Python Reticulatus Wallace Progression!

How big?

He's the longest, but you be the judge.

I'm not the smallest dude, fairly muscular and athletic to boot but I'm no NBA sized fella either.

When people need to see some type of reference for size, quarters, cellphones and dollar bills don't always cut it.

I'm not much for posting pictures of myself on the web, but I have a couple modified pictures with 2 different snakes here.


The first is the retic, Wallace. He's my longest snake and I'm guessing he's 7.5 to 8.5 feet in length. If you think a male SD x Dwarf x Mainland retic at 8 feet is big you may feel differently after seeing this.

https://i.imgur.com/tz0jE4m.jpg


If you follow the boa constrictor forum, you've seen these. Sniper, my 6 year old male BC. He's MAYBE 7 feet long. Possibly under, or doubtfully just over.

https://i.imgur.com/53NhQUS.jpg

The density of a BC at a shorter length makes the boa seem huge IMO. They are so strong too.
https://i.imgur.com/wpgUetd.jpg


That said, the boa is a much better handling animal.

Wallace often becomes annoying in a short time and handling becomes unrelating.

Both look great gio.
Your big sniper really got some decent depth to his girth ,I bet you know you got him on your shoulder especially compared to Wallace even tho he is bigger

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Awesome pictures. The only problem with Boas for me is the crazy slow growth rate. Have to wait years for them to get any size lol

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This makes me want a retic so badly. Wallace is super handsome!

I am also concerned about buying a super dwarf and it ending up being a monster :D

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Originally Posted by PiperPython

This makes me want a retic so badly. Wallace is super handsome!

I am also concerned about buying a super dwarf and it ending up being a monster :D

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Hahah that’s exactly what happened to me!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e5fafa4002.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...028cf0dd5e.jpg


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Hahah that’s exactly what happened to me!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e5fafa4002.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...028cf0dd5e.jpg


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That's a big one JM!

I love both the boa and the retic, and the carpet,,,,, and,,,,,,,,,,,, even my son's royal.

The BC feels the best when handling, the carpet seems the most friendly, and Wallace is hit or miss.

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Originally Posted by Valyrian

Awesome pictures. The only problem with Boas for me is the crazy slow growth rate. Have to wait years for them to get any size lol

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Not true. You can overfeed it and powerfeed it and end up with a huge boa in a short time, wont live long but it will be big and grow fast lol.

And i think Wallace has outgrow Caesar haha. He doesnt seem to be putting on anymore length and pretty much stopped at around 7-8 feet. And Phyllis is just a freakin monster. I think Gene is probably more of Caesar's size. It's like Caesar had a huge insatiable appetite, pushed when not fed and grew like a weed. Then just quit pushing, quit being so demanding for food and is now 12 days from his last feeding and still mellow. Although he does find new things to do to annoy me or make noise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Hahah that’s exactly what happened to me!
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On man, so worth the risk though - that snake is BEAUTIFUL.

I better get back over to the regular pythons forum...............


P.S. I miss minneapolis - that's home to me.

I lined him up on the deck rail and he stretched out. It was a constant battle to keep him in one spot.

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

https://i.imgur.com/lP2zx3K.jpg

It was very humid here yesterday. He probably felt somewhat at home.
https://i.imgur.com/i956rfL.jpg

I've been digging his colors a lot lately, and outside with some clouds and green grass made them look nice.
https://i.imgur.com/36XkjPh.jpg


Hopefully he is topping off. He's close to the perfect size.

Looking great,his markings are so cool


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Looking great,his markings are so cool


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Thank you👍 I’m just loving the white stripes on the sides.

I think there my favourite part too
they like his go faster stripes

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

I think there my favourite part too
they like his go faster stripes

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I'm not sure why, but ever since I saw my first Tiger retic, I thought the pattern was simply the most attractive pattern I've seen.

True, it is a morph and I'm more into locale animals and natural patterns, but I do believe Carl Herman's Tiger came from the wild and the pattern was an anomaly.

The Tiger patterned retics I saw were huge and I figured I'd never own something like that.

My guy is in a much smaller package and I'm pretty confident he'll not grow much more than 2 feet in the next several years.

I treat him with respect, but minus an unexpected neck wrap, he couldn't be able to do a lot of damage to me.


https://i.imgur.com/2lGDbis.jpg

What an awesome shot! He’s one of the most impressive tics I’ve seen, even in a smaller package! I love tigers, but he is even an exceptional example of the morph.

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Originally Posted by Gio

I'm not sure why, but ever since I saw my first Tiger retic, I thought the pattern was simply the most attractive pattern I've seen.

