis is gonna eat someone!”
He was in a great mood, but had swung around towards the sound like a bloodhound and just kept opening his mouth towards the sound, neck fully extended!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by Team Slytherin
He was re-adjusting his jaws after dinner! But my fam did get to see him do that weird quirky thing he does when he is ready for food and thinks you’re moving too slow!
My sis was holding him last week while I stepped down the hall and into the bathroom to blast his rat with a blow dryer. It occurred to me halfway through that he might be able to hear it. That boy knows I use a hair dryer for one thing and one thing only. I heard my mom call, “Amiraaaaa, Apophis is gonna eat someone!”
He was in a great mood, but had swung around towards the sound like a bloodhound and just kept opening his mouth towards the sound, neck fully extended!
LOL, that's so funny. Clever little fella!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Wow, he's awesome!! I assume you got him from a breeder? What kind of personality does he have- he seems active! I have a BP, and I've had cali kings & corn snakes, so I'm just curious how they compare in terms of behavior? great pics by the way!!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by Lindseypulk
Wow, he's awesome!! I assume you got him from a breeder? What kind of personality does he have- he seems active! I have a BP, and I've had cali kings & corn snakes, so I'm just curious how they compare in terms of behavior? great pics by the way!!
Scrub pythons are something. They're a lot faster and more wily, and yet much bigger, than your BPs, etc. When you pick them up, expect poop everywhere!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by RickyNY
LOL, that's so funny. Clever little fella!
It is the WEIRDEST thing ever. He did it much more often when he was little...and I guess when I would still warm up his food in the same room. He’s over 6ft now, with a nose like a blood hound. There is no need to coax him out for dinner and, in fact, it’s best to get in done as quickly as possible to avoid a run in with those chompers!
This video is a couple years old, but he does it at :49. It’s precious. It’s not a yawn; he always makes direct and deliberate eye contact, as if to say, “MOM! I’m ready!” And it is only ever in response to food.
https://youtu.be/XrWtcF-ExzA
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lindseypulk
Wow, he's awesome!! I assume you got him from a breeder? What kind of personality does he have- he seems active! I have a BP, and I've had cali kings & corn snakes, so I'm just curious how they compare in terms of behavior? great pics by the way!!
Thank you! Honestly, this guy has ruined me. I don’t see myself ever getting another snake that’s not a scrub. I have a Dumeril’s and she’s lovely and calm, but the two don’t even compare (not that they should).
Scrubs are not for everyone and I am crazy lucky that mine has such a great personality. Even so, he is definitely an animal that demands respect. Even though I trust him IMPLICITLY, there are days he simply can’t be handled. Or even touched. They are highly, highly intelligent. Next level from any snake I’ve ever seen. He is particularly quirky and has always had odd personality traits. He learns and remembers. And he hugs with his face, which melts my soul. They are highly arboreal, confident, and curious, so that makes a great display snake for sure. Unlike a GTP or ETB, who will chill on a removable perch and let you remove it...he’s basically a giant, spastic kraken you have to wrestle with every time you pull him out. The species tends to be HIGHLY cage defensive, but often chills out once they’re out. After 2.5 years, he still pretends he’s going to kill me every time I do it, but I’ve learned he’s mostly just a bluffer. And also, I am stupidly reckless. Of the 5 species of scrub pythons, Simalia Nauta is the smallest locality, hailing from the Tanimbar Islands. They have often been referred to as a “dwarf” locality, but I’ve heard of at least 4 keepers who had Nautas in excess of 9 feet. We are honestly still learning, as the first ones bred in captivity in the U.S. came from Nick Mutton in...2005, I think?
But yes, anyway. You can tell I get excited about scrubs cause they are just so killer. As mentioned below, some will definitely musk (as nearly all arboreal snakes do)...but again, I got super lucky and he only did that to me the first 2 weeks I brought him home, then never again. As for your first question...NO! It was the strangest coincidence. I actually found him at a reptile shop in California! At the time, I knew virtually nothing about the species and hadn’t a clue that I’d literally found a needle in a haystack. I walked past his cage, heard a “pssst!” sort of low hiss. I actually doubled back to see who dared to cat call me like that. And there was the cutest, evilest face staring at me. He was labeled “Tanimbar Amethystine Python” and I had JUST been speaking with a man in England on another site, who had acquired a stunning pair of Simalia Amethistina. Otherwise, I’d have had no clue what I was looking at.
