Mon nouveau emerald

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

J'ai eu la chance de prendre une couple de photos ce matin avant de partir pour classe. Voici mon nouveau bebe emerald tree boa! I'l n'y a pas de nom encore, mais bientot!

So I was able to find (more like stumble upon) an emerald tree boa for a
price I just could not refuse. It's a baby and very friendly. Luckily i
have a ton of reptile stuff lying around and was able to quickly set up
a decent enclosure.

Right now, he is sitting in in a small
12x12x12 inch exo terra (since my rubbermaids are currently containing
my gecko's insects). I covered the top with plastic to keep in the
humidity in and the holes in the front as well as around the doors seem
to be providing descent air circulation. I have a heat pad covering the
bottom and am using a bendable vine as perches. Put in a large plastic
container with water and paper towel covering the bottom. The humidity
is at about 78% and the temp is 88 on the floor, 82 in the middle and 76 at the top of the
enclosure. Going to get live plant to stick in there on my way home tonight.

[mtlsir 0]

very nice couloring! can't wait to see some clear pics!

[Ghost03 0]

Nice snake

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

mtlsir a écrit:

very nice couloring! can't wait to see some clear pics!

Lol yeah my phone takes craptacular close up pics. I will take some with a real camera soon.

[Amy03 0]

Nice, you got one! I'm really happy for you.
It's gonna be tons of fun to see his evolution from red to green... I'm kinda sad I got mine at 12 months of age instead of a baby...

Can't wait to see more pics of him/her!
(Guessing it hasn't been sexed yet) Enclosure looks good too btw!

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Thank you. Yes a absolutely can't wait! I will be sure to take pictures as it progresses. I saw pics of yours and he is absolutely stunning.
Yeah i havent sexed it yet, dont want to stress it out too much. Maybe next week. Going to try feeding him/her tonight tho, he/she seems hungry and the guy i bought it from said it has been about 12 days since he/she has eaten.

[Laurent4211 0]

Nice one, emerald are so amazing.

[Amy03 0]

RoTTen2TheCore a écrit:

Thank you. Yes a absolutely can't wait! I will be sure to take pictures as it progresses. I saw pics of yours and he is absolutely stunning.
Yeah i havent sexed it yet, dont want to stress it out too much. Maybe next week. Going to try feeding him/her tonight tho, he/she seems hungry and the guy i bought it from said it has been about 12 days since he/she has eaten.

à

Wait til it's at least a year old before sexing it, you could really hurt it due to its delicate body structure. It's the same for all arboreal snakes, much to delicate to probe as babies. And Thanks for the compliment, I will post some more photos soon of him

[SnakeEyes1 0]

Congrats !

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Amy a écrit:

Wait til it's at least a year old before sexing it, you could really hurt it due to its delicate body structure. It's the same for all arboreal snakes, much to delicate to probe as babies. And Thanks for the compliment, I will post some more photos soon of him

Sounds reasonable, I was going to do the poping method, but i heard their tails are very delicate so I guess I will just wait a year and just probe. I am in no hurry. Looking forward to seeing more pics of yours.

Tried feeding him, not interested in the slightest. I guess he is still getting used to his new home, I will wait another three days or so before trying again.

And thank you SnakeEyes and Laurent!

[Amy03 0]

There's no rush, once he's gonna feel at home, he's gonna eat like a piglet! Wait at least a week, no handling whatsoever. Mine spoiled his first meal too, and I even waited 10 days before feeding him. His last meal dated 3 weeks before arriving home... So a whole month without food and no response to the mouse!

Self-control is really important with these guys, I didn't handle mine the first 3 months except when cleaning his cage. Then when I was positive that he was eating well, I started handling him. He was super tame, wouldn't freak out at all in my hands and Today, he tolerates handling like a champ, even more then most of my boas.

So don't worry about him getting all agressive cause you don't handle him, it's best to leave them alone then work with them when they're ready. They'll be more receptive with a low stress level


Anyways! Good luck with your baby and get a decent camera!!

[kiko03 0]

I love Emeralds i'm happy for you....they are super nice...enjoy

[Mya1 0]

superbe

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Thank you all for the compliments! And thank you again Amy for the good advice, I will be sure to follow it.



I was just wondering though, he has never actually perched properly
since I got him. He just switches from branch to branch and hangs down
in a S shape for hours. This is why I figured he was hungry and tried to
feed him so soon after getting him, since I know that, in the wild,
they hang from branches to catch passing prey. Or is he just restless
because of his new diggs? Any ideas?



Here are some new pics with my real camera. This is how I found him this
morning and he was doing the same on another branch all last night.

[Amy03 0]

This is a wild guess here, but your perches look a bit too small, I dont know if its the angle but it may be too small for him...
When I got mine (guy gave me the snake with the rubbermaid he was housed in) he had toothpicks for perches, and he would never stay still. I found him perched around his water bowl the second day he was home cause it was more comfortable then his small perches. I got him new perches, just a bit bigger then his body and since then he always picks the same spot and NEVER moves. He's always perched in the same spot for hours, even days if I don't move him myself.