True, it is a morph and I'm more into locale animals and natural patterns, but I do believe Carl Herman's Tiger came from the wild and the pattern was an anomaly.

The Tiger patterned retics I saw were huge and I figured I'd never own something like that.

My guy is in a much smaller package and I'm pretty confident he'll not grow much more than 2 feet in the next several years.

I treat him with respect, but minus an unexpected neck wrap, he couldn't be able to do a lot of damage to me.


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

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You know what the tiger stripes are really? Racing stripes. These guys can move. LOL. Looks great.

The outside photos really make his color and pattern pop.

ps it's july....you forgot to take down your xmas lights. :P

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Originally Posted by 67temp

The outside photos really make his color and pattern pop.

ps it's july....you forgot to take down your xmas lights. :P

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They stay up year round. Late nights on the deck with blue lighting can be fun. 👍

Looking at another shed in the next few days.

He’s slowing in growth and I’m quite pleased with his size.

This retic has been a very easy keep.

Such a handsome fella, and agree why put in all that work to put up pretty lights for only a month? Love seeing Wallace he really is an amazing critter :gj:

Whether you call it intelligence, instinct, personality, its hard to deny reticulated pythons are something special.

Wallace shed over the night and he was ready to eat today. I feed ALL of my snakes conservatively and as close to "Mother Nature" level as I can.

I tend to look at body size, their shape, tone and check for signs of hunger or overly content and lethargic behavior.

Back to the topic. Very few snakes species will greet you like a retic. King Cobras come to mind when I think of how Wallace checked me out today. The immediate response he had today was fantastic. When I got into the room this morning he was looking at me, and as I approached his cage he came out quickly and then stood up straight and looked at me eye to eye the best he could while being confined to a 2 foot tall cage.

No posturing, no glass striking or anything that would lead me to believe he was starving. It was just his basic routine/behavior that has evolved over our time together.

I'm very happy with this guy and the progressive interactions we've shared.

Here are the feed pictures.

1 large F/T rat, perfect!

This particular retic is highly arboreal.
https://i.imgur.com/6DPhf8Z.jpg

I can't avoid telling people how much I like my caging and setup. It makes the whole experience outstanding.
https://i.imgur.com/m64CNS2.jpg

This is standard for a green tree python or an emerald tree boa, guess what? It appears retics love to hunt from the trees too.
https://i.imgur.com/NNAdAX0.jpg

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

I'm not sure he's an 8 footer yet, but he is slowly increasing in size.
https://i.imgur.com/mzYEQ6V.jpg

Some things never change, as he made quick work of his prey. My carpet python goes through some type of long examination period before eating. She sniffs around and seems to gloat over her accomplishment after constricting. Wallace is all business. Strike, constrict and eat.

The retic mouth is so wide, a proper strike will get the prey 1/4 of the way down LOL!
https://i.imgur.com/gS4PzqK.jpg

I used outer lights, a flash and no flash when I took these. This is obviously no flash.
https://i.imgur.com/D5T5zwQ.jpg


Wallace is really becoming a great captive. I still keep on my toes, as anybody should be with any decent sized snake, however we are becoming pretty predictable during our interactions.
https://i.imgur.com/5gJBBtT.jpg


Thanks for looking!

He is a genius ;) he knew how to give you sweet puppy dog eyes and it paid off with a delicious dinner, great pictures thank you ever so much for sharing and best wishes always..:gj:

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Originally Posted by Gio

Whether you call it intelligence, instinct, personality, its hard to deny reticulated pythons are something special.

Wallace shed over the night and he was ready to eat today. I feed ALL of my snakes conservatively and as close to "Mother Nature" level as I can.

I tend to look at body size, their shape, tone and check for signs of hunger or overly content and lethargic behavior.

Back to the topic. Very few snakes species will greet you like a retic. King Cobras come to mind when I think of how Wallace checked me out today. The immediate response he had today was fantastic. When I got into the room this morning he was looking at me, and as I approached his cage he came out quickly and then stood up straight and looked at me eye to eye the best he could while being confined to a 2 foot tall cage.

No posturing, no glass striking or anything that would lead me to believe he was starving. It was just his basic routine/behavior that has evolved over our time together.

I'm very happy with this guy and the progressive interactions we've shared.

Here are the feed pictures.

1 large F/T rat, perfect!

