Official random musing/nonsense rant thread

[redshepherd]

I think every forum needs its own thread dedicated to any random musing, stories, or vent going on in life with the capability of responses, but maybe not quite significant enough to warrant its own thread.

Snake-related or people-related or anything you just want to get off your chest! Everything goes! So here you go.

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Every once in a blue moon, Cake thinks it's totally great to poop on the carpet while I have visitors over while I'm trying to give a good impression of these docile puppy snakes. Such a day was around 2 days ago. And as I yelled and carried him swiftly back to his room, more poops dropped and rolled across the carpet on the way there ... as I jumped over them. I felt like I was trying to potty train a puppy. Good job, Cake.

The next day, Vigil peed on the carpet. :I

I have some very housebroken snakes.

In other news, I'm considering a 4th snake some time in the next year, whenever I go to another reptile convention... I'm really leaning towards a possible species that is more "alert", fast, not necessarily handle-able (maybe just NOT handle-able), because I don't have to handle them at all. Something that is entertaining to watch, maybe even requires a snake hook if I must move them, keeps me on my toes during feeding, but doesn't get TOO heavy/thick either (aka, no retics)! I had Vietnamese Blue Beauty Snakes or Western Rat Snakes in mind. I looked into coachwhips or racers, but discovered that they stress easily and are hard to keep in captivity. I also considered Emerald Tree Boas, even though they don't really apply into the previous described category, only because they're beautiful.

[Caspian]

My female Cal. King, for all her health problems, is a very aggressive eater. I've had her launch herself almost entirely out of her tub after a f/t pinky - and miss it entirely in the process. Then when she does grab it, she wraps herself right up around it, so I end up holding a pinky tail sticking out of a ball of dangling snake with my tweezers and just set her and the pinky both in her food dish to eat it. The only reason my male isn't just as voracious is because he's so healthy that he's almost chubby, but he's had his moments. They can be pretty feisty, come in some gorgeous colors, but don't get huge or thick.

[dr del]

Always check for "sausage butt" before handling.

If you are looking for a more active snake that is a lot more visible in its enclosure the blue/ taiwan beauty snake certainly fit the bill - as do red tailed ratsnakes. But they do tend to get to around 8-10 foot and need arboreal vivs to match.

There is a whole slew of more active snakes that might suit your situation better - tell us what space/ requirements you have and some members might chip in with ideas.

[distaff]

Redshepherd,

I may have mentioned it earlier (or you may have come across it before), have a look at the DMexotics Reptile Reality videos by Dan Mulleary (spell?). Another member mentioned that YouTube channel here about a week ago (thanks to who ever that was). His snakes are some of the more unusual species. I agree about the beauty rat snakes, and the red tail snake...I also really like the yellow tail Cribo. He also features a striking snake (cyano-something?) that is long and very thin, with big nobby head. It starts out reddish brown, and matures to a gorgeous blueish green.

I have also heard that Russian ratsnakes are alert, fast, and entertaining to watch.

[redshepherd]

There is a whole slew of more active snakes that might suit your situation better - tell us what space/ requirements you have and some members might chip in with ideas.

I'm totally flexible with space and enclosure requirements! I'm really open to any and all snakes (including rear-fanged) that fit the description, and I can do my own research on each one/come here and ask. I don't want to accidentally cut out any neat snakes before I even know about them.

My one requirement is that they're able to feed/be converted to feed on rats or mice. So avoiding snakes that ONLY eats geckos or lizards or frogs or something like that...

Preferably something with a wider head or just a more distinct head shape, relative to kingsnakes or corns. Malaysian mangrove snakes, green cat snakes, even western rat snakes all fit that description. Blue beauty snakes have a narrow head, but their longer nose and contrast of that marking behind their eye still gives their head a distinct appearance.

Redshepherd,

I may have mentioned it earlier (or you may have come across it before), have a look at the DMexotics Reptile Reality videos by Dan Mulleary (spell?). Another member mentioned that YouTube channel here about a week ago (thanks to who ever that was). His snakes are some of the more unusual species. I agree about the beauty rat snakes, and the red tail snake...I also really like the yellow tail Cribo. He also features a striking snake (cyano-something?) that is long and very thin, with big nobby head. It starts out reddish brown, and matures to a gorgeous blueish green.

I have also heard that Russian ratsnakes are alert, fast, and entertaining to watch.

Oh, I haven't seen you mention those before! Was it directed at me or another post? I just checked them out though and their snakes are super cool, though I kinda wish the names of the snakes were listed/written somehow hahah.

"Big knobby head" sounds promising.