Koh - a progression thread for my first snake

Hello all! I know that progression threads are a common thing here, and I wanted to get in on the action so that I can look back and see how much our little baby has grown in the future. I really wish I'd have done this with our little beardie, who is now a big girl, and although we have photos we didn't keep any kind of journal so I wanted to do that!

**Jan 2nd**
We got Koh! We'd had her vivarium running for a few days at this point. Our set up is a bioactive viv, and it's pretty huge. We don't want to have to 'update' it too much. I know that many people advise that a big viv is too scary for small animals because of security, but we made sure to clutter and clutter hard, with options for if she seemed too stressed. Leaf litter, branches, several hides and a log with one end closed off, along with live plants that provide cover. She has a small uvb light on a 12 hour cycle, which is specifically for species that don't really like light, and a ceramic heater controlled by a thermostat.

At this point we haven't named her! She weighs 78g and once we bring her home she immediately slithers into one of the hides. We leave her. We have no idea what to call her. My partner suggests "Koh", because she has lots of those lil' alien 'heads' (we didn't know that they were called that) and they look like faces. Koh is similar to the Japanese word for face, and is apparently a face stealing character from Avatar according to my partner. So she's named that cuz' she stole all the faces. They're on her noodle body. [emoji23]

**Jan 5th**
Koh is spending pretty much 24/7 in her hides, mainly on the hot side. She comes out at night and figures out that there is a water dish! I see her drink for the first time.

**Jan 7th**
She seems to have figured out that she can go under the log. The log has only one entrance and is filled with leaf litter inside, making it a lot snugger than you'd think. She hides in the day, but every night without fail she sticks her little head out like she's waiting for food. I try to feed, and get many tongue licks, but no dice. I leave the mouse out but she doesn't bite.

**Jan 9th**
I came down stairs at night and was surprised to see her climbed all the way up her branch at the highest point! She seems secure, but then falls off when coming down. A little plop doesn't seem to bother her, and she continues cruising.

**Jan 14**
Time to try food again! As her little head is peeking out of the log she definitely seems like she's in hungry mode. I try heating up and braining the food this time. Her first strike misses, but I'm hoping she'll try again... She does! She shoots. She scores. I leave her to eat.

**Jan 15**
I come down in the morning to see if she managed to finish. The mouse is gone and her belly is plump. She's curled up on top of her hide at the hottest part of the viv - maybe she's super-digesting. She lazes like this until midday, and then goes back into her hide.

Hopefully lots of updates to come. I really wanna handle her but I want to wait till she definitely feels good. All of her behaviour seems pretty on point though, despite my worries about the big viv. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...621864c863.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9e0fa3f08f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6565d910fe.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...53e604cc43.jpg

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Very cute, love the viv set up, them bromeliads look really nice as she grows you may have to change them as a big chunky snake on them often flattens them, lol
looks really good tho, I love to see natural set ups

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Very cute, love the viv set up, them bromeliads look really nice as she grows you may have to change them as a big chunky snake on them often flattens them

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In her short life, she has already managed to knock some of them so they 'fall' to the side several times, so I shudder to think of the carnage when she gets bigger. [emoji23]


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Nice looking noodle and cool setup. Sounds like you all are off to a good start. Keep up the good work.

Love the name! :D And it looks like you've got her figured out...she looks comfy in your beautiful set up & I look forward to your updates. At this point, she's got
her "learner's permit" & I expect soon she'll be off to the races, or at least a 'demolition-derby' for the plants, lol.

What a cutie. Awesome name too. Great job on the enclosure looks cool. Well done doing your research and preparing ahead of time. It makes everything so much easier.

**17th Jan**

I've come downstairs to do some cleaning in the day and she's having a 'bask' under her CHE. I decide to give her a little weigh so I can keep track of her, since it's been 3 days since she ate. I pick her up, and she doesn't ball up! She actually seems fairly okay, she isn't even head shy when my finger accidentally brushes her neck. She's weighing in at 101g, from her starting weight of 78g.

