Greetings and question

Hi. I'm a long time lurker, first time poster. :)

I became a BP Mom back in May when I got Sobe for my Birthday. This forum has been a huge help to me while calmed my "new parent" nerves. Sobe eats great and has really grown.

My question though is about color changes after sheds. Sobe has shed twice for me and he's getting lighter. After this last shed Sobe is more yellow and these brown spots are showing up in the dark fields along his back and his head has lightened up a lot. Really pretty but made me wonder if BP's stop changing after they reach a certain size or if they continue to change with each shed?

Thanks. :)

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...9/postshed.jpg

I really thought that BP's grow darker as teh grow. Hmm I think it keeps getting more vibrant , then once it reaches its pinnicale its grows darker. I dunno . I am certainly not an expert

Yeah. I thought they got darker too. That's why I was so surprised to see the light spots along his back. lol :)

I am interested as in why it isn't getting darker. One theory I would say is that it comes from a long line of hmm how can I put it "pure " captive bred ball pythons and the effect of darkening has been reduced and reversed.

I personally won't be worried becuase some breeders try to purify their morphs every year and one of the goals is to reduce darkening (at least for me it would ).

You should be considering yourself to be lucky

Welcome to the forum Khara. I'm no expert on b.p.'s by a long shot LOL but our younger one (7 or 8 months old) has changed shades a couple of times after sheds. Nothing dramatic but a definite difference in the shade of certain markings.

We have a number of really experienced owners/breeders around here so I'm sure someone will pop in with an answer to this.

Oh and Sobe is a sweetie! Very pretty!

~~Jo~~

Thanks Jo. :) It does make sheds even more exciting.I can look forward to seeing how much he changes in addition to seeing how nice a 'present' he leaves for me in his shed. :D I tell ya that was a shock in itself the first time he shed. :lmao:

I love the whole shedding process and knowing my snakes are growing well and needing to shed.

Our adoptee/rescue Punkin was not in the greatest shape when we got her. Her first shed, she's looking a tad better so we are really, really looking forward to this shed she's in right now and hoping to see an even prettier snake emerge. For some odd reason her color almost appears to have a greenish tone to it, very different than our other b.p.


~~Jo~~

And if you would get a darn camera Jo, we could SEE Baby and Punkin! LOL

Khara,

You can really see the difference in the picture from your avatar of your little one and the most recent post shed picture in the coloration changes. Same snake, right? The markings on the neck are identical.

I had admired your snake when I was uploading some new pics of my guy!

Jo, I'm glad that Punkin is improving. I really admire people who rescue and rehab ball pythons. I know it must have its stressful moments.

Hi Robin. :) Thanks. Yep, that's the same snake. I love taking pics of Sobe. I bet when he sees me he thinks oh here comes that crazy woman with that darn camera... again. :D

I know what you mean, I'm sure Kashmire is sick of me taking pictures of him, and my camera hasn't gotten so much use in a long time! I even killed the batteries and had to replace them! LOL


By the way, I checked out your gallery, and he really has made some dramatic color changes since you got him in May! Amazing!

I want a cam soooooooooooooo bad. One more major car repair coming up and then maybe maybe I can squeeze even a cheap cam out of this horrible budget of mine! Actually got a line on a decently priced, used one that a friend's mom might sell me as she's upgraded. So might not be the best of pics but it'll be something (if I get it that is).

I'd love to take a pic of Punkin outside. I don't know if it's the natural light or what but she's got an almost olive tone or wash to her. Her white markings aren't white or cream, they are sort of greenish in natural light??? Just cannot wait to see what this shed will bring with her as I'm convinced that the long term underfeeding couldn't have been good for her scale quality. She seems so much shiner and less "dirty" looking as time goes on.

Thanks for your kind thoughts Khara but we are just a family that took in one snake that wasn't really abused, just more of a case where the owners didn't really understand Punky's true needs and she ended up more of a failure to thrive thing. People like Rusty who spends countless hours and I'm sure countless dollars, let alone the emotional cost when some don't make it.....now those are the ones I stand in awe of.


~~Jo~~

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I'd love to take a pic of Punkin outside. I don't know if it's the natural light or what but she's got an almost olive tone or wash to her. Her white markings aren't white or cream, they are sort of greenish in natural light??? ~~Jo~~

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Yeah, just keep on teasing me with the descriptions, Jo! :P

Robin, I love the pics of Kashmire. Kashmire is a cutie. I also love the tank with all the plants. Do you ever have any trouble with Kashmire knocking things over. I know that Sobe loves to move his digital thermometer around and knock it over. LOL. :D

Jo, it's still really is a great thing you did taking Punkin in and giving the poor baby a proper home and care. Not everyone would be willing to take that on y'know? I hope you can get a cam soon. I'd love to see pics of Punkin. :)

Khara,


Right now, the only "plants" that Kashmire has are the ones on top of his cool side hide, and that's a pretty sturdy hide.

He did used to knock over his digital therm/hygrometer, but thanks to Jo's suggestion, it's now velcroed to the inside of the tank and he's small enough that his weight doesn't knock it over, plus he's pretty much gotten over trying to climb on it anyway. He prefers climbing on his cool side hide now.

I can't believe how big he's getting now. I got him July 7th, and he weighed 70 grams, went through an infestation of internal parasites (thank you Adam again, I'll thank you forever, for encouraging me to get him to a vet when he regurged his first meal with me), got over that with treatment, and tonight when I took the little fatty out, he weighed 146 grams! He seems to be bursting out of his skin, but no signs of shed right now. And he's just eating one mouse a week right now. Offered two, but normally just takes one.

Robin

Wow Robin 146! Go Kashie...go Kashie!

Thanks again Khara, we really are thrilled to have a chance to see Punkin just blossoming under our eyes and developing a much improved feeding response. We suspect Punky was fed in an overly small feeding tub as at first she didn't seem to know how to really strike a mouse and would stare very oddly straight upwards, as if she expected the mouse to be flying overhead???? It took her a bit but she clued in that mice don't fly LOL and now does a much more efficient job of nailing her pre-killed mice.

I'm waiting with baited breath right now for her shed (hopefully tomorrow) as I'm dying to see what the increase in proper nutrition and husbandry might produce.


~~Jo~~