Extreme Close-Up

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...pswyuv7w18.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...psdpdmu6ll.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdz3rHmQbsw

Pappy shed this morning so I relieved him of his box for some outside time.

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...psqjjixilm.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...psyrlrffcx.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps6u5dort8.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...psyogmotzy.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps2roxubuz.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...psquht0w3l.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps3b08attj.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...pszvoixlmi.jpg

http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...pshxzfyxeq.jpg

Pappy is great looking...May I ask what species?

That's one beautiful olive python John. I don't see many people keeping those. I'd love to have an albino olive one day.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ratikal

Pappy is great looking...May I ask what species?

---

Thanks, Ratikal. He's a Liasis(Apodora) papuana, aka papuan olive python.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

That's one beautiful olive python John. I don't see many people keeping those. I'd love to have an albino olive one day.

---

Thanks, Ziggy. I've never kept the Aussie version but they are pretty neat too from what I've gathered. :gj:

He is such an awesome snake! He's another one of yours that I can't get enough of. :)

What a gorgeous snake! He is quite different and that is what catches my eye with snakes like that!

Amazing reptile John! I'd say the Lexus version of giant pythons.... Grats.

The BEST!

I think they are the KING of the nonvenomous snakes. They eat anything including other pythons! They use the tress, the ground, are large, agile and simply beautiful.

I just caught this today and I'm glad I did.

You have the most unique, large python out there IMO!

He's beautiful!

Wow what a cool face

I love that last photo with the cow watching. :)

Now THAT's a snake! [emoji216][emoji216][emoji216][emoji216]. Absolutely gorgeous and HUGE


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

May I have your permission to post pics of him on my FB page? He's absolutely stunning


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

@ John- What size enclosure do you keep your Olive in?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pbyeerts

May I have your permission to post pics of him on my FB page?

---

Anything I post in the internet is public domain. As long as my pictures aren't being used to cast a negative light on reptiles, I'm good with it. :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

@ John- What size enclosure do you keep your Olive in?

---

Pappy is in a 48x24x15, T8 from animal plastics, but he practically lives in a 17x9x9 hide. I could probably go smaller since the rest of the enclosure is basically just a pooping grounds and water bowl holder. He pokes his head out to eat/drink and when he has to use the bathroom he simply hangs his tail over the side and lets it rip. He never drops waste in the hide, which makes cleaning very convenient. I simply pull out the box(with Pappy in it) and take care of the soiled paper. The only time he fully exits is to slough his skin and then he's back in his cozy little hole. Even as a youngster, he utilized very little enclosure space. He'd have a favorite spot and stick to it except when he required food, drink, or bathroom. I'd still like to try him in an arboreal setup though. I figure if I attach hides to the bottom, middle, and top sections he might at least come out to move from one hide to the next. It's more of an experimental idea than priority though, because I'm pretty sure he'll just park in the bottom hide to be close to his water bowl.

Rereading my response, some parts might come across wrong so I'm adding this next bit. I am not trying to portray these are lazy critters that you can simply toss in a tiny box. On the contrary, Pappy is extremely active once outside the enclosure and handles/cruises rather like a reticulated python but in a more slender package. They just seem to learn their surroundings fairly quickly - for a snake - and settle into their favorite spot(s) instead of constantly cruising in futility. So here we have what might appear at first glance a benefit, something that also presents a problem. You don't need a large enclosure, relative to their size, to keep a papuan python. They are going to basically cruise around and learn their "space" then settle into one or two favorite spots to park 99% of the time. Everything might seem hunky-dory but you have to remember these are inquisitive and active outside the enclosure. If you don't have the time or inclination to bring them out frequently, for enrichment, then this is simply not the species for you.

This is what I see when I come into the reptile room. He'll watch me for a couple minutes but if he doesn't see(or smell) food he soon loses interest and heads back down:http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/z...psqjjixilm.jpg

Wow, great information John. I always thought I'd need at least an 8 foot cage for one of those. Now, a Papuan may be in reach after all. :) Down the trail a bit that is.

Great information John. Thanks for sharing. How often do you take Pappy outside? Have you done that for him since he was young? Also, what is his temperament and feeding regiment like? Sorry for all the questions but they seem like great snakes and yet we rarely see them. Thanks again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Great information John. Thanks for sharing. How often do you take Pappy outside? Have you done that for him since he was young? Also, what is his temperament and feeding regiment like? Sorry for all the questions but they seem like great snakes and yet we rarely see them. Thanks again.

