Merauke scrub python female, progression thread

[Mistery510]

Woah!!!! Such an amazing snake!!!! What is she like 10 feet long?

Will she get much thicker???

[spazhime]

Woah!!!! Such an amazing snake!!!! What is she like 10 feet long?

Will she get much thicker???

Isn't she gorgeous?? <3 Yeah she's about 10 1/2 feet long or so
This is as thick as I believe she'll get, they're arboreal as a species (at least the indonesian localities are) so tend to be a bit thinner than other long pythons Now the Australian species, those guys get --thick--

Also, more Halloween photos, but this time she's wearing a mushroom cap! Lmao

[Bogertophis]

"Mushroom cap..." She's elegant no matter what you do!

[Mistery510]

Beautiful!!

[spazhime]

Thanks y'all! My sweet gorgeous girl is still doing well, and of course we had to take Christmas pictures too

[Bogertophis]

Perfect Christmas colors! I should decorate my Korean rat snake too, but he has zero "holiday spirit".

[spazhime]

Had a really interesting experience with her recently. She was in shed for about a month and a half (Which can be an indicator of either a hormonal change, color change, or growth spurt. Honestly not sure which one this was. Normally she is only in shed for about two weeks before shedding). I missed the blue phase so didn't even notice she was in shed until she started to try and slough off the shed. Due to how thick and heavy the shed was, she would have needed a pretty intense humidity spike to help her out. Because I was unaware of her being in shed, she got a bit of stuck shed on the front half of her body. So of course I needed to take her out and give her a bit of a sauna to help her shed. Of course, she was really mad (I imagine she was super itchy and the stuck shed was likely pulling her scales uncomfortably) She musked, which she hasn't done in years, and struck at me quite a bit both before and after the sauna. She did not want me to touch her, but I knew she would feel so much better once the shed started coming off. I dodged her strikes and finally managed to get close enough with the towel to start rolling the shed off. Immediately she calmed down, stopped striking, and helped me get the shed off of her. As soon as we were done, she was immediately puppy dog tame again, letting me pet her head and all. It's just so interesting to me that what most people see as aggression is actually them trying to communicate. She was telling me she didn't want to be messed with in the only way she knew how, but the second she realized I was helping her she stopped and seemed to appreciate the help. Scrubs are so, so smart and honestly she is tied for my favorite snake with Leliana (my BEL ball python).

Anyways, here's some pictures of her gorgeous self

[Bogertophis]

I'm so glad to read your account of this with such an awesome snake, because over the years, I've helped a pretty fair number of snakes to shed, & it's totally clear to me that they do understand & appreciate our help. Not always at first, just as you described, because instinctively when in shed, they feel both vulnerable & irritable...but once we're helping them, they totally get it. Snakes are "communication- challenged" but with understanding, empathetic owners, they totally make sense.

I had a similar situation recently- my 6' normally cranky Korean rat snake needed some help with shedding too, for the very first time in about 15 years. He's a snake that doesn't like handling & normally only tolerates just enough for me to put him in a side container to clean his large tank, & back again. Any more than that & he's shown his willingness to bite. So it was with a little trepidation that I helped him "undress" from his stuck shed, but though nervous at first, he never bit me, nor did he even try. And he's a "rat snake" in name only- his behavior (never sitting still) is more like a racer (which I do have past experience with).

[Gio]

Had a really interesting experience with her recently. She was in shed for about a month and a half (Which can be an indicator of either a hormonal change, color change, or growth spurt. Honestly not sure which one this was. Normally she is only in shed for about two weeks before shedding). I missed the blue phase so didn't even notice she was in shed until she started to try and slough off the shed. Due to how thick and heavy the shed was, she would have needed a pretty intense humidity spike to help her out. Because I was unaware of her being in shed, she got a bit of stuck shed on the front half of her body. So of course I needed to take her out and give her a bit of a sauna to help her shed. Of course, she was really mad (I imagine she was super itchy and the stuck shed was likely pulling her scales uncomfortably) She musked, which she hasn't done in years, and struck at me quite a bit both before and after the sauna. She did not want me to touch her, but I knew she would feel so much better once the shed started coming off. I dodged her strikes and finally managed to get close enough with the towel to start rolling the shed off. Immediately she calmed down, stopped striking, and helped me get the shed off of her. As soon as we were done, she was immediately puppy dog tame again, letting me pet her head and all. It's just so interesting to me that what most people see as aggression is actually them trying to communicate. She was telling me she didn't want to be messed with in the only way she knew how, but the second she realized I was helping her she stopped and seemed to appreciate the help. Scrubs are so, so smart and honestly she is tied for my favorite snake with Leliana (my BEL ball python).

Anyways, here's some pictures of her gorgeous self

This one has been a joy to watch mature.

Seems to be quite docile as well.

Good on you for raising up a beauty.

[EL-Ziggy]

This one has been a joy to watch mature.

Seems to be quite docile as well.

Good on you for raising up a beauty.

I agree 100%

My scrub is a bit more temperamental. I can’t imagine having to help remove his shed. I’d need gloves and a face shield.