Serpents to the dome

For whatever reason my Kalatoa Retic, Phyllis, loves to climb on my head and face anytime I'm wearing a hat. Today her upstairs neighbor, Geoffrey, my pastel ball python, must have taken some notes lol. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...caf514e9d6.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...aa6ed07001.jpg
Pics are a bit fuzzy but I wanted to share my squirrelly noodles regardless. Anyone else's snakes have quirky habits?


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Both look great!

We have a female, normal royal that is a touch smaller than your's.

I'm feeding Wallace in an hour or 2 tonight. Your pictures have me fired up now!!

Cool post. I love Phyllis and like the name Geoffrey too!

My Royal likes to do this - especially when I have headphones on and am chilling to music.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Both look great!

We have a female, normal royal that is a touch smaller than your's.

I'm feeding Wallace in an hour or 2 tonight. Your pictures have me fired up now!!

Cool post. I love Phyllis and like the name Geoffrey too!

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Thanks Gio! Yeah Geoffrey is a bit of a tank. He was a slow grower for the first 3-4 years as he was a persistent mouser but once he started taking rats he took off. Just weighed in today at 1523 grams and is right about the inside length of his T8. Don't know his hatch date but he turned 7 probably a few months ago. I've had him seven years on January 14th.
Let's see some more feeding pics of Wallace! Always look forward to seeing updates from you on your critters. Cheers!


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Funny!

I rarely wear a cap, but it seems my snakes like to go for my eye glasses to support themselves. Of course wire frame glasses are not stout enough to support adult snakes and the glasses end up half on, half off and Very uncomfortable! :)

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Funny!

I rarely wear a cap, but it seems my snakes like to go for my eye glasses to support themselves. Of course wire frame glasses are not stout enough to support adult snakes and the glasses end up half on, half off and Very uncomfortable! :)

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Yep! Phyllis does the same thing with my glasses but far more often when I've got a hat on. Definitely awkward and uncomfortable when treating your eyewear as a branch hahah!


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I have a Spotted Python that likes to perch on my glasses or lurk in my hair (when my hair is long/curly enough), and who feeds best while being held. And last week I think she was getting tickled by mouse-whiskers - she'd be sneaking toward the mouse, bump the whiskers, jump back, then rub her face on my hand. [emoji1]


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http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...68ccfd81eb.jpg
Phyllis out for another cranial cruise haha, doesn't care if it's a ball cap, beanie, whatever... if I have a hat on you better believe she's gonna get to the top of it in a hurry


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Dang, your BP looks huge lol. My girl is 1680g but looks about half the size of your haha.

None of my snakes really are head climbers but they do stretch out like yours are doing but from my shoulders. They like to use my neck as a tree trunk and wrap around it, then see how far out they can stretch out. Not a huge fan of it as I can see it now...Rosey tries to stretch out, thinks she's going to fall, tightens around my neck, I pass out as a headline on the Seattle paper :P

And same here Gio. I'm thawing out dinner for everyone. Rosey, Vicky and Caesar are getting quail, Dottie is getting a rat, Luna is getting a mouse and I plan on a rat for Allie but we'll see how that goes lol.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...68ccfd81eb.jpg
Phyllis out for another cranial cruise haha, doesn't care if it's a ball cap, beanie, whatever... if I have a hat on you better believe she's gonna get to the top of it in a hurry


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You guys look pretty smoking there!

I think she is a really nice size too.

I had Wallace out today it was a pain in the butt getting him out of the new cage. I'm not sure he is above biting me just yet.

Phyllis is a pretty girl and I noticed she has a yellow underbelly like Wallace does after the head.

Well done!

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Originally Posted by Gio

You guys look pretty smoking there!

I think she is a really nice size too.

I had Wallace out today it was a pain in the butt getting him out of the new cage. I'm not sure he is above biting me just yet.

Phyllis is a pretty girl and I noticed she has a yellow underbelly like Wallace does after the head.

Well done!

