Extreme Close-Up

[EL-Ziggy]

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.

[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.

[DellaF]

That is one beautiful snake you have. Love the pictures!

[Reinz]

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.

Thanks for the information.

I do believe a Papuan just made the top of my list! Even before a heavily desired BC (BCC).

[John1982]

Thanks for the information.

I do believe a Papuan just made the top of my list! Even before a heavily desired BC (BCC).

Right on, they're incredible captives that definitely deserve more love and time. As Pappy grows more I probably will upgrade slightly. Instead of following the length + width rule for enclosures, I just include all sides. So, for a 16 foot snake papuan, I'd use at least a 6x2 foot enclosure - more emphasis on width maybe to incorporate a wider hide box option.

[pbyeerts]

Omg how much more will he grow?


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[John1982]

Omg how much more will he grow?


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I reckon he's done most of his growing by now. I'd be surprised if he got noticeably much larger in the coming decades. Females max out around 17 feet but 14-15 seems more common. Males are usually several feet shorter at their max. I'll have to get an accurate measurement and weight of this boy sometime, if for not other reason than to compare in the coming years.

[EL-Ziggy]

OK John, you may not have noticed my probing questions earlier but your pics of Pappy got me to do a little more than just thinking. I had never considered an olive python before seeing Pappy. I'll be trying my hand with a hatchling come next week. I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you.

[John1982]

OK John, you may not have noticed my probing questions earlier but your pics of Pappy got me to do a little more than just thinking. I had never considered an olive python before seeing Pappy. I'll be trying my hand with a hatchling come next week. I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you.

Cool, my pleasure, Ziggy! While I've never kept olivaceus, they seem like really neat snakes. I look forward to hearing your experiences and observations raising one up from a young age. It'll be interesting to compare the 2 as they're back in the same genus yet again.

[EL-Ziggy]

John- I haven't been been able to find any information on the differences between the Australian and Papuan olives. Any obvious distinctions that you know of?