Extreme Close-Up

[John1982]

Great information John. Thanks for sharing. How often do you take Pappy outside? Have you done that for him since he was young? Also, what is his temperament and feeding regiment like? Sorry for all the questions but they seem like great snakes and yet we rarely see them. Thanks again.

He comes out at least once every week for an exploration session. If it's below 70 outside, he just spends the time knocking stuff down in the house - surprised there are trees still standing in New Guinea. I have done the same since he was young. He just got less free range and I had to keep a closer eye on him lest one of our hawks/eagles decided it was meal time. Temperament is good but he doesn't realize his own strength and is a tight gripper, which can be disconcerting if you're not used to it. They're vocal in the same way carpets can be with that heavy air expelled from the nose. That's the only sign of displeasure I've personally ever received - no gaping, striking, biting or musking in my experience. I had a female WC about 12 years ago and she was the same way as Pappy. This isn't the case for all papuans though and I've heard of folks with some that can be real handfuls. I maintained a standard 7 day feeding schedule when Pappy was younger. Now I usually feed every other week. Occasionally, I'll feed a rather massive prey item then let him fast a while. Pappy got a 4 pound rabbit last year and I think it was 2-3 months before I fed him again. I like to keep mine looking more like their wild counterparts - lean and muscular.