my new GTP! pics! thoughts?

[loonunit]

Are these vary hard to keep care of i want one

Yeah, they're notoriously difficult, and are considered an "advanced" species in terms of husbandry. They need an arboreal tank with perches, and super-high humidity, or they'll get respiratory illnesses. They can be tame, but the have HUGE teeth, and you can't unwrap them from the branches without risking hurting them, so most people treat them as display animals and don't handle them. You need a good misting system to keep the humidity up and provide water droplets for them to drink, but then you have to be ready spend all your free time combating mold.

Here are some caresheets:

http://www.bjarboreals.com/care_sheet_chondros.htm

http://www.reptilechannel.com/care-s...ee-python.aspx

http://www.herpetology.com/murdoch.html

[loonunit]

ps. It's a lovely red. I really really want one too, but I live in Arizona, so it just seems extra risky to get one...

[Brandon Osborne]

You can't tell what "type" of GTP it is unless you are there to catch it at that location. Everything else is just a best guess. Even those that work with them for a long time won't put a locale on them without paper work. If you got it at a pet store, its probably a farm bred animal which would be a mixed locale.

I would somewhat disagree about not being able to tell what "type" it is. It is very typical of Biak. All locales have telling characteristics that make them different from one another. Arus have blunt tails and are always yellow. Biaks have elongated snouts and reds have heart shaped diamonds. Sorongs have black and blue tails....etc. I also agree it is not as easy with mixed locales and various lineages. We place a locale "type" label on certain animals because of their appearance. Most of the animals that come from BM in Indonesia are from locale type pairings.

[Brandon Osborne]

Yeah, they're notoriously difficult, and are considered an "advanced" species in terms of husbandry. They need an arboreal tank with perches, and super-high humidity, or they'll get respiratory illnesses. They can be tame, but the have HUGE teeth, and you can't unwrap them from the branches without risking hurting them, so most people treat them as display animals and don't handle them. You need a good misting system to keep the humidity up and provide water droplets for them to drink, but then you have to be ready spend all your free time combating mold.

Here are some caresheets:

http://www.bjarboreals.com/care_sheet_chondros.htm

http://www.reptilechannel.com/care-s...ee-python.aspx

http://www.herpetology.com/murdoch.html

Jackie, I hate to sound like a jerk, but that is absolutely false. Chondros are one of the easiest snakes to keep contrary to belief. The difficulty lies in getting babies to hatch and feed. Once they are feeding on their own they are bulletproof. The humidity requirements are not what many think. The only time I mist my animals is during breeding season or shed cycles. High humidity can often be as bad as low humidity...as in bacteria and mold growth. With moderate humidity, which can be provided by a med-large water bowl, you usually don't have mold or humidity issues. Although they will drink water from misting, they will also drink from a water bowl at the bottom of the cage. If you can keep carpet pythons you can keep chondros. Check out my time lapse video from last night. Chondros are very easy to keep. I've been keeping them since 1995 and breeding them since 2000.

[beez]

thanks everyone. i paid $350 from jungle bobs in long island for her (it's unsexed, hoping its a girl) and shes been very tame so far, hasnt struck at me and took a mouse fuzzy from my hand no problem. im loving this snake so far

[loonunit]

Jackie, I hate to sound like a jerk, but that is absolutely false. Chondros are one of the easiest snakes to keep contrary to belief.

Noted, Brandon. Still gonna ask around some more before jumping into keeping jungle snakes in the middle of a desert...

[Brandon Osborne]

Noted, Brandon. Still gonna ask around some more before jumping into keeping jungle snakes in the middle of a desert...

And I don't blame you one bit. Check out www.moreliaviridis.com. Greg Shroeder lives in Tuscon I think. He has been keeping chondros for many years. I'm sure he could offer you some great advice. But take my word, they are one of the most rewarding snakes to work with.

[Evenstar]

Jackie, I hate to sound like a jerk, but that is absolutely false. Chondros are one of the easiest snakes to keep contrary to belief. The difficulty lies in getting babies to hatch and feed. Once they are feeding on their own they are bulletproof. The humidity requirements are not what many think. The only time I mist my animals is during breeding season or shed cycles. High humidity can often be as bad as low humidity...as in bacteria and mold growth. With moderate humidity, which can be provided by a med-large water bowl, you usually don't have mold or humidity issues. Although they will drink water from misting, they will also drink from a water bowl at the bottom of the cage. If you can keep carpet pythons you can keep chondros. Check out my time lapse video from last night. Chondros are very easy to keep. I've been keeping them since 1995 and breeding them since 2000.

I totally agree! I was really intimidated too before I decided to get my first GTP but my snake's breeder has been immensely helpful and informative and I'm finding it no trouble at all! Having the right cage is important and makes meeting these snakes' needs a piece of cake. I like PVC cages myself, although there are many other worthy options. But I've found the PVC cages seem to work well in my home and geographical location.

These snakes do have certain requirements, but these aren't really any harder to meet than any other snakes'. You just have to know what they are and take the proper steps to meet them.

As far as humidity, you don't want it too high - that's a breeding ground for bacteria and too high humidity can cause RIs too that are harder to get rid of. GTPs also thrive with "drying out periods" between mistings. I do pretty much what Brandon does - mist each morning during sheds and otherwise only occasionally (maybe once a week?). I'll see Hunter licking the water droplets when I mist, but I also see him drink from his bowl. He's remarkably adaptable.

[MSG-KB]

I agree I love my he is now about 4 3/4 to 5 ft now and sweet. Just can not get off Live food. He is great. What I know which not as much as most of you, I have seen that color stay and not go to green ( but i might be wrong).

The KOFIAU ISLAND LOCALITY stays Yellow

[Brandon Osborne]

I agree I love my he is now about 4 3/4 to 5 ft now and sweet. Just can not get off Live food. He is great. What I know which not as much as most of you, I have seen that color stay and not go to green ( but i might be wrong).

The KOFIAU ISLAND LOCALITY stays Yellow

Only a small percentage of the "Canaries" stay yellow. My animals turned at around 4'. Some have been lucky and still have nice bright yellow adults, but they are rare. My adults would also shift from green to a dusty yellowish-green from day to day, back and forth. I wish I still had them.

As for feeding, I've never had an adult chondro refuse frozen thawed rodents once they were established in their habitat. I've had fresh imports come in and feed on frozen thawed from the first feeding. A lot of it has to do with presentation. If you present it to them in a way that is "natural", it will usually trigger hunting mode.....especially important when getting hatchlings to feed consistently.