I let her 'roam' for about 15 minutes on my body so that her stress levels can fall whilst she's being handled so it isn't just acute stress. She seems to like climbing up and down my arms, but when she looks up at my face she sort of 'nopes' in the other direction and then continues cruising. Her roaming on top of a black shirt got me the opportunity to get some snaps! She really is beautiful.

No more handling or weighing until her next two meals I've decided - since I've just read you're supposed to wait multiple feedings! She seems confident and not stressed, so hopefully she feels comfortable enough to eat and I didn't mess up too bas.

After I put her back, she was pretty chilled! She cruised over to her water dish, had a drink (they drink so adorably!), then climbed her branch, plopped (read: fell) down, and cruised back over to her hot side. She yawned, and evidently fancied a nap, as she went to go curl up in her hide. Sleep sweetly little noodle.

Pictures incoming! (Accidentally used flash, her viv is much darker!)







https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d88df16e60.gifhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9b4c0efed6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...adec10cf6c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d621be92a4.jpg

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Absololol

...
No more handling or weighing until her next two meals I've decided - since I've just read you're supposed to wait multiple feedings! She seems confident and not stressed, so hopefully she feels comfortable enough to eat and I didn't mess up too ba[d]...

Oops! Yeah, patience is best ("safer") but understandably difficult for most of us. :)

After I put her back, she was pretty chilled! She cruised over to her water dish, had a drink (they drink so adorably!)...

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Actually, they suck... (literally). :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Actually, they suck... (literally). :D

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Yes! I could tell she was drinking due to the back of her head moving a little! [emoji23]

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**Jan 19th**

Its muh birthday! My mother actually got me some nice things for my reptiles despite never really taking an interest in them or meeting them - she came over and handled my beardie who is understandably receptive to snugs, and she gifted me a piece of bark for Koh. I disinfected it and fashioned it into another hide - it makes for a nice tiny space for her to cram herself into so she really is spoiled for choice at this point.

I offer her food again today and she takes the mouse pretty much straight away. I want to get her onto rat fuzzies, I think I'm gonna put some in the same bag as the mice since I eventually do want her on rats.

I keep hearing conflicting things about feeding schedules - the guy we got her from said to feed every 5 days until she's 200g - but other places around seem to say 7 days? I'll probably wait until next Sunday for her next feed, I don't want to stress her out by feeding too frequently.

She ate so quick this time and after went to 'bask' under her CHE. It seems like after eating she loves that spot. When I came down in the morning she was still there, all snug and digesting. [emoji5] https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...06ab2c7096.jpg

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Bonus cute pic of the day! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...adbc9ef87f.jpg

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And yeah, she keeps pushing that plant onto the mesh of the heat guard. I think she will end up killing the poor thing.

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Another (gross) update! I went down to see her today, and she was basking again. She really loves her CHE, for some reason. SNAKES DO BASK!

I noticed something today, a treat for me in the form of a cloaca 'cookie'... I took a paper towel and buried it under the substrate, there were already a bunch of springtails eagerly awaiting the feast... makes me feel a bit sick but at least her bum isn't so 'sausage' looking now, it was starting to look silly.

**24th Jan**
She seemed hongry, her head poking out, so we offered a mouse. She took it straight away. I ordered some rat fuzzies (?) to wean her onto since she's growing pretty fast. We've had her almost a month but she hasn't shed yet! I'm kind of excited for it.

