my new GTP! pics! thoughts?

[Randy J.]

I am no expert on GTPs, but from what I've learned, I'd be willing to bet that's a Biak X Jaya cross.. There is definitely Biak there, due to current pricing I'd have to say it's a crossbreed of localities.. I would check with salesperson, to see if they know, if not then just know its a beautiful GTP!!!

[Evenstar]

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 also would caution you on handling at this age. The spines are fragile and you could damge it and not know until its an adult.

This.

[pigfat]

You have a beautiful gtp! I've been trying to decide on what my next snake will be, another ball python or gtp....decisions decisions!

[MSG-KB]

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.

Brandon,

Since I got him at his current 4 1/2 ft and age unknown and was eating live, Can you give me a good tip on how to change his feeding this late in the game. I would love to go to F/T and and a brief on what you mean on this I have watch and seen the babys being feed but not a full Adult and do have the GTP Bible book but still not understanding, any help please. "If you present it to them in a way that is "natural", it will usually trigger hunting mode".

Thank You in Advance

Terrance

[beez]

just a quick update, my baby gtp is doing awesome. starting to chage already, she's got green coming through quite a bit. she's very tame, i take her out a couple times. week and shes never tried to bite. amazing snake overall. even got her switche to f/t mice, she ate one dangling from tongs a couple weeks ago and last week i dropped it on the ground and she picked it right up and ate it. ill post some more pics when i get home

[beez]

[Foxtuning65]

How old is she about? I have one that is just under a year old and have been told by the breeder to not handle him at all until he is over a year due to their spines being very soft and fragile. But otherwise very gorgeous GTP. Mine has not began to change yet, hope he stays yellow as long as possible.

[beez]

yup shes a little more green and dark now.. changing earlier than i thought they normally do. not sure how old but i think between 6-9 months . i try to be pretty gentle with her even tho its prob not a great idea to handle her a lot. i want her to be tame though and used to being handled before she gets bigger

[olstyn]

I have no direct experience with them, but I have always wondered exactly how the spinal damage from handling thing happens. You see it cautioned against a LOT, but nobody really specifies how it happens. I would *think* that if you're gentle and don't try to untangle them from their perch or your hands that it'd be pretty hard to hurt them. Is it from when people try to force them to come off a perch (or anything else they've got their tail wrapped around) and they resist? I'm not looking to get one anytime soon, but the GF thinks they're really pretty, and I agree, so it's possible we may end up with one eventually, and I'd like to know what the real deal with that issue is before getting directly involved.

[ball-nut]

I have no direct experience with them, but I have always wondered exactly how the spinal damage from handling thing happens. You see it cautioned against a LOT, but nobody really specifies how it happens.

Majority of spinal damage is from attempting to sex a juvi when the spinal column is still very weak; either by hemipenal popping and possibly snapping the spine due to excess pressure, or from restraining too tightly while attempting to probe.
As stated, spinal injury can also occur when uncoiling from a perch and placing too much pressure on the spine damaging the bone.
The best way to think of chondro spines is like a soft drinks straw, sturdy enough until excess pressure is applied and then it buckles. If released it will snap back into place but the kink will stay in place.

(edit) and also people don't realise just how prehensile the tails are, they could have 95% of the snake off perch and it still could be firmly anchored. If pulled at all at this time the bones in the tails will just snap.

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