---

He comes out at least once every week for an exploration session. If it's below 70 outside, he just spends the time knocking stuff down in the house - surprised there are trees still standing in New Guinea. I have done the same since he was young. He just got less free range and I had to keep a closer eye on him lest one of our hawks/eagles decided it was meal time. Temperament is good but he doesn't realize his own strength and is a tight gripper, which can be disconcerting if you're not used to it. They're vocal in the same way carpets can be with that heavy air expelled from the nose. That's the only sign of displeasure I've personally ever received - no gaping, striking, biting or musking in my experience. I had a female WC about 12 years ago and she was the same way as Pappy. This isn't the case for all papuans though and I've heard of folks with some that can be real handfuls. I maintained a standard 7 day feeding schedule when Pappy was younger. Now I usually feed every other week. Occasionally, I'll feed a rather massive prey item then let him fast a while. Pappy got a 4 pound rabbit last year and I think it was 2-3 months before I fed him again. I like to keep mine looking more like their wild counterparts - lean and muscular.

That is one beautiful snake you have. Love the pictures!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John1982

He comes out at least once every week for an exploration session. If it's below 70 outside, he just spends the time knocking stuff down in the house - surprised there are trees still standing in New Guinea. I have done the same since he was young. He just got less free range and I had to keep a closer eye on him lest one of our hawks/eagles decided it was meal time. Temperament is good but he doesn't realize his own strength and is a tight gripper, which can be disconcerting if you're not used to it. They're vocal in the same way carpets can be with that heavy air expelled from the nose. That's the only sign of displeasure I've personally ever received - no gaping, striking, biting or musking in my experience. I had a female WC about 12 years ago and she was the same way as Pappy. This isn't the case for all papuans though and I've heard of folks with some that can be real handfuls. I maintained a standard 7 day feeding schedule when Pappy was younger. Now I usually feed every other week. Occasionally, I'll feed a rather massive prey item then let him fast a while. Pappy got a 4 pound rabbit last year and I think it was 2-3 months before I fed him again. I like to keep mine looking more like their wild counterparts - lean and muscular.

---

Thanks for the information.

I do believe a Papuan just made the top of my list! Even before a heavily desired BC (BCC). :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reinz

Thanks for the information.

I do believe a Papuan just made the top of my list! Even before a heavily desired BC (BCC). :rolleyes:

---

Right on, they're incredible captives that definitely deserve more love and time. As Pappy grows more I probably will upgrade slightly. Instead of following the length + width rule for enclosures, I just include all sides. So, for a 16 foot snake papuan, I'd use at least a 6x2 foot enclosure - more emphasis on width maybe to incorporate a wider hide box option.

Omg how much more will he grow?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pbyeerts

Omg how much more will he grow?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

I reckon he's done most of his growing by now. I'd be surprised if he got noticeably much larger in the coming decades. Females max out around 17 feet but 14-15 seems more common. Males are usually several feet shorter at their max. I'll have to get an accurate measurement and weight of this boy sometime, if for not other reason than to compare in the coming years.

OK John, you may not have noticed my probing questions earlier but your pics of Pappy got me to do a little more than just thinking. I had never considered an olive python before seeing Pappy. I'll be trying my hand with a hatchling come next week. I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...psuwgbe0ut.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

OK John, you may not have noticed my probing questions earlier but your pics of Pappy got me to do a little more than just thinking. I had never considered an olive python before seeing Pappy. I'll be trying my hand with a hatchling come next week. I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you.

http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/...psuwgbe0ut.jpg

---

Cool, my pleasure, Ziggy! While I've never kept olivaceus, they seem like really neat snakes. I look forward to hearing your experiences and observations raising one up from a young age. It'll be interesting to compare the 2 as they're back in the same genus yet again.

John- I haven't been been able to find any information on the differences between the Australian and Papuan olives. Any obvious distinctions that you know of?

Olivaceus are typically a single color dorsally with a cream/white underside. Papuana are two tone on the top, lighter shades running bilaterally down a darker top color. I don't think that olivaceus alter their shades from day to day like papuana sometimes do either. Papuana have a more rounded nose and a rather distinct "cut" off of their lighter color chin where it turns into more of a yellow/white belly. There's also a fair bit of variation(Papuan pythons from the eastern half of New Guinea are bigger and have a longer head than the Papuans from the Western Papua end of New Guinea - Dave Barker) depending on what side of their range the papuana came from. Aussie olives are crazy when it comes to eating though. There are some pretty wild pictures of them taking enormous meals if you google around a bit - stuff like kangaroos and crocodiles! I can't comment on their behavior though since I've never kept one. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing about your experiences with yours.

Omg I'm in love with Pappy! No chance of a big boy in my life, so I'll admire from afar. Please keep posting about him!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk