Wiggles, the Children's Python

[Bogertophis]

I agree, that's a small variation, nothing I'd worry about at all.

[Homebody]

Wiggles weighed in at 302g, up from 296g.


So, he continues the see-saw pattern that he's been in for the past two years. I think this is healthy for a mature snake.

Wiggles has also begun his summer fast. He last ate on May 31st and I won't feed him again until September 1st. I'm curious to see how much weight he will lose. Last year, he fasted for two months and lost 22 grams.

I, also, reconfigured his enclosure for summer. I turned off the heat mat that I use to maintain minimum temps during the cooler months, and I'm freezing a half gallon of water in a jug that I will place in the tub during the daytime to give him a cool refuge from the worst heat.

[Homebody]

Wiggles shed yesterday. I expected it because he'd been holding up in his sky hide for a long time, and because it had been 150 days since his last shed. Out of curiosity, I decided to go back to the video tape to see how long he stayed in his hide pre-shed. The answer is 11 days, 12 hours, and 35 minutes. In all that time, he didn't come out once, not for a second. I've said before how much I miss him when he's in shed. I knew he secluded himself for a long time, but I didn't know how long until now.

[Bogertophis]

Wiggles shed yesterday. I expected it because he'd been holding up in his sky hide for a long time, and because it had been 150 days since his last shed. Out of curiosity, I decided to go back to the video tape to see how long he stayed in his hide pre-shed. The answer is 11 days, 12 hours, and 35 minutes. In all that time, he didn't come out once, not for a second. I've said before how much I miss him when he's in shed. I knew he secluded himself for a long time, but I didn't know how long until now.

That's how I ended up with many more snakes, lol. I missed the interaction & activity so much when they were in shed- it does feel like "forever" if it's your only snake. I think you need at least one more...

[Homebody]

I think you need at least one more...

You're right! I do need another snake. And what's more, I deserve it.

Let's see here. I'll need someplace to put it. I know! I'll buy a bigger house. [Checks wallet] Oooh, that might be a problem.

Seriously, I live in a three bedroom condo. I already have Wiggles's 3 x 2 in the living room and a parakeet in the dining room. The kitchen and bath aren't suitable environments, and also too small. The hallway's too narrow. That leaves the bedrooms. They're not small, but they are full of furniture and occupied by people uninterested in sharing space with a pet snake. So, for now, I'll just have suffer Wiggle's occasional absences.

[mlededee]

Wiggles shed yesterday. I expected it because he'd been holding up in his sky hide for a long time, and because it had been 150 days since his last shed. Out of curiosity, I decided to go back to the video tape to see how long he stayed in his hide pre-shed. The answer is 11 days, 12 hours, and 35 minutes. In all that time, he didn't come out once, not for a second. I've said before how much I miss him when he's in shed. I knew he secluded himself for a long time, but I didn't know how long until now.

That is a long time, and interesting that he didn't come out at all!

You're right! I do need another snake. And what's more, I deserve it.

Let's see here. I'll need someplace to put it. I know! I'll buy a bigger house. [Checks wallet] Oooh, that might be a problem.

Seriously, I live in a three bedroom condo. I already have Wiggles's 3 x 2 in the living room and a parakeet in the dining room. The kitchen and bath aren't suitable environments, and also too small. The hallway's too narrow. That leaves the bedrooms. They're not small, but they are full of furniture and occupied by people uninterested in sharing space with a pet snake. So, for now, I'll just have suffer Wiggle's occasional absences.

You just need to get a shelving unit that will allow for multiple 3x2s.

[Homebody]

That is a long time, and interesting that he didn't come out at all!

Isn't it though? I wonder how that compares to other keepers' experiences with other species.

[Homebody]

You just need to get a shelving unit that will allow for multiple 3x2s.

This is, probably, the best route. I may be able to rearrange the furniture in my living room to free a wall. That would give me enough room to stack the enclosures. It would also make my enclosures the focal point of the room. Unfortunately, my homemade enclosures aren't up to it.

Wiggle's enclosure isn't bad looking. I've gotten compliments on it, but it's not furniture quality. It works, now, because there are no lights drawing attention to it, it sits low on the floor, and the top is covered in plants and family photos. Stack homemade enclosures in a homemade shelving unit situated at the focal point of the room and my living room is no longer a living room but a reptile room. I don't see the wife going for that. Depending on how it turned out, I might not go for it either.

I'm not ruling the idea out completely though. Attractive furniture quality enclosures in an attractive furniture quality shelving unit could work. It would expensive though, and that creates another problem. I'll keep ruminating on it.

[Bogertophis]

Isn't it though? I wonder how that compares to other keepers' experiences with other species.

In my experience with more snakes than I can count, sometimes they take longer to shed because unbeknownst to their keeper, they got another meal right when they were about to go into a shed cycle, & before they showed any obvious signs of doing so.

What happens is their body cannot do both at the same time- both digestion & ecdysis require adequate hydration from their body to accomplish. Your snake was still digesting & that took priority, then the snake went into the actual ecdysis, staying "AWOL" for longer than you expected. Fortunately, the shed went fine...sometimes for whatever reason, it doesn't.

Another reason a shed can "take too long" is when a snake is under-fed- good nutrition leads to good ecdysis- but I'm not saying that's the case with Wiggles. Though it might be the 'sausages'??? If the fats therein are more saturated than a snake's natural diet, they'd be more difficult to digest, for example. Or if some nutrients were missing? (I know they're a blend- but might not be the best food for every snake, just saying.)