White Lipped Python progression

I finally got around starting this thread. Not at all like I expected. I've had this snake for two weeks now and let him settle in the first week before I even tried to handle him. I attempted to feed him last week but he completely refused, opting instead to make a beeline for his hide. He's very shy and will go to his hide anytime he even sees me walk by the doorway (8ft away from his enclosure).

I left him alone again for another week and tried to handle him two days ago, he hisses but in a very non-threatening way. He looks to move away immediately. I went to grab him and he feinted a strike towards my hand (which I admit spooked me lol... he's easily the largest snake in my care at the moment) nonetheless he gave me the impression he's just bluffing and is obviously very nervous (I do believe he's wild caught).

I again tried feeding him today, this time I removed his hide since he went towards it immediately. This made him very nervous but he was clearly very interested in the rat I offered. He kept shifting his attention between me and the rat. I figured immediately he was willing to eat as long as I walked away, so I did. I was told he was eating live but did successfully feed F/T before he was shipped to me. I don't have appropriately sized rats for him yet so I thawed two small rats for him.

I'm trying to figure how to go about having a good handling session without causing too much stress to him. He seems very intelligent and aware. Any advice?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c6457bc343.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3ad89597bd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bf6738b6a1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...36b782888f.jpg


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And away he went into his hide. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ae3f54922d.jpg


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Very cool!

You scored there!

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Originally Posted by Gio

Very cool!

You scored there!

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Yeah, he's a beautiful snake. So much more impressive in person. I hope to handle him soon without causing him too much stress. I'm just glad he finally took a meal.

Thanks for starting this thread. I will be watching it and eagerly awaiting updates. I absolutely love white lips and would love to be ready and able to add one within a few years.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Thanks for starting this thread. I will be watching it and eagerly awaiting updates. I absolutely love white lips and would love to be ready and able to add one within a few years.

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I hope the thread helps you in the future. I will try and update as much as possible.

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Originally Posted by RamMac

I hope the thread helps you in the future. I will try and update as much as possible.

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Thanks!! Between the white lip and the jungle carpet you have two snakes on my wish list!

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Thanks!! Between the white lip and the jungle carpet you have two snakes on my wish list!

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The jungle has been great. Definitely the most defensive one but it's so worth it. I haven't had the white lipped for long but I can tell already he seems to be the most intelligent (then again he's the older of them all). I'm hoping he can get over being so shy. I expect to see some pictures when you get either a white lipped or a carpet.

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Originally Posted by RamMac

The jungle has been great. Definitely the most defensive one but it's so worth it. I haven't had the white lipped for long but I can tell already he seems to be the most intelligent (then again he's the older of them all). I'm hoping he can get over being so shy. I expect to see some pictures when you get either a white lipped or a carpet.

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Either is still at least a year out, but I promise I'll be sharing pics when the time comes :D

lovely baby. can't wait to watch him grow! [emoji4]

I don't have any advice but that is one nice looking snake!

Very nice WLP. I try not to handle new arrivals until they've eaten 2-3 times for me. A few good meals go a long way. Let him acclimate to the new environment a little longer and once he realizes you're not going to eat him he should calm down for you.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Very nice WLP. I try not to handle new arrivals until they've eaten 2-3 times for me. A few good meals go a long way. Let him acclimate to the new environment a little longer and once he realizes you're not going to eat him he should calm down for you.

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Thanks Ziggy. I'm going to try that approach until I start to notice him relax more. Like I said, he doesn't even seem defensive. He just seems scared and very shy. I'm hoping he can relax soon to where I don't stress him with handling.

Gorgeous snake! I don't know much about this species other than they have a reputation for being cage aggressive. If that's the case with this guy, I would suggest wearing leather gloves to take him out. That will give you the confidence to reach right in and pick him up without showing any fear or hesitation. I would also suggest hook training as well. Not to pick him up with the hook necessarily, but rather just to touch him with it to let him know that it's not feeding time then keep the hook between his head and your hand while you're grabbing him. Once you have him out, chances are he probably won't try to bite anymore. Keep your handling sessions short and sweet at first and always try to end them on a positive note, by letting him gently crawl from your hands back into his enclosure.

As far as feeding, after much experimenting and frustration with a couple of picky eaters, what i've learned that works extremely well for getting them switched over to frozen/thawed is, thawing the rats out to room temperature then using a blow dryer (I use a heat gun) to heat them up. If he is showing interest in the rat by coming up to it and flickering his tongue at it and/or rubbing up against it or following it around you have him right where you want him. Just keep heating the rat back up and offering it again. If he doesn't end up taking it, don't give in and give him live. Just rinse and repeat the following week on the next feeding day. I've been using the blow dryer method for the past 3 weeks and I can attest that it works miraculously! Not only are the couple picky eaters I had snatching the f/t up immediately now, but all of my other snakes are ravenously pacing back and forth at the front of their enclosures at feeding time from the heat gun blowing rat smell all over in the room!

