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  1. #61
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Shayna doesn't do it too much, but when she does, it's awesomely cute!

    UP Periscope!

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]


    [IMG][/IMG]

    ​Down Periscope! Hiding Mode On!

    [IMG][/IMG]

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  3. #62
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Shayna turned 6 years old yesterday. I've had her since she was 5 months old and 200G. She's happily taken F/T since she's been with me, and although she has her (generally 5 month) winter fasts, she's a good eater on an every two week feeding schedule. She's about 1,700G and doing great.

    I had 2 corn snakes and a bearded dragon (George - after George Carlin - RIP) before my kidney transplant in 2012. I also kept fish, including a 240 Gallon (8X2X2') tank where I bred Mpimbwe Frontosa, a big African Cichlid that lives in brackish lakes with high PH. I kept 9 females and 3 males. The males get big humps on their heads and average 9-12 inches in length. The females don't have the hump and only get 7-9 inches or so in length.

    In any event, as I got closer to my transplant, I got too sick and fatigued to keep up the huge breeding fish tank and a separate 90G smaller african cichlid tank. I had to give them up.

    I was also told I couldn't keep reptiles because of the high risk of infection from them and from me being immune suppressed. I, unfortunately, listened to the doctors, who fear what they don't understand, but don't necessarily bother to research either. I got rid of my two corn snakes (to a good home), but kept George, my Bearded Dragon, because my ex-wife said she would look after him, which, of course didn't happen.

    So, severely, immune suppressed and recovering from transplant surgery and a separate, more invasive surgery to fix a structural issue with the transplanted kidney (7 month recovery in all), I cared for George anyway. You know what, I didn't get sick from him.

    After transplant, I began researching reptile keeping again. I talked to various people and did a lot of research. When severely immune suppressed I wear gloves to clean after the reptiles, and otherwise, I wash my hands all the time and don't lick reptile feces. So far, 6 1/2 years later, no issues.

    When things started calming down after the transplant and the surgeries and 6 months of frequent rejection and BK Virus, I wanted to get some more reptiles. Number one on my list was an Albino BP. I had wanted one since I was 10 years old, and they were crazy money back in 1990.

    Getting back to the point of this post, I got Shayna, an Albino Spider BP from Mark Petros. She's been wonderful and a great snake/reptile ambassador. She's so bright and beautiful and hardly intimidating. She's also very calm and gentle.

    I couldn't have asked for a better animal to get me back into reptile keeping. George passed almost 3 years ago at about 11 years old. He developed Pancreatitis and it hurt him to eat. I could have potentially done a very invasive surgery to remove his pancreas and he would have had a 3-4 month recovery and might have bought him a year total. Having just been through two major surgeries, I couldn't put him through that and I put him down. I know it was the right thing, but it broke my heart. I also signed my divorce settlement papers, and lost my Grandfather, the week before.

    The collection got down to just Shayna and the Leopard Geckos, but it's back at full strength now and then some. 8 reptiles in total in 7 tanks (4 snakes, 1 Blue Tongue Skink, and 3 Leopard Geckos).

    I want to wish Shayna a happy birthday and thank her for rekindling my love for keeping these amazing creatures and making them part of our family.

    A long way to go for a short thank you, but I appreciate anyone who read through this.

    Here's Shayna enjoying a nice rat dinner! Oh, by the way, do you know what the hard part about feeding a snake a rat on their birthday is? Where to stick the candles!

    [IMG][/IMG]

    Here is a pictures of an adult male Mpimbwe Frontosa, like I used to keep.

    [IMG][/IMG]

  4. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to dakski For This Useful Post:

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  5. #63
    BPnet Senior Member richardhind1972's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Happy belated birthday Shayna,looking great dakski

    Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk
    Last edited by richardhind1972; 09-03-2018 at 02:31 AM.

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  7. #64
    BPnet Lifer EL-Ziggy's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Congrats on the successful recovery D and Happy Birthday Shayna! I'm glad it all worked out well for you brother!
    Last edited by EL-Ziggy; 09-03-2018 at 10:44 AM.
    3.0 Carpet Pythons, 1.1 Bullsnakes
    1.0 Olive Python 1.0 Scrub Python,
    1.0 BI, 0.1 BCO

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  9. #65
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Quote Originally Posted by richardhind1972 View Post
    Happy belated birthday Shayna,looking great dakski

    Sent from my TA-1024 using Tapatalk
    Thanks Richard! She certainly enjoyed her birthday rat!