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Thanks dude!
I was having the same thoughts while she was out earlier. I still think she's under 6' but around the 5 1/2 mark. She can go an inch or so past my fingertips when she's going from arm to arm across the back of my shoulders and my wingspan is about 5'4".
Phyllis is a little testy about coming out to play sometimes too. She's only lightly tagged me on the elbow once but I'd still never say she's above biting again. Retics definitely deserve a lot of respect when you're handling them but she's a sweetheart once she's out of the cage and in hand.
I love the yellow on the underside of her neck too! She's been slowly developing more yellow as she's grown. She initially had a pretty stark white belly. It's wild how much their color can change from day to day. Generally the day after she eats she positively glows. So cool.
Hope Wallace is enjoying his new playground as well! He's going to be even more amazing as he grows!


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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Dang, your BP looks huge lol. My girl is 1680g but looks about half the size of your haha.

None of my snakes really are head climbers but they do stretch out like yours are doing but from my shoulders. They like to use my neck as a tree trunk and wrap around it, then see how far out they can stretch out. Not a huge fan of it as I can see it now...Rosey tries to stretch out, thinks she's going to fall, tightens around my neck, I pass out as a headline on the Seattle paper :P

And same here Gio. I'm thawing out dinner for everyone. Rosey, Vicky and Caesar are getting quail, Dottie is getting a rat, Luna is getting a mouse and I plan on a rat for Allie but we'll see how that goes lol.

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Lol yeah Geoffrey is kind of a tank but I think the perspective in the picture makes him look bigger because he's closer to the camera. He was a mouser for like 4 years and then finally started taking rats and got swoll hahah. He's at about 3'10"-4' and 1500 grams right now and hasn't eaten in about 5 ish weeks. He'll probably lose a couple hundred grams and then be hungry again in April.
How long is Dottie? That's your pied girls name right?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Thanks dude!
I was having the same thoughts while she was out earlier. I still think she's under 6' but around the 5 1/2 mark. She can go an inch or so past my fingertips when she's going from arm to arm across the back of my shoulders and my wingspan is about 5'4".
Phyllis is a little testy about coming out to play sometimes too. She's only lightly tagged me on the elbow once but I'd still never say she's above biting again. Retics definitely deserve a lot of respect when you're handling them but she's a sweetheart once she's out of the cage and in hand.
I love the yellow on the underside of her neck too! She's been slowly developing more yellow as she's grown. She initially had a pretty stark white belly. It's wild how much their color can change from day to day. Generally the day after she eats she positively glows. So cool.
Hope Wallace is enjoying his new playground as well! He's going to be even more amazing as he grows!


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Hey brother,

I just took Wallace out tonight which is #2 trips out for today.

No biting but I got a little musk LOL!

I can tell he's still not totally comfortable here and I'm sure stress is involved with the cage change.

All info I have says retics should be handled somewhat frequently so I feel he should get accustomed to it.

He's already chilled out since being out of the cage so I'm happy. One handed typing now!

You are kind of the lead guy for us new retic keepers so keep the pictures and pots coming. I dig your laid back style!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Lol yeah Geoffrey is kind of a tank but I think the perspective in the picture makes him look bigger because he's closer to the camera. He was a mouser for like 4 years and then finally started taking rats and got swoll hahah. He's at about 3'10"-4' and 1500 grams right now and hasn't eaten in about 5 ish weeks. He'll probably lose a couple hundred grams and then be hungry again in April.
How long is Dottie? That's your pied girls name right?


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Yeah Dottie is my pied girl. She is just over 2 years old and just over 4'. She used to fast for winter too but this winter, she is going crazy for food lol. She eats a small rat once a week.

I've gotten lucky. Never been bit by Caesar yet. He is really mellow when food isn't around. I tried the whole snake hook tap on the head and it only seems to piss him off lol. He actually opened his mouth at it haha. I just use a twisted up paper towel for him and just rub it on his head and he is fine. He actually is easy to get out. If he doesn't want out, he just tries to crawl to the back of the cage as I'm lifting him out. I honestly would be rather surprised if Caesar bit me. Like I said, the only time I have seen him pissed was when I tried using a hook on his head and when I messed with him 3 times while he was in shed for the first time here. Since then, even in shed now, he's pretty mellow. Guess we'll see how he is when he's ready for lady luvin.

