Medusa

[exwizard]

Everyone, meet Medusa, my little yearling Albino Green Burm. When I first got her she was the typical Craigslist snake, underfed, mite infested and a hisser. Mite problem is gone now, she eats small rats on a regular consistant basis and is very handleable as you can see. I know she's still a bit small for her age but with regular feeding, she'll put on the size in no time. I plan on handling her a lot while she's still small. That way when she gets bigger, she will still be handleable.

[iBaman]

beautiful girl! Sometimes, they're just hissy snakes...my retic hisses all the time, but he's completely calm. *shrug*

[Kaetlinv]

Very pretty. :) I wish you the best of luck!

I hear a lot about snakes getting mites - Are they really that easy for a snake to get? I've had snakes for about a year and a half now and neither of them have had this problem. Would that be because I don't let them roam around outside? (Not much to work with around my house, plantlife isn't well kept. lots of tall grass and weeds)

[Lankyrob]

A lot of it is from cross contamination with other snakes, we have always had a policy that if we visit somewhere with reptiles whether its a shop or a private house when we return home we strip and put all clothes in the washer and then we shower before going near our own reptiles.

May be slightly extreme but we have had no mites in two years :)

[iBaman]

same here, lanky rob! 3 years going mite-free. *knocks on wood*

[Kaetlinv]

oh wow. I've taken Valentine and Romeo both to petstores - granted both never get too close to any other animal and don't leave my shoulders. I've never seen mites, so i guess i've gotten lucky. I knew snakes could get mites, and I look for them regularly, but i hadn't seen any.

Just seems like most the snakes you see on craigslist end up having mites, at least it seems that way from the posts here. yikes

[iBaman]

well, if you think about it, the snakes on craigslist are unwanted, thus probably fairly un-cared for.

[exwizard]

Very pretty. :) I wish you the best of luck!

I hear a lot about snakes getting mites - Are they really that easy for a snake to get? I've had snakes for about a year and a half now and neither of them have had this problem. Would that be because I don't let them roam around outside? (Not much to work with around my house, plantlife isn't well kept. lots of tall grass and weeds)

Yes it is easy for snakes to get mites, usually in the way Rob describes it. They usually get it from other snakes. Fortunately, its completely treatable.

A lot of it is from cross contamination with other snakes, we have always had a policy that if we visit somewhere with reptiles whether its a shop or a private house when we return home we strip and put all clothes in the washer and then we shower before going near our own reptiles.

May be slightly extreme but we have had no mites in two years :) I'm all about whatever works and if that works for you, then it's not extreme.

[Kaetlinv]

True. Poor things.

i did see one who was only put up because the owner was moving. Had very clear and detailed pictures - was a 4 foot male BP named Klaus - huge boy. This was before I'd gotten Romeo for my birthday that i saw his ad. I wanted to scoop him right up!

But I agree.... most are put on there because they're unwanted. it's a shame really. :/

[exwizard]

oh wow. I've taken Valentine and Romeo both to petstores - granted both never get too close to any other animal and don't leave my shoulders. I've never seen mites, so i guess i've gotten lucky. I knew snakes could get mites, and I look for them regularly, but i hadn't seen any.



Just seems like most the snakes you see on craigslist end up having mites, at least it seems that way from the posts here. yikes

well, if you think about it, the snakes on craigslist are unwanted, thus probably fairly un-cared for.That is`exactly right which was why I vowed earlier today never to get a Craigslist snake again.

Don't get me wrong. I don't regret getting Medusa. She is a very pretty snake and is getting better healthwise and temperamentwise all the time.

[millertime89]

Wow Gary, great pickup, size and weight? She doesn't look too bad.

[exwizard]

Wow Gary, great pickup, size and weight? She doesn't look too bad.

Medusa is 40" long and 3 lbs. I also have outside pics I took of her today so without further adieu, this is Medusa hanging out on the railing on the deck in the back yard this afternoon.

[marvelfreak]

She a beauty.

[Rogue628]

She's certainly pretty. I'm positive with proper feeding, she'll catch up in no time. :)

[Wildside]

Why does everyone act like mites are terminal? IMO they're just like a flea infestation on a dog. PIA to deal with but as long as it's being handled then it's no big deal...

[snake man12]

True. Poor things.

i did see one who was only put up because the owner was moving. Had very clear and detailed pictures - was a 4 foot male BP named Klaus - huge boy. This was before I'd gotten Romeo for my birthday that i saw his ad. I wanted to scoop him right up!

But I agree.... most are put on there because they're unwanted. it's a shame really. :/

They all say they are moving and can't take it with them.