This particular retic is highly arboreal.
https://i.imgur.com/6DPhf8Z.jpg

I can't avoid telling people how much I like my caging and setup. It makes the whole experience outstanding.
https://i.imgur.com/m64CNS2.jpg

This is standard for a green tree python or an emerald tree boa, guess what? It appears retics love to hunt from the trees too.
https://i.imgur.com/NNAdAX0.jpg

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

I'm not sure he's an 8 footer yet, but he is slowly increasing in size.
https://i.imgur.com/mzYEQ6V.jpg

Some things never change, as he made quick work of his prey. My carpet python goes through some type of long examination period before eating. She sniffs around and seems to gloat over her accomplishment after constricting. Wallace is all business. Strike, constrict and eat.

The retic mouth is so wide, a proper strike will get the prey 1/4 of the way down LOL!
https://i.imgur.com/gS4PzqK.jpg

I used outer lights, a flash and no flash when I took these. This is obviously no flash.
https://i.imgur.com/D5T5zwQ.jpg


Wallace is really becoming a great captive. I still keep on my toes, as anybody should be with any decent sized snake, however we are becoming pretty predictable during our interactions.
https://i.imgur.com/5gJBBtT.jpg


Thanks for looking!

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Thanks, C.Marie

I'll have to reply with my own quote. Looks like my picture post was the last addition to the previous page.
Nobody will see the pictures if they start here LOL!

Wallace is a good dude. I recommend the species to folks that are in this long term and are serious about keeping and enjoying a snake that presents a slight challenge.

Remember my guy is NOT a full mainland (18%). He has high percent dwarf combined with a decent amount of SD.

Dude, you’ve got it made there with display type and activity levels of that snake. That’s gotta be a blast to observe. Cheers!


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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Dude, you’ve got it made there with display type and activity levels of that snake. That’s gotta be a blast to observe. Cheers!


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Yes!

I'm very happy with how I set everybody up here, even the royal. I love being able to walk into the room and instantly enjoy the view. I don't need many animals, actually 4 is the perfect number. Farming VS Enjoying?

I think you have provided a lot of insight to folks showing what its like when things ARE NOT easy.

Pushing, cleaning, going to the vet and dealing with things that stifle your ultimate goal of enjoyment.

We started with my son's royal, and after that I started looking at pictures and videos of different snakes and different setups.

A big part of this hobby at least for me, is the caging and display aspect.

I'd rather look at 4 snakes set up the way I find very pleasing, VS too many (that "too many" number differs for everyone) and not being able to enjoy the reptile room and relax.

I can't imagine dealing with more than one snake that is doing what Philly is doing.

I really do think once she's in a very large cage with a lot of options, she'll be fine. I also know you aren't in the market to buy a zoo to make that happen.

Hopefully a deal can be made where the two of you can relax and enjoy each other's company.

Real sunlight makes this guy pop.

He spent a bit of time in the grass, but didn't sit still for long.

https://i.imgur.com/6HUbTzl.jpg


There's just something about the tiger pattern!

https://i.imgur.com/IhyURU5.jpg

He really is stunning gio


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

He really is stunning gio


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Thank you!

I feel the same, and noticed a lot of retics seem to get better with age as far as coloring. He's getting new black patches on his snout now.

This grass escapade was supposed to finish off with some waste elimination and an empty tummy.

It usually works magic every time. Nothing doing though, instead he waited until he was back in the cage and gave me an extra couple of chores today.

This guy is starting to top off in size. I'm guessing 7.5 - 8 feet, but now the mass is coming. He's a lot more heavy than he was a few months ago.

https://i.imgur.com/H33iq9o.jpg

The one handed camera shots did go well with this active boy. I was not able to avoid the blur effect.
https://i.imgur.com/hBBYG0b.jpg

The SD x Dwarf does make him a little edgy but he is fairly tolerant of handling.

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

His pattern is getting better with age.

Looks amazing. Love his stripes. Good tiger! Did not know the Dwarf and SD make them more edgy?

He’s looking good, Gio! Seems like he and Gerald are probably right about the same size and mass. Gerald is quite the edgy critter when handling too. Though the other day I let mom chill on the floor next to me and he was surprisingly calm about it. No darting or running or anything


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

He’s looking good, Gio! Seems like he and Gerald are probably right about the same size and mass. Gerald is quite the edgy critter when handling too. Though the other day I let mom chill on the floor next to me and he was surprisingly calm about it. No darting or running or anything


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*let HIM chill on the floor... damn predictive texting


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Wallace is looking GREAT Gio! I really love the outdoor pics and I just noticed the purple tongue. :)

This was a first for me here.

I was feeding Wallace today, actually he is still swallowing as I type. He knew I was prepping food earlier and instinctually went up to his perches. He was draped the length of the cage. When I figured out where his head was, I opened the opposite door and dangled the rat.