Now Allie, she still gets pissed at stupid things haha. Like I mentioned before, she got mad when I took a drink of a mountain dew and tried to tag the can and then hissed at it haha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

Hey brother,

I just took Wallace out tonight which is #2 trips out for today.

No biting but I got a little musk LOL!

I can tell he's still not totally comfortable here and I'm sure stress is involved with the cage change.

All info I have says retics should be handled somewhat frequently so I feel he should get accustomed to it.

He's already chilled out since being out of the cage so I'm happy. One handed typing now!

You are kind of the lead guy for us new retic keepers so keep the pictures and pots coming. I dig your laid back style!

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Haha how bad is the musk? I got a dab of musk on me from Allie when she fell off my shoulder and I picked her up. She bit my arm and then wiped a dab of musk on me lol. I interpret is as "don't ever let me fall again, human!!"

And I agree, it seems the more I handle and interact with Caesar, the mellower he becomes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

Hey brother,

I just took Wallace out tonight which is #2 trips out for today.

No biting but I got a little musk LOL!

I can tell he's still not totally comfortable here and I'm sure stress is involved with the cage change.

All info I have says retics should be handled somewhat frequently so I feel he should get accustomed to it.

He's already chilled out since being out of the cage so I'm happy. One handed typing now!

You are kind of the lead guy for us new retic keepers so keep the pictures and pots coming. I dig your laid back style!

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Haha thanks man, though I don't know that I'd call myself the lead guy for the SD/D retic gang here. I feel like you and Sauzo have the upper hand as far as experience working with multiple species of various sizes and temperaments. I was just the first of us to take the plunge with the tiny giants lol
Wallace musked you?! Gross haha. Is that a first from him? Phyllis has peed on me a couple times and for whatever reason I swear retics have the foulest waste of any snake I've worked with.
I handle Phyllis pretty regularly, every two days at least and she's pretty easy to work with unless she's hell bent on food. Even then she's been hook trained from day one and taps right out of feeding mode. I try to stay laid back as much as I can with her while still paying attention and showing her respect. If I'm uncertain in my actions she definitely can tell and gets a bit unsure of me. Gotta project confidence and a calm demeanor!
I'm super glad you guys got SD/D retics too so she have someone else to talk about our experience with. Yodawagon who is on here as well has one of Phyllis's sisters. Curious to hear how his is doing if he comes across any of our posts.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Haha thanks man, though I don't know that I'd call myself the lead guy for the SD/D retic gang here. I feel like you and Sauzo have the upper hand as far as experience working with multiple species of various sizes and temperaments. I was just the first of us to take the plunge with the tiny giants lol
Wallace musked you?! Gross haha. Is that a first from him? Phyllis has peed on me a couple times and for whatever reason I swear retics have the foulest waste of any snake I've worked with.
I handle Phyllis pretty regularly, every two days at least and she's pretty easy to work with unless she's hell bent on food. Even then she's been hook trained from day one and taps right out of feeding mode. I try to stay laid back as much as I can with her while still paying attention and showing her respect. If I'm uncertain in my actions she definitely can tell and gets a bit unsure of me. Gotta project confidence and a calm demeanor!
I'm super glad you guys got SD/D retics too so she have someone else to talk about our experience with. Yodawagon who is on here as well has one of Phyllis's sisters. Curious to hear how his is doing if he comes across any of our posts.


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No,

this was musk #2.

I was set on getting him out and he kept trying to go back in and the he finally whizzed on me. I think part of it was he ate 3 days ago and the other part was he was not into coming out. Once he's out he's great.

Funny my coastal carpet was is in shed and I took her out wth no tapping not nothing. She just came out and cruised around.

With only 1 snake each of the 4 different species I have here I can only generalize a far as personality. But my general finding at this point is the Aussie pythons seem to be very confident and outgoing once settled in.