[exwizard]

I was thinking. At the rate of Medusa's growth, I'm starting to think about a more permanent cage for her. Looking at the Animal Plastics website, the AP T25 (http://www.animalplastics.com/terrestrial/T25/T25.htm) looks like it will be the cage of choice. I don't expect Medusa to get over 12' anyway and the other 2 are males so they won't top 14' either, if they get that big at all. Now the males are not in need of these cages anytime soon but Medusa is getting closer to outgrowing her 74qt tub she's currently in. I'm interested in opinions about the T25 (http://www.animalplastics.com/terrestrial/T25/T25.htm) and when should I start considering moving her into that cage? I know that Animal Plastics is backlogged in their rack production but I'm not sure if their backlog is the same with their terrestrial cages. Anyway, let me know what you think.

[nick654377]

well i ordered my t10 from them dec 7th and still have yet to get any info on the build of it.

[exwizard]

So maybe I should call them Monday to get the ball rolling to allow as much time as possible for them to get this completed?

[shaunyboy]

A lot of it is from cross contamination with other snakes, we have always had a policy that if we visit somewhere with reptiles whether its a shop or a private house when we return home we strip and put all clothes in the washer and then we shower before going near our own reptiles.

May be slightly extreme but we have had no mites in two years :)

i do the exact same Rob...

as soon as i walk through my front door,i strip off,hand my wife my clothes,to put in the washing machine...

then i do a streak upstairs to the shower :shocked::laugh:

you'd think i'd been exposed to some chemical agent,glad it's not just me that does this mate

cheers shaun

[Necrias]

I'm pretty good friends with Ap and their employees at this point, they use the same machine for terrestrials as they do racks, so progress is slowwwww... so expect 8-10 weeks for a T25. I ordered mine (3 of them) at the beginning of Dec and won't expect them for another 2 weeks. Also, I keep mine in 74 qt tubs until they hit 7 ft, then I order/move them up, so Medusa has plenty of time :)

[exwizard]

Ty Necrias. Your opinion means a lot to me. After taking everything into consideration, how long it takes AP to fill an order the likelihood of Medusa reaching 7' by April and the fact that I've been behind the curve before, I've decided on ordering this cage today. You're right. She does have plenty of time and I want to keep it that way because I don't expect to get this order filled until some time in April. I am pretty excited about this and when Poseidon and Tiny get bigger, they will each get a cage just like Medusa's. Once again ty for your reply and I will keep you all updated.

[Loucifer]

A lot of it is from cross contamination with other snakes, we have always had a policy that if we visit somewhere with reptiles whether its a shop or a private house when we return home we strip and put all clothes in the washer and then we shower before going near our own reptiles.

May be slightly extreme but we have had no mites in two years :)

Aaaaagh!!! I went to my first reptile expo yesterday and didn't even think of this! I had no contact with my snake, tho. Or any contact with the show animals, just looked (if that matters any...)*Makes mental note!!!*

[exwizard]

The order has been placed and now begins the 8 week waiting process.

[exwizard]

Ok I measured her last night using a very rough method that I don't think is very accurate. I ran my hand end to end 10 times at 7 1/2" per length with about 3" left over. If that is accurate that places her size at about 78" or about 6' 6". Like I said, I'm not sure about the accuracy of this method but I will measure her using a string ASAP. Aaron you may be right about her eventual size and I say this now. She may outgrow the new AP cage she's getting in a couple of months very quickly after she's moved into it. If in fact it's apparent that this will happen, she will get a bigger cage.

[exwizard]

A little update on that measurement is in order since I did so tonight using the string method which is much more accurate. Right now, she is 70" long or 5' 10" and weighs 7 lbs. She still could reach 7' by the time she gets into her new cage and her growth is noticeable each time I see her but it's not as dramatic as the measurement I got last time. Regardless, I will be happy with her no matter what size she ends up being.

[exwizard]

Over 6' long now and still the lapsnake. Life is good!

[nick654377]

very jelly of her. the local store by me has a male normal not sure on the morph of burms. he is about 6-7 foot maybe 8 and i wish i had th room for him.

[Freebody]

Love the Burm, I hope you keep feeding us updates on her.

[exwizard]

Love the Burm, I hope you keep feeding us updates on her.

You know I will.

Right now, she is on XL rats every week and it won't be long until she passes Black Betty up in both length and weight. When that happens, she will be switched to rabbits or piglets.

Also her new cage is still in the works and I will keep you guys updated on that as well.

[exwizard]

An update is now in order. 3 weeks ago, I got her in her new AP T25, last week she was fed her first rabbit and today, after cleaning her enclosure, I noticed not only did she span the entire width of this new cage and then some, she also is getting ever so nearer to Black Betty's size. This is great! :)

[poison123]

beautiful snake :)

[rocknhorse76]

That's pretty awesome! Did you get rid of one of your Dum's?

[exwizard]

I did. The guy who has her now is taking very good care of her.

[guyabano]

Love it. Pardon the ignorance, but what are the dimensions of that enclosure?

[exwizard]

6'W x 2'H x 30"D

[exwizard]

A few other things I forgot to mention about that cage...