Just use perches that are the exact same size of his body. I'm guessing 1/4'' would be okay, though I really don't know how big your emerald is...
When my emerald was around 3/4 inch body size I gave him 3/4'' perches and 5/8'' and he was always on the bigger perch. That and when it was time for a bigger rubbermaid, I used to find him in that exact position with it's chin slightly touching the ground. I moved him to a longer rubbermaid with higher perches and he stopped doing it. He's always tighly wrapped around his favorite perch now.

Oh and like I said... when I feed mine (and I give him the max prey size an emerald can take, you can see his belly is really full) He goes back to his hunting position for 2-3 days right after his meal, then goes back to sleep in a coil. I guess they just do that for fun too, lol, cause he's CLEARLY not hungry after his meal. When he's actually really hungry, he's active, explores around and sometimes, he looks up not down (think he's starting to realise his meals come from the sky)
It's never the same everytime, and I don't wait for him to move around to feed him, he's on a schedule and never refuses even when he just woke up.

He's probably hungry, but if he's still stressed out cause you moved him, he won't eat. So don't worry too much, if they can go for months without eating in the wild, they can wait a week or two in captivity... he's not even gonna lose weight

Just change his perches (3 would be good) put one really high, one in the middle, the other a bit lower. You can go at rona and get the wooden Goujons it's called... they're like a dollar. If your humidity is good, the wood will not rot, if it's too high, you're gonna see little moss growing on it. That's one thing I like about the wooden perches, I know my humidity is not too high with that.

Do you check the temps regularly?
My emerald's floor is 35 degrees celcius so i can get a good 31 degree everywhere in his rubbermaid. They're not gonna take a nap on the floor so you have to check for sure he gets at least 30 degrees at the top.
I have a temp gun to check that, it's super accurate! You just point with the lazer and bam!

Hope this helps!

Try changing his perches and give him time to adjust to his new environement too, he's probably still a bit nervous...

PS. Thanks for the pics, he's really lovely!!

Good luck!

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Of course after I posted look what happened... lol
As it is now, his perches are just a liiiiittle bit smaller than his body, but almost the same size. I bought some wooden perches yesterday actually because i find the plastic ones i have look ugly lol. I just haven't put them in yet because i dont want to disturb him. I check the temps with the digital thermometer and hygrometer as well as have a temp gun too (they are so awesome right?). Temps seem good and so does humidity. Anyways, thanks again!

[Amy03 0]

LOL So cute! His eyes are still greenish, that's awesome! Can't wait to see the color changes!
If someday I'm in the neighbourhood and you happen to need a photographer, let me know!

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Heh yeah same here and thanks for the offer!

[mtlsir 0]

he's nice!

[Snake3 0]

awsome.

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

So last night i noticed something strange. My emerald was doing his usual night time romp around the cage when i took a close look and noticed that his tail is swollen just below the vent. So i figure "cool he is going to poop, hopefully this means he will be hungry when i try to feed him on friday." However, i woke up this morning and his tail is still swollen. I know that bathing them for a few hours helps them to pass feces, but i am still letting him get used to his new home and don't want to disturb him. I know Emeralds have a very slow digestive system and it just may take longer for them to poop. I would find it strange that he is constipated since he moves around a lot, which i know helps the intestinal tract work quicker, and his humidity is always in the right range. Anyone have any ideas, input?

[Amy03 0]

Mine did the same thing when I gave him his first meal... I took 5 days for to bump to disappear. I gave him baths everyday, but the most important thing is you gotta keep him active! I handle mine a lot more then when I got him and he never has this little bump anymore. Etbs won't move if there's no reason to move. Keep giving him baths, play with him a little, make him freak out a bit in the water and it will help. Don't give him more then 3 meals before he defecates. I still feed mine up to 3 meals now even if i dont see poop... I think its just pointless to wait for a defecation cause its gonna take a while no matter what. It's the same as blood pythons... my bloods can go for 2 months without defecating, they have perfect temps and humidity, they just take their sweet time to do their business thats all.. I still feed them regularly and dont even care anymore about bumps. Never had any problems with them, and my emerald leads a more active way of life then them and defecates way more often too. You need to keep your snakes active, I have to take out my bloods and bother them at least 2 times a week, if not, theyre gonna go for 4 months without pooping!

Lemme know what happens, it should work perfectly, and I'm sure it's just cause your snake has been inactive for a while.
So put him in a rubbermaid with water, and make it wiggle around a bit like a worm.
Don't worry about the teeth, it doesnt hurt when they're this small

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Hehe not too worried about the teeth, i have been bitten by way worse.

I figured they just take a long time regardless to poop. Mine is super active, he is often changing branches and at night he moves around the cage by himself. It is actually rare i catch him coiled up and resting. Little bugger is just full of beans i guess. Maybe i will just give him a bath when i get back from class tonight and see what happens.

