Orochimaru Update

Here are some new pictures of my BP that I got on 7/14/15 at 90 grams. He was 103 grams on 8/12, had a mouse that day and one on 8/17 so is probably 110-115 now. I tried to weigh him yesterday, but he got smart and wrapped around his tree stump. The first four mice were taken every seven days. He never hesitated so the fifth mouse was given at five days no problem and I'll keep him on that schedule until he hits 400 grams. Orochimaru is really living up to his name, very hissy and doesn't like to be handled. I was only handling him once a week. Now that I have a snake hook I handle him more. I haven't tried holding him with just my hands for longer than it takes to move him to a different container when I'm cleaning. He's still really defensive, guess he's still in that stage at his age and weight. I've learned to read his body language better and can get him out of strike mode before he tries to bite me. His first shed with me went okay. It started the night of 8/4. The belly, head, and upper neck piece came off the first night. Most of it was gone two days ago, the last little piece came off today. I'm really considering just getting a pvc setup so I won't have to worry about humidity as much. They are not nearly as expensive as I thought.

Here are some random pictures:

This was yesterday when he didn't want to be weighed, but still wanted to know when I was giving him a mouse.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00210.jpg

Orochimaru likes to redecorate
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He likes climbing the suction cups a lot. I just got him one of those Fluker's spring action fake bamboo poles. Right now he's still digesting that mouse, so he hasn't checked it out yet.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00201.jpg

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Guess Accurite can advertise it as a thermometer/hygrometer/snake head rest
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00196.jpg

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00183.jpg

Awww! He is such a cutie! I love his pattern on his back.

i like the grey champagnes

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Originally Posted by LightningPython

Awww! He is such a cutie! I love his pattern on his back.

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Thanks, me too. From what I've seen, patterns and coloring on champagnes change quite a bit with age. It will be interesting to compare his pics as he gets older.

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Originally Posted by se7en

i like the grey champagnes

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Yeah the axanthic brings out the grey more.

he's adorable and I'm glad he's eating well. he looks very active too.

u can add moss and/or substrate to help hold moisture/humidity if u wanna keep a tank setup. also some have recommended that u continue to handle your snake if it hisses/strikes. u don't want them conditioned to that behavior where they associate hissing/striking u to being left alone.

anyway I think you've got the first axanthic champagne this forum has seen and he's a good looking one. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Ax01

he's adorable and I'm glad he's eating well. he looks very active too.

u can add moss and/or substrate to help hold moisture/humidity if u wanna keep a tank setup. also some have recommended that u continue to handle your snake if it hisses/strikes. u don't want them conditioned to that behavior where they associate hissing/striking u to being left alone.

anyway I think you've got the first axanthic champagne this forum has seen and he's a good looking one. :gj:

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I was lucky to get a good feeder as my first bp. Yeah he's pretty active at night, especially the closer it gets to feeding day.


I put moss in his hides and that has helped. Yeah I continue to handle him even if he is hissing.

Thanks n.n

I may have figured out why Orochimaru was so grumpy...He likes his beauty sleep XD? Last night was day 5 since the last time I fed him. I closed at work, so didn't get home until after 10PM. After taking care of my kittens and cleaning up a bit it was 12PM. Orochimaru was already out roaming around when I went to take him out. Normally he starts to get defensive when I'm taking the clips off the lid, but he was pretty much chilling, flicking his tongue out and watching me. When I took the lid off he didn't ball up or anything. At this point I'm getting suspicious, maybe there's something wrong with him, why no attitude? Lol. I stroked him with the snake hook and he turned his head away from but didn't ball up and didn't hiss! I was pretty pleased with that. He didn't try to get away from the snake hook when I was picking him up or try to shoot down back into his tank. Went in the tupperware no problem, and instead of balling like normal he was looking around. Even when I was opening the tupperware to put him back in the tank after cleaning he didn't get defensive or stressed. Anyone else have snakes that are more docile at night? I read that it didn't really matter what time you took them out. So was this a fluke? I guess I'll see. Last night he weighed in at 122 grams and took a 20 gram mouse. I was a little worried about the size of the mouse, I guess I fed the feeder too well lol, but he took it no problem.

Here's a derpy video of him from last week.
http://vid282.photobucket.com/albums...s/CAM00205.mp4

I moved the bars because I was worried about them being too close to the heat lamp. (The temp says 73 because I had just put him back in there after cleaning.) He seems to like them.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00315.jpg

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Nice full belly
http://vid282.photobucket.com/albums...s/CAM00316.mp4

Pictures from 8/28, he was 138 grams. He was again not defensively hissing and very curious.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00353.jpg

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http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00350.jpg

Still a pain to get him out of that hide.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00349.jpg

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00348.jpg

I was redoing the aluminum foil on his lid and instead of hiding from me he got as close as possible.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00347.jpg

Axanthic champagne for your first BP. I'm so jelly

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Originally Posted by ProjectMKUltra5

Axanthic champagne for your first BP. I'm so jelly

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I knew I wanted an Axanthic something. I really like the axanthic killerbees, but those were out of my price range. One day I want to breed some.

