Stimson's QUESTION

[sweety314]

Heeeelp! Behaviour question here.....

Okay, now I know that the soaking tends to indicate mites but......

Felix JUST had a shed (I found it this morning, headless, but still moist). < Later found the head w/both spectacles. > He was REALLY pissy a couple of days ago before I fed him, but I hadn't seen any blue to indicate he was in shed. Then day before yesterday when I handled him while avoiding the teeth, I found some spots on him of loose skin, so I knew his attitude was probably because of shedding.

Here's the thing: I got home this morning and he was curled up in his water dish. Aaaaaaall curled up, with even his head underwater. After seeing the shed in the bedding, I even went so far as to pet him and pick him up just to make sure he wasn't drowned.

No sign of mites in the water, or on him, but should I be concerned??? I know it's not a bad thing for a soak, but for him to soak his HEAD too????? Do they swim alot like anacondas to where I don't need to worry about his inadvertantly drowning????? I don't imagine suicide, but I don't want to come home some morning to a soggy, dead snake either.

He tagged me, and bit himself twice as well as trying for me two more times this morning while I was very carefully holding him to my ear to listen for wheezing. Nothing there. I'm not sure if the lite popping was him, or the cat, so I'll keep an eye on him. His mouth is clear.

His temps are 83, and 92 and a humidity of 63%. He's in a stearlite tub with hides and water bowl instead of a tank. I didn't have another tank small enough for him, but I had the tub already set up so used it.

Will he also tend to remain nippy??? He's tagged me more than my pissy-ant PSnake has! *sigh*

They're pets, and I want to be able to handle them, but GEEEEEZ!!! I HATE it when that happens! It still makes me jump.

[sweety314]

Okay, so who has the scientific name right, huh?!???????

One says LIASIS, the other says ANTERESIA s.s.....so what gives???? I had all this in college, but geez Louise!

Feel free to move this to the other forum...I dunno which one it goes in. *shrugs*

[Colin Vestrand]

they are antaresia... which includes spotteds, childrens, anthill, and stimson's. but they used to be liasis.

he sounds fine to me, snakes do what they want... your temps may be too hot though, which may be why he's soaking.

he'll mellow for sure if you keep handling him. most pythons are nippy at that age - i've owned both morelia and antaresia and both mellowed very quickly after being horrible little babies.

i love stimsons though, beatiful little pythons.

[sweety314]

thanks for the info. I really hope so! I know to just make sure he's got fresh water all the time. But MAN! I hate the tag. It's not the bite, it's the speed and making me jump.

[Colin Vestrand]

put a sock over your hand. the snake probably won't strike and it will probably help psychologically anyway.

[uro1001]

Heeeelp! Behaviour question here.....

Okay, now I know that the soaking tends to indicate mites but......

Felix JUST had a shed (I found it this morning, headless, but still moist). < Later found the head w/both spectacles. > He was REALLY pissy a couple of days ago before I fed him, but I hadn't seen any blue to indicate he was in shed. Then day before yesterday when I handled him while avoiding the teeth, I found some spots on him of loose skin, so I knew his attitude was probably because of shedding.

Here's the thing: I got home this morning and he was curled up in his water dish. Aaaaaaall curled up, with even his head underwater. After seeing the shed in the bedding, I even went so far as to pet him and pick him up just to make sure he wasn't drowned.

No sign of mites in the water, or on him, but should I be concerned??? I know it's not a bad thing for a soak, but for him to soak his HEAD too????? Do they swim alot like anacondas to where I don't need to worry about his inadvertantly drowning????? I don't imagine suicide, but I don't want to come home some morning to a soggy, dead snake either.

He tagged me, and bit himself twice as well as trying for me two more times this morning while I was very carefully holding him to my ear to listen for wheezing. Nothing there. I'm not sure if the lite popping was him, or the cat, so I'll keep an eye on him. His mouth is clear.

His temps are 83, and 92 and a humidity of 63%. He's in a stearlite tub with hides and water bowl instead of a tank. I didn't have another tank small enough for him, but I had the tub already set up so used it.

Will he also tend to remain nippy??? He's tagged me more than my pissy-ant PSnake has! *sigh*

They're pets, and I want to be able to handle them, but GEEEEEZ!!! I HATE it when that happens! It still makes me jump.

he sounds fine but chances are he will remain aggressive as all antaresia species can be nippy