That's when things went south. He swung around, shot out toward the rat, completely missed it, and instead he caught his own back half. He actually thought he had the rat and started to constrict himself.

I was dumbfounded and wasn't sure what my next move was going to be. Luckily, he released his bite, but was still so worked up he started constricting his hide.

I was like, dude,,,,, you are making an absolute fool of yourself! He eventually found the dropped rat, moved to constrict it, but never bit it. He instead sat focused on my bigger heat signature.

He's all done now, and I'm trying to find out if he damaged himself at all. I don't think so.

He's a complete nut at feeding time, like psycho nuts. Makes my boa looked well mannered. My carpet is starting to act like Wallace and she's a bit more keyed in these days. Don't get me wrong, the boa is still fired up, but by comparison he's easy.

These are from last night before Wallace went mental.

https://i.imgur.com/Cs9hNgt.jpg

I know he's not capable of feeling embarrassment but he should be embarrassed LOL!

https://i.imgur.com/f6l9fCM.jpg

He is hopefully topping off. I don't find him the easiest pet here. We have our moments for sure.
https://i.imgur.com/Zhw1Sai.jpg

He's absolutely stunning .
No other word .


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“Get a retic” they said... “They’re so interesting and intelligent” they said... lmao! Sounds like that boy keeps you on your toes to say the least! Gerald is my wild card here. Feeding him is an ordeal sometimes. Will be easier once he’s in Phyllis’s 6’ cage


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And now the little voice of doubt and second guesses speaks up, "Why didn't you get that retic Ziggy? " :confusd:

W is the real deal Gio. Your care for your critters shines through. They're all hearty, healthy and I'd dare to say happy. Good job sir.

On the feeding front my all my snakes hit the tongs pretty hard too, the Olive is the fiercest of them all now, but the most insane feeding frenzied critter I've had were my frkn kingsnakes. They went bananas. Better a 4ft king than a 7ft retic though. ;).

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

And now the little voice of doubt and second guesses speaks up, "Why didn't you get that retic Ziggy? " :confusd:

W is the real deal Gio. Your care for your critters shines through. They're all hearty, healthy and I'd dare to say happy. Good job sir.

On the feeding front my all my snakes hit the tongs pretty hard too, the Olive is the fiercest of them all now, but the most insane feeding frenzied critter I've had were my frkn kingsnakes. They went bananas. Better a 4ft king than a 7ft retic though. ;).

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You called it Zig, I was thinking King Snake as they will actually eat themselves.

JM,,,,, Oh boy isn't that the truth,,,, they are not "beginner snakes LOL!

I forgot to mention while he was swallowing his rat I reached in to reset his hide.

He pulled a monitor lizard move. He totally tail whipped at me, and blasted coco husk across the room.

He’s still pretty pissy tonight. He’s struck the glass twice when I’ve been near the cage.

Seems attacking himself has resulted in a ruined evening.

Lights out buddy, I’ll see you in a couple of days.

Way to respect the beast and give him some space G. I'm sure he'll be back to his normal self in a few days.

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Originally Posted by Gio

I forgot to mention while he was swallowing his rat I reached in to reset his hide.

He pulled a monitor lizard move. He totally tail whipped at me, and blasted coco husk across the room.

He’s still pretty pissy tonight. He’s struck the glass twice when I’ve been near the cage.

Seems attacking himself has resulted in a ruined evening.

Lights out buddy, I’ll see you in a couple of days.

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I get that move from Gerald all the time, a bit from Phyllis as well. They are NOT fans of having their tails messed with lol. Haven’t had anyone strike the glass in months though.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

I get that move from Gerald all the time, a bit from Phyllis as well. They are NOT fans of having their tails messed with lol. Haven’t had anyone strike the glass in months though.


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He’s Mr. Testosterone tonight.

I wasn’t up for breaking out the vacuum but he left me no choice. His best bet is to settle down soon.

I like being kept on my toes a bit but my tolerance level for his psycho behavior today is about maxed.

Since when do we bite and constrictor ourselves?

I was just looking at him like dude,,, seriously?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

He’s Mr. Testosterone tonight.

I wasn’t up for breaking out the vacuum but he left me no choice. His best bet is to settle down soon.

I like being kept on my toes a bit but my tolerance level for his psycho behavior today is about maxed.

Since when do we bite and constrictor ourselves?

I was just looking at him like dude,,, seriously?

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🤣🤣🤣 I actually did laugh out loud, and loudly, after reading that. That’s too funny man! I look at Gerald the same way when it takes him literally 20+ min to figure out how to begin swallowing his rat... after taking 20 minutes to constrict the damn thing. Sharp as a tack that one is...