    Quote Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy View Post
    Congrats on the successful recovery D and Happy Birthday Shayna! I'm glad it all worked out well for you brother!
    Thanks El-Ziggy, I really appreciate it.

    I had forgotten about the pictures below.

    Katie wanted to hold Shayna this past Friday while I was cleaning her tank and water bowls.

    Unfortunately, Katie was rather tired, and actually fell asleep holding Shayna! I was there and so the whole thing unfold and snapped some pictures. Shayna was never at risk.

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

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  11. #66
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Funny story about Shayna tonight and also, some good news.

    Shayna shed last night and was due to eat today, so I offered her usual medium rat. She had zero interest in it. Lately, she's been gobbling them down. It is getting close to when she fasts and she shed yesterday and was out today while I cleaned the tank up (she did not leave waste, which is unusual).

    I put the rat in and left it for about 20 minutes (F/T of course). When I came back, the rat was in the middle of the tank still, and there was a massive butt bomb on the left side of the tank. Hmmmmm, didn't drop one last night and wouldn't eat tonight, I should have known!

    I got the rat out, and since she had no interest in it and rarely strikes at even her food, I blocked her head with a hide and touched her a few times. Then she let me pick her up and take her out to clean the tank. Everything is nice and clean now and she's back home. I'll offer again in two weeks.

    Now, the good news (X2). First, I weighed Shayna dry tonight. She's 1,770G! He previous record was last year and the year before at 1,600G before she fasted. I think she loves her new digs and has been eating pretty regularly. She seems very happy. Not at all worried about this year's fast if it just started or if it starts soon. Healthy girl.

    Secondly, she had rubbed her snout and neck area and had that black indentation on her snout/top of mouth area. He neck was a little raw as well. Not sure exactly why she did that, but I hit the snout with anti-biotic cream for a few days and it got better, but not gone. After her shed last night, the snout is totally healed and the neck area looks pretty normal again. I am very happy.

    Pictures below:

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

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  13. #67
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    And so it begins; well, the fall/winter fast anyway.

    Shayna topped out a month ago at 1,770G dry (last weight, but she had one meal since - 1 month ago as well), but has refused her past two rats (last night and 2 weeks prior).

    This is about when she usually starts her fall/winter fasts anyway, and she's been gobbling down rats all summer, so I am not concerned. Just Shayna being a BP, like normal.

    I am going to offering 1X a month until she eats. No need to bother her. She's healthy and happy otherwise.

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  15. #68
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Shayna hasn't eaten in about 7 weeks and I will offer again next weekend (every month once I know she's fasting). She peed and I weighed her this week. 7 weeks of not eating and a good pee and she's down to 1,730G, or 40G. Not a big deal at all.

    She's been pretty inactive, but was moving around last night a little (I caught her going from hide to hide). I took her out today for a quick once over and she looks great. I limit taking her out to maybe once a week (unless she sheds, pees, etc.) while she is fasting too let her rest and preserve her energy.

    I'll keep everyone posted on the yearly weight loss, but I don't expect her to eat again until February or March. She will probably be down to about 1,600G by then, but will make the weight back quickly.

    This will be year 4 of this (Shayna turned 6 this year), so not a big deal for me anymore, and she certainly doesn't seem to mind. Just part of owning a BP.

    A couple of pictures below of Shayna on the scale.

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

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  17. #69
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Admiral Shayna: "Raise Periscope!"

    [IMG][/IMG]

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    Bogertophis (12-10-2018),Dianne (11-09-2018),dr del (11-09-2018),Michelle-07 (11-10-2018),richardhind1972 (11-10-2018)

  19. #70
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

    Shayna refused two meals in a row (2 week intervals) 2 months ago and it's that time of year, so I switched to offering monthly. Tonight was feeding day and it's been one month since offering. So, I offered, figuring I was throwing a rat away.

    To my amazement, she ate! Proved me wrong! Try to keep up with BP's today; they are always throwing you a curveball when you are looking fastball!

    SAY WHAT!?!

    [IMG][/IMG]
    Last edited by dakski; 11-14-2018 at 12:01 AM.

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