I went back to the shop to see him for 3 weeks before pulling the trigger. I asked the owner about the snake. He told me he’d been there nearly a year. I assured him this was impossible, as I came to the store every week for feeders for my Dum. He explained to me that they originally had 4 clutchmates that had been kept in the back, off display. Strange. I was told they were not feeding well and were extremely “bitey.” That, coupled with the fact that the owner told me they “didn’t get much information about these animals when they come in,” and that he was the last of the clutch...meaning they were either sold out of a back room or didn’t make it...led me to assume the snakes were likely wild-caught and going through quarantine/anti-parasitic treatment. That was the last day he didn’t belong to me :)
So, all in all, I’ve no idea where he came from or if he was produced in the US. I only know he is the best decision I have made in my adult life. Bar none.
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That video is crazy. I would normally understand, but not just after holding him.
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by Reinz
That video is crazy. I would normally understand, but not just after holding him.
I think when he was younger, he quickly learned that a long handling session often meant food after? I don’t know. He acts crazy like that sometimes even right after eating. He’s a weirdo:D But oddly, as food driven as he is, he knows exactly what is food and what isn’t.
Unless you drop it on the ground. Then, suddenly he doesn’t understand how to find it:rolleye2:
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Well, I finally managed to pick up a decent sized arboreal cage to upgrade this boy! Probably a dumb idea since I’m currently living half a country away from home, but whatever. He’s been in a temporary set up long enough and, with COVID wreaking havoc and no exact return date yet, I figured what the hell.
It’s super tough to photograph without reflections, but it’s turned out pretty well so far. I’ll keep adding to it, but for now I think he’s stoked about it. It’s a Vision 433 48”x28”x28”.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...80f441fd00.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...906db2689a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...170e0d9012.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8718a5e48e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...354fdc4ef6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...dcc7c618c4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5d8b756e09.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...943d34a004.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...93a5497701.jpg
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
And, as happy as he is with the new setup...I am SO grateful to be done with a top-opening enclosure. I had major surgery several months ago and having to reach in like that has largely meant he doesn’t get handled, because it’s so exhausting.
He’s exhausting enough as it is! The strength of these animals is unreal (even if you haven’t had a rib and half your neck muscles removed). And, as you will see, they are extra grabby-grabby with those ridiculous prehensile tales!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b49e12b023.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4c3aeaf4b6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e75e064dc6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3f901e99d8.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...04cf6b3c24.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...94f9e71a35.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fc745d730e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...19c22017ba.jpg
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Great looking cage and set up and an even better looking snake! Scrub pythons are definitely on my bucket list.
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by Reptile$ 4 Life
Great looking cage and set up and an even better looking snake! Scrub pythons are definitely on my bucket list.
They are an awesome and rewarding challenge! I’d love to get another locality as well, but I think I need a few more years of navigating this guy before taking the plunge with a snake this athletic that could end up 15 feet long!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Slytherin
It is the WEIRDEST thing ever. He did it much more often when he was little...and I guess when I would still warm up his food in the same room. He’s over 6ft now, with a nose like a blood hound. There is no need to coax him out for dinner and, in fact, it’s best to get in done as quickly as possible to avoid a run in with those chompers!
This video is a couple years old, but he does it at :49. It’s precious. It’s not a yawn; he always makes direct and deliberate eye contact, as if to say, “MOM! I’m ready!” And it is only ever in response to food.
https://youtu.be/XrWtcF-ExzA
Love how he keeps wagging his tail too...caudal luring, I assume?
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by Bogertophis
Love how he keeps wagging his tail too...caudal luring, I assume?
That’s my assumption, although he has never done it again since then. My Dumeril’s demonstrates caudal luring pretty frequently, but this guy never really has. It often appears that his tail acts independently from the rest of his body. Literally has a mind of its own. It sometimes wraps around his body or face reflexively and scares him:rofl:
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What a character he is! But not much of a hair-stylist, lol- :D He looks like a fun snake for sure, but the potential size wouldn't work for me (or most ppl, I daresay?). I know you feel lucky for having found him, but I wonder if he knows how lucky HE is...
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bogertophis
What a character he is! But not much of a hair-stylist, lol- :D He looks like a fun snake for sure, but the potential size wouldn't work for me (or most ppl, I daresay?). I know you feel lucky for having found him, but I wonder if he knows how lucky HE is...
Hahaha, he’d better! Spoiled little monster[emoji23]. Yes, it will definitely be interesting to see how big he is as an adult. Most care sheets say they average 4-6 feet, but he is already pushing 6’ 6” at 4 years old. I’ve also met at 3 keepers who had specimens exceed 9 feet. Although, that is extraordinary.
Honestly, I think we simply don’t know all that much about the species. I believe the first CB Nauta in the US was bred by Nick Mutton in 2005? May have been 2004, but still! They were only reclassified from Morelia to Simalia in 2014. Nick also mentioned none of the Nauta in his collection ever exceeded 5 feet.