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

Since when do we bite and constrictor ourselves?

I was just looking at him like dude,,, seriously?

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He attacked himself in rage? Wow that is nuts. I visited my friend who has Monty and took him out to hold him. My friends dog walked by, keep in mind Monty is less than 2k grams still, Monty constricts my arm as tight as he can and goes in full attack mode at anything that moves. I had to be careful to remove him from my arm and get him back in his enclosure. He even bit the stick I used to keep him from attacking me. They think they are 10 feet tall sometimes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Skyrivers

He attacked himself in rage? Wow that is nuts. I visited my friend who has Monty and took him out to hold him. My friends dog walked by, keep in mind Monty is less than 2k grams still, Monty constricts my arm as tight as he can and goes in full attack mode at anything that moves. I had to be careful to remove him from my arm and get him back in his enclosure. He even bit the stick I used to keep him from attacking me. They think they are 10 feet tall sometimes.

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He didn't necessarily attack himself in rage, it was more a complete loss of control over food. In the wild he would have missed his prey and flopped around in the tree branches until he figured out he had nothing but his own body. How "intelligent" are you when you have such a blatant loss of control? LOL!

I can only liken it to somebody blindly running into freeway traffic to cross the interstate because they smelled french fries across the street at Mickie D's.

In all seriousness, the reaction was purely instinctual, and I think some folks confuse instinct and behavior with intelligence. Busier snakes "seem" more intelligent to us because they interact more. I don't think Wallace is any more intelligent than the other 3 snakes here. One could argue, the royal python, that stays hidden and only pops out to eat, drink and empty out is the smartest of all. Stay out of sight, ambush, eat survive!

The tail whipping later in the night isn't a normal move for Wallace. He does buck occasionally however I believe the whole feeding fiasco set him up for an ill tempered evening.

He settled a bit later on. Though here, you can see he's creeping toward the glass to have another go at something.
https://i.imgur.com/wu6yY64.jpg


Nothing like the LED moon light mode!

https://i.imgur.com/q7EcbAI.jpg

He's back up in the perches this morning and the above pictures were from the end of the night last night.

Yeah I've had boas in crazy food mode miss the rat and grab themselves, fully coil death ball themselves. Gotta just step away until they realize and unlatch and relax. Not a fun thing to watch though and all I can think of is 'come on, don't be stupid, that's your own body!'. Ug, doesn't happen often but I hate it when it does.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Yeah I've had boas in crazy food mode miss the rat and grab themselves, fully coil death ball themselves. Gotta just step away until they realize and unlatch and relax. Not a fun thing to watch though and all I can think of is 'come on, don't be stupid, that's your own body!'. Ug, doesn't happen often but I hate it when it does.

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Secretly love the enthusiasm but yes,,

Dial it back a little big fella.

I absolutely love that lighting, wow looks like he is out roaming under a full moon:gj: how many colors do they turn magnificent set up for an amazing critter. :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by C.Marie

I absolutely love that lighting, wow looks like he is out roaming under a full moon:gj: how many colors do they turn magnificent set up for an amazing critter. :P

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There are too many colors to list, mostly variations of these basic 3. Plus White.

Greens
https://i.imgur.com/MhOkmxO.jpg

Reds
https://i.imgur.com/lSLFlBc.jpg

Blues.
https://i.imgur.com/20bpGLk.jpg

Normal.
Although because of a bad staple I have some blues activated in the normal day time mode. I guess it adds character.
https://i.imgur.com/LhB9tY5.jpg

Thanks,

I do put a lot of effort into the caging. My kids and their friends love going to check the animals out. I'm a little tentative letting folks know we have 4 snakes, but on the other side of that, I like seeing kids that are interested and unafraid of these guys.

My daughter's friends were able to see first hand the joys of retic keeping. Wallace musked and P'd in my face. I even had a slightly open mouth which really brought on the hysterics.

He's a treat, but at least he's over the rear end defense tactics.

I find it enjoyable to see a snake on the move.

https://i.imgur.com/91a8yTG.jpg
Apologies for the blurry pictures.

I took the pictures with the glass doors closed.
https://i.imgur.com/w8Ro7Xb.jpg

Other than getting him out of the cage, he is still relatively well mannered. He's somewhat annoying to handle but his "in cage" activity is worth the price of more involved handling.
https://i.imgur.com/kMTDo7e.jpg

I had two leftovers from the other nights handling session.

They are different photos but similar to the ones in another thread.

https://i.imgur.com/ymqAk8P.jpg?1

He looks a bit darker here.

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