It really holds the heat and humidity well. It uses 11" flexwatt across the bottom, extending out about 2' from the left side, about 2/3 the way back. This gives her the gradient she needs and still; have plenty of room to move around. Eventually, she will outgrow this cage and when that happens, I am prepared to get her into something like a T65.

Also, with the design of the sliding glass door complete with the lock, this cage is totally secure. Not that I ever had any problem with her before but she is getting bigger and I just want to make sure that precautions are taken.

I also like the stackable nature of this cage. Venus is still a baby and Poseidon is a yearling. Eventually, they will also need bigger cage space and when they do, I can get them cages of their own and stack right on top.

I know I was late in announcing the arrival of her T25 but I got it done and will continue to take care of these needs as they come.

[marvelfreak]

Looking good Gary. Won't be long and Betty won't be your biggest anymore.

[exwizard]

Looking good Gary. Won't be long and Betty won't be your biggest anymore.You got that right! Current standings...

Black Betty, Dumeril's Boa, weighing in at 24 lbs and is 9' long...

Medusa, Albino Green Burmese Python, weighing in at 19.6 lbs and is 8 1/2' long...

Medusa's girth is bigger than Betty's already but Betty's muscles are more developed. Medusa is 2 years old and still has a lot of growing to do while Betty is at least 11 and her growth is for the most part, done.

[sharthun]

Nice snake and name:D;)

[marvelfreak]

You can tell from the last picture in July compared to the new one Medusa put on some weight.

[ErikBush97]

True. Poor things.

i did see one who was only put up because the owner was moving. Had very clear and detailed pictures - was a 4 foot male BP named Klaus - huge boy. This was before I'd gotten Romeo for my birthday that i saw his ad. I wanted to scoop him right up!

But I agree.... most are put on there because they're unwanted. it's a shame really. :/

I'm in Oregon and thats weird!! I almost got Klaus o.o

[ErikBush97]

Do they have hides, ExWizard? I've noticed that a lot of pictures of Boas, Burms (bigger snakes) they don't usually have hides in their enclosures.

[thinkbig317]

Beautiful!!!!!!!

[exwizard]

You can tell from the last picture in July compared to the new one Medusa put on some weight.
Yeah she has! :)

[exwizard]

Do they have hides, ExWizard? I've noticed that a lot of pictures of Boas, Burms (bigger snakes) they don't usually have hides in their enclosures.

No she quit using her hides long ago, so I pulled them out. My guess is once they reach a certain size, they no longer feel like they need them.

[ErikBush97]

No she quit using her hides long ago, so I pulled them out. My guess is once they reach a certain size, they no longer feel like they need them.

That makes sense since they have no natural predators or whatever.

[exwizard]

Medusa's getting bigger all the time. Today as soon as I got home, she rested her chin on the front sliding glass door and stared at me as if to say, "do I get to come out?". Of course I couldn't resist that look in her eyes. Her home needed to be cleaned anyway. She's such a sweetheart and totally chillin' right now. :)

[sharthun]

Awesome Ex! Cool snake and name! ;)

[exwizard]

Thank you. To give you an even deeper understanding where she came from, check out this thread from the beginning. It's an ongoing progress report on her since the day I first brought her home 16 months ago. :)

[exwizard]

Ok one more pic...

This one is of her basically making it known she wants some out time. Who could resist those "puppy dog" eyes? I certainly couldn't so I pulled her out for some handling time. :)

[sharthun]

I couldn't resist either!:) nice shot!

[marvelfreak]

Sweet my male Black Blood does that with his chin resting on the lip of the door. When i open the door he just comes strolling out.

[exwizard]

You tell me. This is today's pic comparing Medusa to Black Betty. Black Betty is the Dum on top who is 11+ years old, 9' and 26 lbs. while Medusa is the Burm on the bottom. She is 2 years old and in recent months has really put some size on her. Now I know she just had a small rabbit last Sunday and I will weigh her this Saturday but based in what you see in these pics , is she close to, or right at Betty's size? I know Betty's heavier still, but what does it look like to you guys?Is she close to, at or passed Black Betty up and outgrew her. I can tell you by weighing Medusa she doesn't have far to go before she gets heavier than Betty.

[exwizard]

Ok I know it's not Saturday yet but when I got home, I pulled her out to play with her and took the opportunity to weigh her. She is officially 20.4 lbs., sill not as heavy as Black Betty but their girth and length are now the same. Yes, Medusa is now 9' long and today confirmed it. Life is good! :)

[exwizard]

Ok Medusa shed night before last and subsequently destroyed her cage "Oscar Madison" style. If you recall her previous video of her taking it all off, her efforts resulted in one of the pads being wadded off in a ball this time as well. Then when I got home all 3 pads were completely soaked and saturated with a poop pile on one end so yeah, I had to clean all that up, but because of her recent shed she looked gorgeous. I figured it was time for more pics to show you all just how pretty she's becoming.

[guyabano]

Lookin' good!

[pinsonoso]

Nice snake!!