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NandKdev
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
 Posted - 28/11/2010 : 20:39:45
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Hey all. Me and my Fiancee have just got our 1st royal python. I've had corns previously and we have a chameleon. We love reptiles and often spend our weekends going to the local shops handling all reptiles, with a special attention to snakes.
Falling in love with a tamed year old royal we decided to buy our own. We handled him in the shop checked his temperament, weight and body.
He has beautiful markings not a scratch on his body and was very alert and active, but enjoyed being handled.
We brought him home and let him relax. I was getting him out to handle, but being in a new environment I was being very cautious, he just sat there watching me then became active, moving when I went to pick him up holding the S shape in his neck.
I got worried he might feel threatened and left him to settle again.
Is this just me being nervous with new reptile nerves and should I just put my hands in and pick him up or is it best to let him get use to you approaching him?
What would you suggest be the best way to get him out of the viv and when will I know to leave him completely alone?
Thanks and hi!
I'll post pictures soon. |
1.0.0 Royal Python - Monty
1.0.0 Yemen Chameleon - George
0.2.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Poppy & Lola
1.0.0 Budgie - Charlie
1.0.0 Siamese fighter - Lil Blue
0.0.2 Newts - Chris & Louie |
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 20:49:06
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well firstly you should leave him a week to settle in, that way he can used to his surroundings, that could be why he is getting slighlty defensive because he is slighlty nervous in his new surroundings
see how he is after the week iwthout any handling at all, just water changing and spot cleanin lol we have all been through it with the new snake and no handling for a week, it is hard but at the end of it all it is worth it ( i would now, i ahd to wait 5 weeks without handling to get my new eating)
and welcome to the forum, a lovely exciteing and enjoyable place to be lol
happy royal keeping and welcome to the addiction |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 21:02:06
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
All snakes are different and some are friendlier than others - your new boy sounds fine.
It's a good rule to leave them alone for the first week, then try them with a meal. They may not eat for the first week, or three or four ... that is just royals. Once they have eaten, they can be handled forty-eight hours after the feed, although I was told that my first hatchling ought to have 4-5 feeds before any handling. (I'm not, of course, talking about lifting the snake into a separate rub for feeding, or returning it back into its permanent enclosure afterwards, or any necessary brief handling. That is fine.) And there are different opinions about the time to wait before what I call 'armchair walkies'.
As for getting him out of his viv, if he goes into the 's' shape, it is usually through timidity. Being a royal, he's being shy rather than aggressive or threatening. There ARE aggressive royals, but he doesn't sound like one. Not many are. My Saada, when I lift her favourite hide off her, immediately hides her head. I cup her in my hands and the head comes straight up; there is lot of tongue-flicking, and then it's 'ooh, where are we going? What's over here?' Instant curiosity. Shahi, who is younger, is just a complete pudding, bless him. Sits there in my lap.
Some people don't handle much at all, and I confess I don't handle greatly at the moment in this cold weather, but royals are easy to pick up, especially when balled up, which they are usually. Just take the initiative, slide your hands underneath, and lift, and there's your snake.
It's early days yet - you will very soon get used to him, and him to you.
People with more experience than me will have more to add - I've only had royals since July myself!
All the best!
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Edited by - n/a on 28/11/2010 21:50:04 |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 21:04:13
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| Oops sorry Danny we overlapped, but basically we were saying the same thing lol |
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GMac
Grumpy scots admin
United Kingdom
1152 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 21:37:06
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| hi and welcome, personally I left my royals until they had fed before handling. |
 
Royals, Corns, Boa, Kings, Hoggy, Ratsnakes
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Blackecho
Royal Python Admin
United Kingdom
11327 Posts |
Posted - 28/11/2010 : 22:16:46
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| As with others, I don't handle until a Royal is eating well in its new home. |
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2010 : 17:12:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Blackecho
As with others, I don't handle until a Royal is eating well in its new home.
thats what i meant to say lol, thats u i have not handled bow in 5 weeks lol |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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NandKdev
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2010 : 19:22:28
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Thanks! well as I said he was fine with us just stroking him and then got active when I went to pick him up. I'll take your advice and maybe just stroke him occasionally for a week so he can settle in and get use to our smell. He is due a feed today so I shall see how settled he is. Hopefully he will feed but not counting on it.
