Introducing Gizmo and Steve

[bubblesharp]

Hi All,

After what seemed like an "eternal" wait, my breeding pair RTB has arrived!

I took a few pic's to introduce them, but Steve (the male, DUH!) was a bit skittish and could not get a nice shot of him. He is around 2-3 years old and just over 1.5m long.

Gizmo is about 5 years old now and 2.5m long, and feels like she weighs a ton, (but don't tell her I said so, she is pregnant, I think)

They seem very docile and I took Steve out tonight to show him to a friend. No one is aloud to take gizmo out of the cage. (except me when I will clean the cage) I want to handle her as little as possible until after she gave birth. For this reason I do not have a pic of me holding her yet, she was moved from her cage to the transport bin and from the bin back to the cage at my place.

Well enough said here are some pics.



Gizmo drinking some of the condensation drops from the roof.



Gizmo coming to have a closer look at the camera



Gizmo and Steve's tails, this is all I could get from Steve.



I found a shedded skin in the cage yesterday when I came from work and was very pleased that it was shed in one piece (well 2, but only because it got caught on one of the climbing branches. Judging by the size, it belongs to Gizmo, so if I have my facts right it should be approx 65 days from now to birth?

When I got them, they seemed a little dehydrated, and found numerous pieces of skin all over the cage, I immediately identified humidity as being the problem as the heating strip under the water bowl was too small to cause the water to evaporate enough for the enclosure. I removed one of the energy saver bulbs and replaced with a 175w infra red globe above the water bowl(after some negotiating I used the babies old baby bath, nice size for a swimming pool), next to the existing 250w infra red. This sorted out the temperature and the humidity. Now I need to build wire cages around those infra red globes.
And before anyone tells me that the cage wont last in that humidity, be assured I know this I am already planning the new enclosure with white melamine and sealing all the joints so that the water will not come into contact with the pressed wood it self. This cage is 5 years old, was build for Gizmo, and is build from super wood and chipboard. When I noticed that the chipboard was still in perfect condition I knew the humidity was way too low. I'll add a vent that I can open and close as needed to limit the condensation inside the cage for now.

Any pointers and advise on them will be greatly appreciated. The only reason I was able to identify humidity as the problem was due to the knowledge I gained from advise given by people on this Forum! Thanks to everyone!

[Marion]

Wow she is a big girl. What do you think she weighs? I'd probably put my back out trying to lift her. I'm also fat (but NOT pregnant) and also getting old!! I would love to get a snake some time but will need a nice safe breed that stays reasonably small!!

Good luck with the pregnancy.

Marion

[bubblesharp]

Thanks, she is really heavy, I'm off on Sunday, then I will take the time to weigh her, as I also need to clean the cage at the same time, so that will be the perfect time. I decided to clean the cage weekly as I am using newspaper as a substrate its cheap. This way I will be able to check her weight once a week for records.

I also have some corns a Yellow rat snake and a black rat snake. They don't get to big, so my baby boy is allowed to touch and feel them, I'm a bit careful with gizmo, as she might think he is a big hairless bunny, or something like that. Will wait until he can carry her weight before he can touch and feel her under supervision.

So if you thinking of getting a safe snake, go for a corn no doubt, a bit boring to the experience snake keepers, and no matter how cheap a normal is, they are still beautiful snakes. So what if anyone can keep one and every second kid breeds with them, that does not make an animal ugly does it?

[bubblesharp]

I weighed her Last night, and she weighs in at approx 7.6KG.

[bubblesharp]

Ok this just seems a bit strange to me. The timing seems way off, but grateful none the less.





I Observed them yesterday, on my way to clean the cage. Needless to say I ended up cleaning the Rat cages in stead. Seems like the last couple of cold days helped with my temps. I'll wait a few weeks then separate them, I was waiting for her to show a lump before I take Steve to another cage. Was getting worried that nothing was going to happen this year. The should ovulate in about 1 - 3 weeks if I'm correct? So maybe they will be Christmas babies.

They are due to feed on Sunday, but I suppose if they are still busy I should wait a couple of days? I'll also give med/large rat each and see how it goes.

[Bushviper]

Its not unusual to be mating now. It still falls within the normal range. Offer them both food however the male might refuse so just give the female a bit more in that case. I would remove the male until she has almost digested the meal and then put him in her cage again.

[bubblesharp]

Thanks BV will do, They were at it again on Sunday so I have postponed feeding until Wednesday when I am off.

[Rodwraylva]

Bubble, I am no expert in red tails, but she does not look gravid, your rat on the other side looks quite gravid to me

[bubblesharp]

At the time of the pics she was not as evident in the last couple of pics of the lock. When I got her, she had about 5 large rats a couple days before, this I was not told. The guy just said that she is gravid, and from the size it looked like it. However she was not. I did realize this in time and was able to set the mood for them to lock tales. She is ovulating now, as soon as I get the chance I will take some pics and load it up! I'm holding thumbs now! Will keep you up dated! I'm still learning on the boas, this is my first pair. I will soon look for another pair, still deciding on what snakes, first have to get a girl friend for that Yellow Rat snake.

[Rodwraylva]

Hope you have success! And Eben, try something like rhinoceros rats, or what are they they green snakeys, Taiwanese rats are also pretty, but that is just me, and Rhinoceros are expensive there are they not?

[bubblesharp]

Once I have success with my Yellows, I will set out for the Taiwanese, will try and get a pair this year still, on the Rhino's Stunning snakes, you know how much I want a pair, but they will have to wait, till I can afford them.

[Rodwraylva]

Buy Taiwanese from Cape Town and make an arrangement for trip down and get the permits so long cause here yearlings cost R700 or so... Maybe it is cheaper than there

[bubblesharp]

I'll check with some breeders, I'm coming down to Cape Town in Jan, to fetch my sister, she's working on the Queen Mary II, and the ship is due to dock in CT harbour 16 Jan, that's when her contract expires. So if the price is worth the hazzle I'll do it, will lwt you know, Thanks

[Rodwraylva]

Eben, I will look around, think you might be able to contact Paarl snake park, which is between Wellington and Paarl, and see if they could keep one for you if the hassle is overcome Went there last year, had a yearling for R700 or so maybe you can get them to save you one

[bubblesharp]

oK So I have realised a couple of months ago already that Gizmo were not Gravid at the time, hence I started to manipulate the temps etc. And the last pics I posted showed them locking tails. She has just finished shedding yesterday and she is getting really big and fat now. I did not manage to get any pics that shows her lump as she stays coiled up most of the time and when she is cruising I don't have my camera with me. The cage temps is 27.5C day time with a big plastic Hide I made where the temps is around 33C, I mist this hide twice daily so the humidity is really high inside. Before she shed she spent most of the time in there. Now she is cruising around a bit more, but I won't risk taking her out just to take a few nice photo's.

It seems that it is near impossible to predict when she will give birth as all the info I got says between 4-10 months Gestation. So basically anytime from Dec to June? or is there a more accurate time frame I can work on?

I will post some pics of her as soon as I have my camera with me and she is not coiled up. She is looking promising and she is getting bigger by the week now. She has also stopped feeding completely and is not even interested in a small rat, I'll keep offering, but won't get alarmed if she doesn't take, I just pass it on to Steve the male if she doesn't want it