Lilian, my new little BCI

[Gracana]

I went to the NVA Reptile Expo this weekend and got my first snake! This all happened pretty quickly; something snake-related caught my interest and I was researching the crap out of them for a while, then realized that this show was coming right up. Got a bunch of supplies on order, and now... well here, I'll show you!


Look at that little tongue flick! :)


I held her in my hand for a good ten minutes, it was pretty adorable but it soon got uncomfortable to hold my hand like that, hah.


Her grip is surprisingly strong! This was the first time she held on like that, before she would just wedge against my fingers and balance along my arm.

I've read that you're supposed to give a new snake some time to settle, and I have given her a lot of time alone in her tub, but on the other hand she seems quite comfortable roaming around in my hands and on my arms and on the floor. Tongue flicking, looking at everything, never a hint of aggression. I'm quite pleased!


Here's the setup. I'm using heater cable attached to a herpstat 1 set at 91F with the probe attached on the outside. Temps seem to be right on target in the bottom of the tub. I attached the cable to the cardboard using insulated 22awg wire as zip-ties, which worked out better than it sounds, but I will make something nicer and more secure with the heat tape I have coming in the mail tomorrow. Inside the heat lamp is a 60W ceramic heat emitter. The towel has flopped down a bit because I had the lid off, but I've been wrapping it around the back and right side to provide a bit of privacy, though Lily doesn't seem to care. I've seen her use both hides once, but generally she seems to just lay or coil up wherever she pleases.


Closeup on the RH/temp meter. 60% and 82F, measured on the cool side. I keep the apartment at 74 or so, with a humidifier to keep the RH at 50%. It has been dry and wintry here so it would be very low otherwise.

The woman I bought her from said she's been eating live mice, and was last fed on the 16th. She recommended I try feeding her on Friday. I have frozen rat pinkies, I'll thaw and warm the smallest one I can find (which should be just right), brain it and set it near her tub for a bit, then offer it to her. Does that sound good? Maybe it'll be no trouble at all, but I want to do my best to ensure I get a good feeding response out of her.