**25th Jan**
She fell in her water bowl today because she's an idiot. She likes to drink. She is becoming way more accustomed to handling, she doesn't ball up and isn't even head shy, when I bump her (or she bumps herself) on the head by accident she seems to take it very well. I'm kinda worried bc she seems to have a little bit of skin stuck in her nose and it's making her wheeze! She is acting normal otherwise though.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...76952a6f53.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...26209826b5.jpg

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"Clumsy" sounds a lot better than "idiot"...;) She's a snake, why don't you try getting thru the day without using hands & feet? Anyway the water may help to
wash out or hydrate whatever's going on with her plugged nostril. It doesn't sound like an RI to me either...more likely some substrate &/or minor injury to her
nostril that will shed out in time...snakes shed the outer skin of their nostrils, fyi. Until she does, you can just call her Dixie? (as in Whistling Dixie? :D)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

"Clumsy" sounds a lot better than "idiot"...;) She's a snake, why don't you try getting thru the day without using hands & feet? Anyway the water may help to
wash out or hydrate whatever's going on with her plugged nostril. It doesn't sound like an RI to me either...more likely some substrate &/or minor injury to her
nostril that will shed out in time...snakes shed the outer skin of their nostrils, fyi. Until she does, you can just call her Dixie? (as in Whistling Dixie? :D)

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Haha I didn't mean it as an insult! She's a loveable clumsy little idiot. She was tempting fate by balancing like this! I also can't hear any wheezing today. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4f2544c5d6.jpg

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29th Jan 2020

It looks like she's 'in blue'! She's meant to eat tomorrow. I'll offer, and if she doesn't take it I'll push to the day after her shed and restart from there. I've topped up her water bowl a bit and her damp hide is there for her. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fa117377c7.jpg

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30th Jan

She ate! I'm surprised because she is mid shed cycle. I know some are picky so I thought I would offer and then just move the feeding forward if she 'declined'... Her eyes seem to have gone back to normal, maybe she's about to shed? :D

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Her body is her pillow. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6bebc6fa80.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4750751d8b.jpg

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Screw the exact date, she shed today. It's weird finding it in her viv all compacted and then rolling it out to see how long it is. She definitely needed it, her scales were starting to spread a lot! [emoji23]

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4th Feb!

Tried feeding a rat today and she took it no problem! Didn't even have to do the zombie dance, she came over as she smelled it and took it from the tongs before I could even react. She's so good! She's getting so big so fast! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c485638231.jpg

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I haven't posted in a while!
Koh is getting along great. She is not really head shy, and will even eat for me in the day. She is really good. I tried her with a slightly larger weaner rat, only slightly bigger than her middle, but she seemed to have a bit of trouble finding its head. She coiled around it 3 times. But leaving it overnight did nothing. So I reluctantly gave a large fuzzy. I guess I'll swap to weaners next time.

She has a new log for her enclosure and she seems to love it. Also... I came downstairs to her swallowing the last of her meal with her head straight up... Kinda looked like she was howling. Cute. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9d9c09d5da.gifhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8efcfe7c05.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5c47345139.gif

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I believe it's known as a "gravity assist" :P

https://scontent.fman2-2.fna.fbcdn.n...ad&oe=5EC63799

She ate her first weaner today! Yay!

This was such a fun read! Any updates?

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Hello friends. It's been so long and I've been so busy!

Some updates about Koh:

She now weighs almost 250g. We got her when she was about 80g so she's gotten so much bigger! Shes now almost ready for larger weaner rats. She's as voracious as ever.

She still is a little skittish, but she's okay with being handled, she loves to hide in the day and climb about exploring and basking at night. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7a1c425834.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...be831847bd.jpg

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Damn, she's outgrowing these rats so quick that she only needs to eat a few. She is voracious at the moment and came right over to me to take it off the tongs. She's lovely. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...baff4d9323.jpg

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Nice looking critter. It's great when they're reliable eaters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJN3Z62Qmk

This was her first time eating a large weaner rat. I think it was just the right size for her, a tiny bit bigger than her middle? I hope I'm doing okay with sizing. She eats so cutely. She's like 'hmm... food... is that food.... yep!' and then strikes. It's funny and cute. Also she killed the plants in her vivarium by derooting them and pushing them towards the ceramic heater. I'm gonna have to replace them.