ha! i love your BP and it's updates. he just looks like a fun loving lil' guy, always up to something. :P :)

Orochimaru is growing like a weed. And steadily getting more used to being handled. Decided to take some pictures up close of is color and patterns. And he really likes the bamboo poles lol.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00204.jpg

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00207.jpg

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http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00222.jpg

This has to be one of my favorite pics of him. I had just put him back in the tank and was sitting on the floor to wait until he got settled before putting his mouse in, and he peeps over top of the paper towel to watch me for a few minutes. :P
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00228.jpg

When he grabbed the mouse and coiled he fell right into the water bowl. I don't think anything can keep Orochimaru from a meal, he stayed under water until the mouse was dead and ate it like nothing happened.
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00229.jpg

What a gorgeous snake! Amazing patterns:D

Thanks :D Check this one out.

Looks great! You should think about switching him over to rat pups/weaned rats sooner than later. They help with growth rate and are the best way to go when they are older.

They are easier to get to switch rats (and to F/T, for that matter) when they are so young that they eat anything that gets near them.

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Originally Posted by chrisv

Looks great! You should think about switching him over to rat pups/weaned rats sooner than later. They help with growth rate and are the best way to go when they are older.

They are easier to get to switch rats (and to F/T, for that matter) when they are so young that they eat anything that gets near them.

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My new female is already on rat pups, I was surprised they weigh as much as a young mouse twice their length! I have one more live mouse left. Think after that I'll get him a live rat pup and then try f/t.

He was 177 grams, but he pooped a lot last night :rolleyes: and is now back down to 160. I actually held him with my hand this morning and he didn't seem stressed by it. Going to keep working on that.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00238.jpg

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that is such a beutiful animal! I like your style nightwolf...snakes and cats all day :)

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Originally Posted by AllThatInThemGenes

that is such a beutiful animal! I like your style nightwolf...snakes and cats all day :)

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Haha yup. I'm totally a crazy cat lady, and quickly becoming that weird snake chick.

:dance::fest::fest2::party::cake: Three causes for celebration. Orochimaru hit 200 grams, he ate a f/t, and had a great shed. I honestly did not think he was going to eat it. He was scheduled to eat two days before the move, I decided to skip that meal and then wait until I had the temps right after moving. So I knew he was hungry, and he was very interested in the mouse. I was making it walk around, but he wouldn't strike. I thought it was getting too cold, so I would dunk in back in warm water. Probably tried that a six times. I thought maybe he didn't like the tongs or me being over there, so I left the mouse in there over night. The next morning it was gone! And there was also a nice complete shed skin! His first for me was really piecey and drawn out, so I'm very pleased this one went well. Maybe being in shed made him more nervous about the f/t also, even though he took live eagerly when in shed. He looks all shiny now.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00443.jpg

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Here's some more pictures from his shed. And a little video.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00462.jpg

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http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00472.jpg

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http://vid282.photobucket.com/albums...s/CAM00470.mp4

Man what a great looking snake! Just beautiful.

Orochimaru got upgraded to a 20 GAL long today. I feel like he has gotten so big already. He seems to be enjoying the space and the bark piece. And I finally actually held in my hand today, woohoo :fest:. We're both a lot more comfortable with each other, and me snakes in general. I no longer have that irrational fear of being bit.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00529.jpg

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wow, he's getting big. nice 1 piece shed. keep it up! :gj:

Orochimaru apparently didn't like the 20 long tank. He didn't eat at all in there. I went ahead and got him live the other day. Hoping he'll go back to f/t now that he's in a tub.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00631.jpg

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He feels much more secure in the tub. Another perfect shed! At 229 grams now. He has mellowed out a lot. No more hissing or striking.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00744.jpg

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Orochimaru is not interested in rats, but will occasionally take one if it smells like a mouse. He is easily my longest snake, but is only 220 grams.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/CAM00829.jpg

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I've gotten Orochimaru to take rats for two feedings in a row, hopefully he is done being a mouser. His last shed was on 8/09/16. Currently weighing in at 685 grams.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...826_173449.jpg
http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/k...826_173459.jpg

i love this guy. he looks great!

would love to see some Pied/het Pied (with ringer) clutch of his in the future. first generation clutch would produce some Champagne het VPI Axanthic, het Pieds (hopefully with ringers) and second generation could yield VPI Axanthic Champagne Pieds or VPI Axanthic Champagne het Pieds with huge ringers. grey-scale and white BP's! :)

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Originally Posted by Ax01

i love this guy. he looks great!

would love to see some Pied/het Pied (with ringer) clutch of his in the future. first generation clutch would produce some Champagne het VPI Axanthic, het Pieds (hopefully with ringers) and second generation could yield VPI Axanthic Champagne Pieds or VPI Axanthic Champagne het Pieds with huge ringers. grey-scale and white BP's! :)

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I agree, some Champagne Lightning Pieds would be pretty sweet.

Orochimaru last shed 12/31/16 and weighed in at 844g on 1/05/17. He's ready to go for breeding, just waiting for my hypo, Kisame, to get to size.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...107_181054.jpg

he looks awesome and still very grey. can't wait to see some True Ghost Mimosa's.