So basically, it’s gonna be like those little capsules we got as kids that turned into dinosaurs when you soaked them in water. A total surprise![emoji23]
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
The strength of this animal is just incredible. This is just a few seconds of him hanging on with the lower quarter of his body (he has an irrational fear of falling). The rest of him is resting on my shoulder, cool as a cucumber!
I definitely understand why most scrub keepers don’t really handle their animals. Luckily, he has an incredible disposition. Even so, if he gets much bigger, I might have to get a roommate who likes snakes!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...eb04f18a6c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0c33d333f3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a5db2aec0c.jpg
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Beautiful scrub python! I am going to have to get one in the distant future. Oh and sorry about your hand I think it might need a little bit more blood flow. :rofl:
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Wow, that’s a pretty strong love squeeze. He sure is looking good.
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Pops is lookin good sister! Tell him to ease up on the pressure though! Don't squeeze the hands that feed you Pop!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Hahaha, you’d THINK he would get that by now! It might just be a reminder that I fed him pretty lean this spring and he’s not a fan 😉 Little does he know, there’s a fridge full of 100g quail waiting for him now. I haven’t been handling him much lately because there are just too many places in his new enclosure that are hard for me to reach. And I just do not have the arm strength to battle him anymore:rolleyes:
He seems to know that if he basks at the front of the enclosure, it’s fair game for him to be picked up. He doesn’t even wrap around those branches; just drapes like a GTP and it makes it easier to grab him. If he basks up there, he doesn’t even put up a fight. No hook, no gloves, no sass. If he basks in the back, I leave him the hell alone. But man, the past couple months it’s like he’s suddenly a grown up! He is SO strong without even thinking about it! This is the first time I might actually hope he doesn’t put on a lot more size:rofl:
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by Team Slytherin
Even so, if he gets much bigger, I might have to get a roommate who likes snakes!
I am open to combining forces and starting a reptile ranch.
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Looks great.
Scrubs are very interesting and beautiful.
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by wnateg
I am open to combining forces and starting a reptile ranch.
In! But you can’t bring the spider. Sorry. She can have her own house. But not on my street. :(
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Slytherin
Holy squeeze!
The only snake I have that really squeeze my arm in my boa, I've been told boas have a natural fear of falling. But lord, he doesn't squeeze that hard. ;)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Team Slytherin
In! But you can’t bring the spider. Sorry. She can have her own house. But not on my street. :(
Shame property around here is so expensive. Though I'm looking. No more spiders, but crocodiles are another story...
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
This was the pullback when I walk in the room, he pounces straight towards the glass FROM THAT VERY BACK PERCH, sees I am not holding tongs, and immediately decides I am unworthy of his presence. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9bdccf582c.jpg
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
"WHAT! Mom you didn't bring me food! I am disgusted by you!" :rofl:
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Yeah, this time of year I’d GP bankrupt if I fed them every time they asked!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
A couple weeks ago, I warmed up a quail for my finicky Dumeril’s. I often thaw food for only one of them, because it’s always a crap shoot as to whether or not she’ll eat, so I just toss him the leftovers as not to waste.
Well...as previously mentioned, he knows the sound of a hair dryer in this house can mean only one thing. And he is FINE TUNED to that sound! He was sleeping tucked up high on his “don’t touch me” perch when I went down the hall to the bathroom to give the thawed quail a quick blast.
Returned to the room to find him very much awake, sprawled across the enclosure with his face to the glass, just opening his mouth at me. He is so greedy. There was no getting away without feeding him, so the hiding, sleeping Dum lost her dinner to the beast [emoji23]
My brother watched this feeding and was singularly impressed that Apophis launched a full 3 feet with savage precision to grab his snack! I’m just glad I have 20 inch tongs!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d5ab81a2fd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7dbb7c042c.jpg
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
Pop looks great and he's really stretching out. I still cringe every time I see him so close to your face though. :cool:
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy
Pop looks great and he's really stretching out. I still cringe every time I see him so close to your face though. :cool:
Hahaha I know. Especially after he gave my friend an unexpected love bite...he gets held much, much less these days because it’s just such a battle to get him out of his big enclosure. So when he’s out, it’s usually because he’s in a really good mood.
I’m sure I’ll slip up one day and pay for it...but I trust the little guy (although he’s creeping up on 7 ft by now). I’ve pestered him since he was a baby, so I have no fear that he will bite me as long as he’s outside the cage😂 Even inside, he’s mostly a bluffer. He hasn’t tagged me in 2 years at least. ;) But I know when it happens I’ll be pissed and it better not be my face. Those teeth are SAVAGE!
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Re: Introducing Apophis (pic heavy)
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