Bud the Normal

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

I don't even know his sex for sure. Lol The lack of hemipenal sheaths on his sheds and his stumpy tail make me think he's a she.

I don't really have any interest in breeding him. One ball python is enough for me, I don't really want any more. Lol


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Hemipenal sheaths are very thin walled tissues that cover the hemipenes and basically dissolves during the shedding process as the shed goes over the cloaca. It usually is not visible either way. There may be times when remnants may show up but usually not. The definitive way to sex him would be probing or popping but it's neither here nor there in your case.

Yeah my adult BCI and checkered garter often have hemipenal sheaths in their sheds, the garter more often than the boa.

I've been thinking of probing him just to know, but as you say it's not important if I'm not breeding, and I've thought he was male for 10 years almost so not like it will hurt anything. I've been hearing more stories than usual of older females (10+ years) becoming eggbound, even ball pythons so maybe I will anyway....


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Well I've successfully gotten Bud to take 2 rats now, but unfortunately they were mediums and not smalls so I think the prey size has caught up with him as he refused this last meal despite me waiting an extra week for a 3 week waiting period. Last time I had him on medium rats, he would only eat every 2 months, but I had hoped just 3 medium rats wouldn't be too much. :/ I will be ordering a new shipment of rodents here soon, so he'll get the appropriate small rats. Maybe not the next time I try him, but not long.

The refusal could also be because I tried to feed him at night and he was more preoccupied with finding a way out than eating, as he showed a slight bit of interest once he settled down and sat in his hide, but still didn't eat.

He's nearly back up to weight now, he was ~1340 grams last I weighed him I think. His normal weight is 1380.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1477/2...276c08bb_b.jpg

Some other photos I missed as well:

This was taken before I got the humidity stabilized in his enclosure, I don't see any more condensation now.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1527/2...92583e89_b.jpg

He really does seem to enjoy the basking shelf, at least he uses it regularly.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1481/2...24a3b55f_b.jpg

While he was still on 2 jumbo mice (normally he'll eat 3-4 but for awhile there he wouldn't take more than 2):

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1625/2...d8e81000_b.jpg

And the most recent picture of his body tone:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7646/2...097e51fc_b.jpg

He's a handsome dude!

Maybe a bit late to the party, but I see a few people joined recently-
He's looks handsome! Although, I think he is a she too, but that's just what I think.
Also, his body reminds me of my first BP, Ryuu, but his story with the feeding issues reminds me of my second BP Orochi lol.
Anyways, good luck in the future and nice shirt in your profile pic.

Bud is eating regularly on small rats now, and has begun striking at me through the glass again. I can hardly walk into the snake room to use the bathroom in there without him tracking my movements or hitting the glass. Until he calms down, I've been trying to use the other bathroom when possible so he doesn't hurt himself, but last time he went through this phase it didn't last long. He did this once before right after a fast, and I have a feeling it's just him getting stimulated from the increase in food intake, as aside from the couple medium rats, he's been refusing to eat more than 2 jumbo mice since he first started eating again, which probably is why it's taking him so long to regain his lost weight (his fast ended almost a year ago - jeez a year of straight good feeding minus one refused medium rat, it's surreal), he normally gets at least 3, if not 4 jumbos. I haven't weighed him recently, but with this increased vigor I will probably do that sometime soon. He broke 1,300 grams just ~5 months ago, and then dipped down to like 1,290 or something while he was eating the medium rats (the weight is while empty after he ate his last medium rat of course), so I'm hoping his weight is going back up again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nitewolfie

Maybe a bit late to the party, but I see a few people joined recently-
He's looks handsome! Although, I think he is a she too, but that's just what I think.
Also, his body reminds me of my first BP, Ryuu, but his story with the feeding issues reminds me of my second BP Orochi lol.
Anyways, good luck in the future and nice shirt in your profile pic.

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No worries, I seem to have lost track of this reply amidst the other threads, as I don't really do many updates on Bud. I rarely ever handle him, and every day pretty much consists of making sure his humidity stays good, changing his water, and the occasional feeding, so nothing interesting going on with him, he's pretty much a hands-off snake.

I bought a probe kit earlier this year at a Repticon, so I'm kinda hoping to have someone teach me how to use it so I can sex Bud myself. I may see if my vet can show me.

Thanks, I think I still have the shirt somewhere but it might have gotten lost, I seem to lose and find shirts all the time. That picture is a good 4-4.5 years old, but I hardly ever take pictures of myself, so it's not recent but I liked it.

It's a learning process for sure but it's worth it, bud looks happy and healthy.

Well Bud shed a few days ago and is no longer striking at the glass, tomorrow I plan on feeding everyone as well. I plan on giving him a few more meals before I attempt to weigh him again.

I figured he was shedding when I walked into the room and he didn't so much as stick his head out. lol Then when I got home from work one day I found his shed stretched out behind his water dish. With all the theatrics he's been putting on, and the year of good behavior, hopefully he continues to eat well for me.

He's currently weighing in at 1,245 grams, he may not make it back up to 1,380 grams again. I may see about feeding him weekly for a time in the spring since they're more likely to fast in the winter, to help him get back up to weight, but if he doesn't get that heavy again even after a few months eating weekly I won't worry about it too much. He's stopped striking at me when I walk by, but still comes out to see if food is coming. I'm just so glad it's been about a year and he's only had one refusal, and that was while eating medium rats. He's mostly shedding every 2 months, with the occasional 3 months.

He loves his basking shelf, he lays under the heat panel every night.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...a660127c_h.jpg

And a close up to bring his colors into focus.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...dde1296d_h.jpg