Also yes I'm one of those idiots who doesn't tilt my phone. I legitimately always forget to do that. It's an illness.

Hi everyone. I hope you all are safe.

We weighed Koh yesterday and she is now 390g!

Wow, she was under 80g in January. How she has grown! Anyone know if this is a good rate of growth? [emoji14]

Aww. She grow. And a great companion for working from home, too. Pics attached of the curious noodle https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d5456d09d7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...eb0796604b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...43239193ef.jpg

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Gotta love the stretchy pose. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0312968344.jpg

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Wow. Just had her finish her 3rd shed. All without a hitch. Nothing retained and as I removed it she stuck her head out of her favourite log-on-log 'hide' for food since she missed it in shed. She's the most docile reliable pet I could have asked for. Hopefully this continues for the rest of her life!

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Here's her beautiful face and her beautiful shed. Seeing the little eyecaps always weirds me out! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c7f90b0a29.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...330db9a489.jpg

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It's official - Koh has now used every single hide in the vivarium. This 'moss cave' went unused even in shed, but it seems since she's bigger she now can sometimes be found in there in the day. She is getting more big and beautiful every day. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5408715e3c.jpg

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Looks comfy... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...de40877be9.jpg

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Today she got a new big plant to replace the ones she so mercilessly pushed into the che.

Feat. Her favourite hiding spot - log on log, logception! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e4a12716e7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d49f806e4b.jpg

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Well, that's one way of using a cave... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6e259fdb33.jpg

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Today Koh ate a small rat as her prey. She's about 400g and I almost feel like the rat could have been too big. She managed to get it down and it was maybe slightly bigger than her middle, but given she's still only about 6 months old I'm wondering if that was too big. It seems like the large weaners are too small, and the small rats are too big!

Anyone have any idea? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1acda79a46.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f3c507cc0b.jpg

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Still my beautiful girlhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8afd553148.jpg

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Absololol

Hi everyone. I hope you all are safe.

We weighed Koh yesterday and she is now 390g!

Wow, she was under 80g in January. How she has grown! Anyone know if this is a good rate of growth? [emoji14]

Aww. She grow. And a great companion for working from home, too. Pics attached of the curious noodle https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...d5456d09d7.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...eb0796604b.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...43239193ef.jpg

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Wow, what an absolute beauty! She's so vibrant and clearly happy!

Makes me laugh how this cave is still too roomy for her and yet she loves it. She's either basking on top of it, or half in and out... Happy she has a familiar home and she really does show preferences and habits which is nice.

Maybe she likes having the one cave she can let it all hang out in after those big meals...
... She seems to switch between her hides pretty evenly but her love for this one will always make me chuckle. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f414b79850.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...538ef057bf.jpg

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All I can say is wow! Successful 4th shed, no stuck stuff at all... unfortunately, next to the shed was the hugest poop I've ever seen. Damn, these snakes can poop!

Still adorable, still friendly.
Like clockwork she knows when she's due a feed too. So eager, so lovely. Live for times like this where I walk past and she's 'hunting' [emoji23] https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...65d5b164c4.jpg

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I weighed her today and she was 560g! I don't know if this is good for 7 months.
She's my lil baby.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...900&height=675

Terrible pic but I caught her in the act of doing a climb. Cutie. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b01fb60fe6.jpg

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Makea me laugh how she's hanging with her tail wrapped around and her belly falling off. Cutie. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...44efb2967d.jpg

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She's still doing amazing. Now weighs 550g.
Still got a decent appetite, but reduced the feeding to between 9-12 days.

Her favourite thing to do after eating is to curl in the mouth of her big cave. It's her solution to basking when she also wants to feel snug. Lol. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4f37d79e54.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...dfb15ac2d7.jpg

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that big chunky belly right after eating makes me laugh so much.

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7dd1654108.jpg

Not much to update really - she's chonky and happy. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...452247b043.jpg

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