[Amy03 0]

Don't be surprise if it takes several baths, mine did the same thing the first months (his 4-5 first meals I think) I would be more scared if a boa constrictor or a ball python was doing that... It's normal for this species. As long as it doesn't last more than a week, your snake should be fine!

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Awesome thanks!

When you mentioned the whole biting thing, i remembered something i saw on TV.

Found part of it on youtube. Adults sure do have scary mouths

[Amy03 0]

Same as scrub pythons teeth, but they are more curved. I heard that the smaller the adult specimen is, the bigger the teeth will be. I think they compensate like that for being small... I dont know if it's true, but in a way it makes sense. Blood pythons have a nice set of teeth also, and can pack a helluva punch when they strike, it's incredible!

It's a good thing etbs grow slowly though, this way you have a lot of time to tame them down! ... unlike retics and scrubs!

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Yes! From what I have seen up to date, for their size, blood pythons have one of the fastest strikes. I guess its because they are so stumpy. I also noticed that retics are one of the slowest, or maybe it was just the specimen I was dealing with. It wasn't really aggressive, more nervous and his strikes at me were so slow I never got bit.

I once had a Children's python bite my hand, hold on, wrap around and start to constrict lol. He thought my hand was food and since I didn't move when he bit he kept going. But once I gently started to move he was like "Oh crap! This thing is big!" and started to let go.

Cant say I have ever experienced a snake bite that really hurt. Only one that made me cringe a little was a baby ball python that got it's fang right into the vein in my thumb and started to pull. Yesh!

In any case, lets hope I never have to change that statement lol

[crokuta 0]

vraiment beau serpent,,j avoue que j ai un faible pour les arboricoles

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Update: So after days of soaking, he pooped. Or at least i thought... I
figured before i disturb him by cleaning his cage, i will try to feed
him since he pooped and maybe will now begin to eat. I was wrong he
refused again and still has not eaten. After my attempt, i removed the
paper towel from the bottom of the cage and upon closer inspection, i
noticed it looked like only urates. It was all yellow and crusty
looking. Mind you there was quite a bit of it, hence why i thought it
was a full defecation at first. I decided to take a look at him and saw
that the base of his tail is still swollen. Here is a pic.



Sorry its not too great, my camera's batteries are dead so i just used my phone again.

Am i just being paranoid or is this normal? Guess i;m just used to my rainbow boa who poops like a machine lol

[Melven1 0]

Very nice snake

[SecretID1 0]

[quote="RoTTen2TheCore"]

mtlsir a écrit:

Lol yeah my phone takes craptacular close up pics.

Must be a 1st generation IPhone ! None the less, a very nice animal...One of my top 3 fo sho... As a matter of fact, im looking to renew with the species after more then 5 years without.

Congrates mate !

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Merci les gars!
SecretID, c'est un sony ericsson t715 lol. Je pense que je suis la seule personne au monde qui n'a pas un iPhone. C'est cool que tu veux recommencer avec l'espece, je te souhaite bonne chance!

[mtlsir 0]

RoTTen2TheCore a écrit:

Merci les gars!
SecretID, c'est un sony ericsson t715 lol. Je pense que je suis la seule personne au monde qui n'a pas un iPhone!

j'aiun samsung wave! hehe

[bendtm 0]

Wow Félicitations!
Très beau serpent!

[Amy03 0]

How long has he had that bump? Did you massage it a bit, are you still giving him baths? Make sure the humidity(light condensation) and temps are in perfect harmony and give me some news.
Like I said, my emerald did the same thing to me, first meals, big bumps like he was constipated, I fed him a 4th time and boom, it passed, it wasn't dry, it wasn't big. And then it all stopped. He never had that again, and I never changed his set-up from day 1. I'm pretty sure he was still under intense stress and that's what caused the swollen tail.
It's not that horrible, it's a normal bump like he's really close to defecate... Just keep an eye on him, baths, massage, activity and it'll eventually pop out.

Constipation is when there's a lack of humidity or the snake his dehydrated, but if it's not the case, it's most likely stress, or overfeeding.

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Wealp... The bump seems to have gone away on it's own so that is a bit of a relief. The temps and humidity were in the right range and i'm sure the baths, as you suggested, helped a lot. Thanks Amy!

Now if i can only get him to eat! >.<
Rob McRobbie suggested I try pissing him off to get him to try to bite the thawed out mouse, but no dice. He wont even strike it, just turns around or crawls past it. I've tried feeding him during the day, night, while he is hanging down, coiled up on his perch and crawling around the cage. I'm going to try to get a live hopper and see how that works out.

[RoTTen2TheCore 0]

Of course after I post about it, the problem fixes itself lol. Woke up this morning gave it another try and BAM! It was instant.

I think I figured out the problem though. When defrosted, the mice were slightly humid and wet things lose heat a lot faster than things that are dry so i guess when I tried feeding him, it didn't take too long for the mouse to cool off and him to lose interest.

After thinking this might be the problem, I defrosted the mouse in water again, then I dried and heated the mouse till it was fairly hot with a blowdryer. Not only was the mouse warmer this time, it stayed warmer longer.