Do all you guys RUB feed or do you height feed? We have Asphalt substrate but do not have a RUB so was going to height feed him or feed on top of his hide where he wont be able to eat any substrate. He was height fed by the breeder, what is your opinion? |
1.0.0 Royal Python - Monty
1.0.0 Yemen Chameleon - George
0.2.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Poppy & Lola
1.0.0 Budgie - Charlie
1.0.0 Siamese fighter - Lil Blue
0.0.2 Newts - Chris & Louie |
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2010 : 19:30:28
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i height feed, just because bullet thinks he is going to be handled so he doesn't eat, and wants to be handled, so i hight feed them all lol, plus theres less risk of being bitten
if i was u i would do hands off for one week (no strokin or anything) and then when he feeds, then start to handle him |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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BobJ420
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
37 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2010 : 19:37:43
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| Hey and welcome to the forum mate :). I Height feed Mary for the same reason as Danny and never had any problems doing so. With regards to handling I'll usually try and feed a few days after getting them and then begin handling 2-3 days later, if you want her to get used to the smell whilst your not handling I'll generally put a t shirt or something in the corner of the viv for a day or two. |
0.1.0 Normal Royal Python - Mary Jane
1.0.0 Red Tail Boa - Clyde |
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Robert
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
957 Posts |
Posted - 29/11/2010 : 21:31:35
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| Keep the handling to a minimum until they are settled and eating, most of my new acquisitions have eaten the day they arrive and settle quickly but some do take time be patient and keep their environ quiet and calm, I always wash my hands with carex soap to keep the same scent when I handle to re-assure them so they always have a familiar smell especially when they are new to me, enjoy your new snake |
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NandKdev
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
23 Posts |
Posted - 30/11/2010 : 18:53:20
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hey thanks for all the advice. He did feed yesterday which is good news (with a little mishap)
He was curled around the wire and guard of his lamp so I held the rat high and he struck it straight away, but I jumped and dropped it, when I picked it up he was more interested in escaping and watching us move around then the rat. so I let him settle down and go back to his hide. Then I brained the rat and tried again this time he struck and hit it clean sinking his fangs in and coiling around it. It took him a good 5 mins off sitting over and moving around as if guarding it before he unlocked his jaw and lifted off the ground to eat it.
So all in all not the best of feeds but the first feed out the way, glad he didn't reject it.
I like the t-shirt idea and we have a medical clean, animal safe pump bottle we use before and after touching him. so it should be a familiar smell that he gets use to over time.
I'll take your advice and no handling this week! |
1.0.0 Royal Python - Monty
1.0.0 Yemen Chameleon - George
0.2.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Poppy & Lola
1.0.0 Budgie - Charlie
1.0.0 Siamese fighter - Lil Blue
0.0.2 Newts - Chris & Louie |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 30/11/2010 : 19:16:38
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LOL - we've all done that - dropped the rat! Welcome to the club!
Yes, you may find that they strike, coil - and wait, sometimes for much longer than 5 minutes. This, I think, is an instinctive thing - in the wild the prey would be alive and the snake would wait to make sure that it was dead and couldn't escape. Once the snake's sure that even a defrost rodent is 'dead' it will relax and take it down.
Sounds like a pretty ok first feed to me - congrats! |
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reptiledanny
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2106 Posts |
Posted - 30/11/2010 : 19:33:18
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well done, good he took his first feed, and it sounds like a good one
we have all dropped the rat/mouse at least once lol
and like bats sed, they always coil and dont move for about 5 mins, just to make sure its dead, sometimes bullet will try to drown it as well lol |
1.2 royal pythons 0.1 hog island boa 1.0 corn snake
sig made by stapey |
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BobJ420
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
37 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2010 : 16:56:54
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| Yeah I still drop the rat occasionally now its nothing to worry about :P, glad to hear he's feeding congrats on that one :). |
0.1.0 Normal Royal Python - Mary Jane
1.0.0 Red Tail Boa - Clyde |
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Royalbob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
1115 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2010 : 17:49:12
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welcome and congrats on the feed. my big female who's now 2.1kg grabbed the rat and the tongs the other day and there was no prising them apart until she was ready to release the rat.
its still amazes me how quick they can strike. |
1.0 Enchi butter
1.0 Enchi X Pastel
1.0 Fire het clown
1.0 Bumblebee
1.0 pinstripe
0.1 Enchi Fire
0.1 Pastel calico
0.1 Yellow belly Pinstripe
0.1 Lemon pastel poss het clown
0.1 Het clown
0.1 Yellow belly
0.1 Green Mojave
0.1 HC Albino
0.2 Normals
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