| T O P I C R E V I E W |
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Posted - 17/06/2011 : 14:56:33
Readers of my other threads about Ziska, my gopher snake, will know that she's not the calmest personality on the planet. Potentially 9' long, a relative of bull and pine snakes, and a member of the pituophis species (known as 'pits'), the gopher, in its native California, defends itself from predators by its very good impression of a rattlesnake. The shop warned me that Ziska was a good size for her age (she's now 6 months old) and had 'an attitude to match.'
She has. She arrived in a cricket box and went into the full rattlesnake performance the minute she saw me, flattening her head, rattling her tail, and striking randomly. (This is the normal Ziska greeting; she's not ladylike.)
She settled in, if you can call it that. Her appetite is huge; she wouldn't fit into that cricket box now. Unless she's carrying on alarming at me and the cats, she's a shy girl; she likes nothing better than heaps of aspen to burrow in, and plenty of hides. She appreciates a large water bowl, so that she can use it as a lavatory. I've handled her a couple of times and been bitten once (it tickled) but have been giving her chance to settle and do her own thing, and just see how she got on.
Today she was out, curled up quietly on her climbing branch. A cat looked at her; I looked at her. She said nothing, not even a tail rattle. Presently she came to the viv door and curled up with her nose against it, as docile as a corn snake. I gave her an hour or two and then picked her up.
Usual performance. She tail rattled and bit me, but I've come to learn that gopher displays are much like that of the hognose snake; they huff and strike but don't actually sink their teeth into you. She wriggled about in my hands, huffing loudly out of the corners of her mouth, exploring. Again I noticed the different feel of her; royals and corns feel smooth and silky; a gopher's scales are much smaller, and she feels rougher and 'drier' - rather nice, in fact.
Presently she shot up my sleeve. That was an hour ago. As I was writing this, she went up on to my neck and is now sleeping warmly against my right shoulder blade. I'm not quite sure how I'll get her out; I suspect she won't be pleased, but meanwhile my little 'wildie' is getting used to me, and the smell of my skin, and trusting me enough to chill out next to me.
I've been having a lousy day, but this has really cheered me up! |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
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Posted - 26/06/2011 : 11:22:30
LOL! Mind you, I always see it as a sort of boasting thing - 'I'm a rattlesnake! I am! I am!!'
Actually there is a pic of a bull snake on here (almost identical to a gopher) doing that thing with the mouth - in Figs' thread, 'Bully bully bull' on this section or other reptile photos. I think it's the pic where the snake is next to its water dish. I saw that and thought - 'ah, Ziska!' |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 25/06/2011 : 23:55:39
When they do that mouth thing it reminds me of Blakey/stephen Lewis (on the buses). Giving it 'I 'ate you Lilith, I 'ate you'.
Have to post this for anyone not familiar with the Gophers fierce attitude. |
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Posted - 25/06/2011 : 17:46:11
She was on the prowl again today, presumably because her rat is due tomorrow, so I went in and picked her up - and she was so much quieter, it was unbelievable. Well, when I undid the rubber wedge from the viv door, she struck and fell back into her water bowl, it's true, but picking her up was a doddle. She made no objection at all. She huffed a bit as she climbed round me but I think that's just Ziska.
From the side her head looks bulbous and blunt; from the top it's almost oval, except for a funny little sharp snout. When she's in defence mode her mouth widens and she expels air from either side of her jaw - the very first time I picked her up she made a noise like a gigantic sneeze.
I think these really are very underestimated snakes - their care is no more complicated than a corn's, and they're greedy feeders if Ziska's example is anything to go by. They are very beautiful - while another forum avers that 'nobody keeps the wild-type gophers nowadays' and it's true that the snow and albino morphs are gorgeous, the wild type can still hold its own, apppearance-wise. Their temperament is a little er, feisty, but fun!
If you're after a longer snake without the heavy body or strength of the larger boas or pythons, gophers (and bulls and pines) are worth considering in my opinion. I wouldn't be without Ziska.
Viva Ziska! |
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Posted - 18/06/2011 : 14:38:12
Lol - she's very quick - and I'm not a good photographer ...erm, which button is this ...?? (But I'll do my best, promise.)
Ha - she has always seen me as her SLAVE and threatened to eat ME!
Ziska rules - KO!! |
| scubadude |
Posted - 18/06/2011 : 13:54:11
ziska sounds like she's settling in a bit and realises mum might not eat her after all . Thanks for keeping us updated on her progress Bats, looking forward to seeing some more pics of her as she grows, (oh go on puuuhhhhleeease ) |
| n/a |
Posted - 18/06/2011 : 13:12:37
Aww, Mystra - buy him! Gophers are amazing!
Thanks, GMac, though losing her wasn't very cool - think she must have levitated! She was only gone about half a minute, though it felt like a lifetime ...
Have to admit, there is a sense of achievement in being able to handle an apparently angry snake ... but she really is all bluff, bless her! |
| GMac |
Posted - 18/06/2011 : 12:03:36
looks like you time and patience are paying off, very cool BATS |
| mystra |
Posted - 18/06/2011 : 10:31:58
awwww, bless the fiesty bugger!!
I do love gopher snakes... there's one in my local rep shop thats got one bad eye, and looks even more full of attitude for it... an eyepatch to complete the look lol... he's been reserved twice over the past year and has never gone.... clearly he's waiting for me !! |
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Posted - 17/06/2011 : 15:39:04
A cuddle with a BURM!! Wow - that must be incredible - Burm massage eh?
Aww, that's when they need cuddles, Kelf, when they strike at you - they're just trying to be hard and you take the wind out of their sails lol.
Well, I'd just posted this, and I felt Ziska give a wriggle - and she'd gone!
!!
Just one tiny flicker of movement - and no Ziska!
There is a throw over the chair, loads of litter on the floor (I'm not the world's tidiest), open sideboard drawers ...She's roughly 2' 6" long and she'd vanished like a corn hatchling! I went into panic mode and zoomed about rummaging ... she was curled up in a warm heap at the base of the sideboard. Waiting for me, I think. I took her back upstairs to her viv, though sat on the bed with her for a while first to calm down ... well, she was calm. She roamed round my hands, using her muscles to climb, as well-behaved as a corn, only occasionally telling me her name ...Ziissshhhka! But not as stridently as before. And nuzzling my hands with her little pointed nose as if they were her climbing branch.
We're getting used to each other. But it never pays to be complacent around a gopher! Little devil! |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 15:18:56
You're alot braver than me, Anubis struck at the glass by my toes yesterday and I punished him by not giving him cuddles that day. In a strange way it's only punishing me because I lose out on cuddles :( |
| jhk2005 |
Posted - 17/06/2011 : 15:10:18
aww that's lovely Bats :) it's amazing how much happiness snake's bring to our lives isn't it? I still find it relaxing having a cuddle with any of my wonderful ones, although with Kane (my burm) it's more like a relaxing powerlift lol! ;) |
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