And, for your entertainment pleasure...

White Lipped Python Bite:

https://youtu.be/GuAdRM08aao

I hope this helps...

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

Gorgeous snake! I don't know much about this species other than they have a reputation for being cage aggressive. If that's the case with this guy, I would suggest wearing leather gloves to take him out. That will give you the confidence to reach right in and pick him up without showing any fear or hesitation. I would also suggest hook training as well. Not to pick him up with the hook necessarily, but rather just to touch him with it to let him know that it's not feeding time then keep the hook between his head and your hand while you're grabbing him. Once you have him out, chances are he probably won't try to bite anymore. Keep your handling sessions short and sweet at first and always try to end them on a positive note, by letting him gently crawl from your hands back into his enclosure.

As far as feeding, after much experimenting and frustration with a couple of picky eaters, what i've learned that works extremely well for getting them switched over to frozen/thawed is, thawing the rats out to room temperature then using a blow dryer (I use a heat gun) to heat them up. If he is showing interest in the rat by coming up to it and flickering his tongue at it and/or rubbing up against it or following it around you have him right where you want him. Just keep heating the rat back up and offering it again. If he doesn't end up taking it, don't give in and give him live. Just rinse and repeat the following week on the next feeding day. I've been using the blow dryer method for the past 3 weeks and I can attest that it works miraculously! Not only are the couple picky eaters I had snatching the f/t up immediately now, but all of my other snakes are ravenously pacing back and forth at the front of their enclosures at feeding time from the heat gun blowing rat smell all over in the room!

And, for your entertainment pleasure...

White Lipped Python Bite:

https://youtu.be/GuAdRM08aao

I hope this helps...

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Great points. Again, I could be wrong but I really don't think he's cage aggressive, he is more scared and shy. there is no aggressive posturing (like my jungle for example) his first instinct is to go into his hide. I was just hesitant because I don't want to stress him out too soon, especially since he had not had his first meal with me yet. He's had one now and I'm trying Ziggy's advice and feeding him twice more before I attempt to handle again. I have found it very hard to find too much information on keeping this species however the most prevalent info I have is on how defensive and willing to bite they are. I acquired this WLP from Dan Mulleary, all the information I have from him is that the locality this WLP is from they differ in that they are not bitey like the other WLP. I trust him and so far his behavior agrees with this claim. At the moment he's in a plastic tub, and even when the tub is closed and I so much as walk by from outside the room he will hide.

With that being said I will possibly buy a set of gloves just in case... Thanks Aedryan Methyus

Not an exciting update (no pictures :colbert:), but I figured I would update it since this is a learning experience for myself and others who want to follow this species (given that there aren't many keepers or info).He really enjoys soaking, I find him soaking just about half the time that I find him outside his hide. The other half he spends out on the cool side. He pees a lot. I had to spot clean twice this week and just a few hours ago changed his substrate. I have yet to notice any regurgitating of fur, or "castings" which they are known to do after some meals. He's fed twice with me so far. I noticed today his tub was very condensed along with an unpleasant smell which is why I just decided to change his substrate. I found more urates :O and a significant amount of his bedding was wet (either pee or water from him soaking). I was really trying to refrain from any handling until he fed at least once more but this would not be a handling session.

This is when I noticed something very interesting about him. I picked up his hide and placed it on the opposite end of the tub. When I reached in to pick him up he balled up and hid his head very similar to a BP. Once I actually touched him he went toward his hide so I quickly removed him from the tub and placed him in a small tub just to contain him while I cleaned his enclosure. While I was holding him I noticed his cloaca starting to open. Yes, he musks, although I didn't notice it initially. When I saw his cloaca opening I swiftly placed him in the other tub and although I did notice a distinct odor, I didn't think much of it and proceeded to clean the enclosure. When I went to place him back in his enclosure he again balled up and hid his head like a BP. I picked him up and noticed that distinct odor again and noticed the musk on my fingers. While I did not enjoy the musk, I suppose it's better than a bite.

So, although not a defensive (bitey) python, but rather shy and musky, I can see handling sessions will be important if I want him to be an easy handling snake. I'm not yet sure if I'll eventually do a bigger arboreal set up to display him, since he is shy and hides a lot. I will however soon move him into my yet unused AP T8. I haven't used it because my other snakes are still to small for it, but I also recently noticed that AP did not include heat tape for it as I ordered it. I want to use a RHP anyway, and I don't want to use one without a proportional thermostat (which I don't yet have). That's all the updates for now.