I owe Wallace at least a year to do the same. My boa is rock solid as well but doesn't seem to have as much "personality" as the carpet. A lot of that could be species specific and instinctual.

These animals have a lot of specific and complex behaviors that relate to where they are from, their size, their habitat and so many other factors it is hard to compare them generally,

That said Wallace is a good dude and I think retics as a whole are very predictable and good natured in captivity if the are not first Gen. captives.

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Originally Posted by Gio

No,

this was musk #2.

I was set on getting him out and he kept trying to go back in and the he finally whizzed on me. I think part of it was he ate 3 days ago and the other part was he was not into coming out.

That said Wallace is a good dude and I think retics as a whole are very predictable and good natured in captivity if the are not first Gen. captives.

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Yeah, Phyllis had a huge sausage butt today and I was sure I was going to get hosed but lucked out. Never musked me in protest of anything yet though.
Funny you say that about first gen captives, as Phyllis is a first generation captive bred from wild caught parents. For all I've heard about bitey flighty super dwarfs she's relatively easy going but I think that has something to do with me working with her very consistently since she has been with me which was three weeks after she hatched. Still gets really excited about the cage doors opening but chills out fast as soon as she knows she's not being fed.



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Haha yeah Caesar gets excited when anything goes on around his cage. He's in a stack with Vicky and Rosey so anytime a door opens or I walk in front of the cages, he is instantly poking his head out of a hide to see whats going on if not already sitting half out of his hide.

I guess I'm the lucky one out of us 3. Caesar has not pissed on me yet. I did play Russian roulette though and had him out with sausage butt but he held it in. That night though I found a huge turd in the corner. He is pretty good as he goes poop and pee on the cool side back corner only so its easy to find his stuff.

And I too try and interact with Caesar as well as everyone every couple days at least. Usually its daily as I try and change everyones water daily.

I personally think the mainland blood in Gio and mine help to mellow them out. Like I've said, with Caesar, he's only gone into hardcore explorer mode twice. Otherwise, he is pretty content to sit on me and just stretch out to look at stuff. He seems to love when I cross my arms on my chest and he will just do an oval coil on me and sit there lol.

Retics are easily one of my favorites now. If/when they ever make pied SD retics, i'm going to have to sell a kidney for one :bow:

As far as experience, mine is pretty unconventional. I pretty much just treat all my snakes the same and they all act pretty much the same. They are all mellow loungers except Allison who like I said, I think whoever had her as a baby did something to her to make her so defensive but she is calming down a lot. I'm not really hip on all the technical stuff with them. I pretty much off what works for me and them. But thanks for thinking I have the upper hand :D

And I agree, I think snakes sense when you are unsure and that makes them unsure. When I got Caesar, I was worried about getting bit so he was kind of questioning me when I went to take him out. After a couple weeks, I was more confident and now with him, i just rub his head with the paper towel if he is excited or just reach in to his side and slide him out from underneath. Seems to work with everyone actually except Allison who i do come in low and slow but i'm still worried about getting bit by her haha.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...ee4a5a131f.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...f98233ebfc.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...c551e6b895.jpg
More of this crazy animal haha



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I guess Phyllis and Geoffrey sent Gerald a memo letting him know that the best seat in the house is directly on top of my head. Haha
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8a9fe871aa.jpg
Just been hanging out there for the last 15 minutes or so. He's been super mellow every handling session so far. Fun little critter for sure.


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It's cool when they chill like that and choose to stay in one place for more than a few seconds at a time. lol

My Kira don't like being handled, from the moment I touch her to the moment I let her back in she's always stretching and looking back to her viv. I take it as a compliment meaning I did well with her enclosure LOL.

Anyway she rather be hugging my wrist than in my hand, she hates being in my hands but she can tolerate being around my wrist. It's very funny. Your noodles look great! Congrats


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b95a382598.jpg
Something tells me this guy will need a 2' tall enclosure sooner than later in his life... likes to be up high whenever he can


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Kinda forgot about this thread until Gerald tried to climb onto my hat tonight hahhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...704c0fabd4.jpgcrazy how much he's grown in a year


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