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n/a
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7384 Posts |
 Posted - 22/04/2011 : 11:34:39
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Kelfezond is very kindly posting these pics for me and he may be at work or out, so there may be some delay in the pics arriving, but she's worth waiting for (well I think so anyway.)
Thanks in advance, Kelf.
Ziska is 4/5 months old, and you can see she's a big lass for her age, and has, as the shop put it, 'an attitude to match.' She arrived yesterday, having shed and dumped in transit (a small snake in good working order) and promptly went into full rattlesnake mode as I undid her travelling box. Needless to say I didn't bother her with pics or handling; I took the lid off her box and placed it in the viv so that she could get out by herself, hung a towel over the viv front, and let her do her own thing. I woke this morning to find her having words with a cat through the glass. After the cat (a mild and gentle cat) was requested to move on, she remained, looking very menacing and watching my every move.
She's a darling, though I think I'll have to take handling ve-e-ery slowly!
Gopher snakes come from the same region as rattlesnakes and although non-venomous, put on the same display to deter predators. Their markings and overall apppearance are similar to that of rattlers; they can rattle their tails as loudly, and, when in defence mode, even the shape of their heads changes to mimic the triangular rattler head. Like bull snakes, to whom they're related, much of this is bluff (I hope lol.) Sadly this 'camouflage' has often led to gophers being killed in mistake for rattlesnakes.
They get their name from their habit of laying their eggs in the burrows of gopher tortoises, although they can dig. You'll see I've made her her own gopher burrow with a kitchen roll inner under a pile of aspen. Not that she'll fit in it for long - she may grow up to 9'.
So, as you can see, I'm very very proud of this new little girl. Here's Ziska! |
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Edited by - n/a on 22/04/2011 11:39:13 |
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 11:55:33
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TA DA!
Awesome snake Bats :D
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\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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sandi
Sub Adult
787 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 12:14:37
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| Wow, I love her to bits already! cant wait to hear more about her and how she reacts to handling (standing by with savlon and a plaster)! |
0.1.0 Royal Python - Florence
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor - Boris
1.1.0 Alaunts - Willow & Brochan |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 14:21:56
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Thanks, guys, and thanks again for help with pics, Kelf.
Doesn't she just look a right little madam! I may just need that plaster and Savlon, Sandi! |
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Edited by - n/a on 22/04/2011 14:25:41 |
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GMac
Grumpy scots admin
United Kingdom
1152 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 14:59:23
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| is looking good BATS |
 
Royals, Corns, Boa, Kings, Hoggy, Ratsnakes
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Laws
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1007 Posts |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 16:07:48
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Thanks, guys - yeah, Laws, she WAS, I think ... |
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Laws
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1007 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 16:10:14
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| and then i think she was saying "I dare u!" lol . i want another snake :( lol |
www.facebook.com/Thehogbox
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 17:42:55
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Aww, I know, it's terrible isn't it? You will, you will ... until you run out of space ... Ziska is the last snake I have space for in this house (famous last words, I know) and I was just waiting for a snake who would really catch my eye...
Hope you get your next snake soon! |
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reptilemadd
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 22:08:07
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| Lovely lovely snake BATS, why are there so many beautiful reptiles in this world and so little space in my dam house lol |
1.0.0 beardie "magic"
1.1.0 100% Het Clown "Cerberus" and "Artemis"
0.1.0 Poss Calico "Ariadne"
1.0.0 Lesser " Kronos"
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 22:41:21
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Aww, thanks, yeah, know how you feel - I need to come up on the lottery and buy a bigger house - don't we all lol!
Got that viv stack up and running, though the windows were a pain, and omg if only we could have electricity without flexes - until I find a tidier system it looks like Battersea power station lol - I swear they writhe about in the middle of the night and tangle up. Even so, it's not bad, though I say so myself. |
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reptilemadd
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 23:37:09
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nice jos on the stack I find cable clips inside the viv's and those computer cable tidy thingies help tidy things up in the old wiring department |
1.0.0 beardie "magic"
1.1.0 100% Het Clown "Cerberus" and "Artemis"
0.1.0 Poss Calico "Ariadne"
1.0.0 Lesser " Kronos"
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 22/04/2011 : 23:46:21
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Ah, the stat probes are hidden behind the front panel of the viv and I don't use thermometers, just a temp gun, but outside the viv ... Got loads of cable ties and can tuck flexes out of sight but they're putting up a fight ...
Got some nice little velcro patch things to stick stats and extension leads neatly up ... yesterday it was so hot that the glue melted and everything kept going bump on the floor ... d'oh!!
I'll get there! |
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reptilemadd
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 23/04/2011 : 00:08:22
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| "I'll get there" thats what british rail said way back when and look what happened to them lol |
1.0.0 beardie "magic"
1.1.0 100% Het Clown "Cerberus" and "Artemis"
0.1.0 Poss Calico "Ariadne"
1.0.0 Lesser " Kronos"
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 23/04/2011 : 00:36:51
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| Oh stunning looks like a Leopard snake. And is that a big cheesy toothy grin on pic 2? |
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BlueDragon
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
876 Posts |
Posted - 23/04/2011 : 10:18:43
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Beautifully stroppy looking Snake BATS : )
I can tell why people would assume she's a Rattle Snake, but I think I'd be able to tell she wasn't.
My Corn Snake used to rattle her tail whenever she wasn't in the mood to be handled X ) And sometimes she did it while she was constricting her mouse! |
Just me and my zoo. |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 23/04/2011 : 10:40:07
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Thanks, Bob, yeah, I reckon she thinks she's a real leopard! Could well have been the cheesy grin in that pic, as she was striking at the glass and carrying on alarming! My camera work's not terribly good - when I'm a bit more expert I'll get some pics up of the corns (feel rotten about leaving them out) and the viv stack too - when I've got the stat flexes under control ...
Same performance with Ziska this morning - gophers are diurnal, so she gets up before I do. She comes to the front of the viv and carries on at us all and then disappears for the rest of the day and night. (I'm going to start covering the viv over at night to make it a bit more private for her in the morning.) When I got up she'd left me another nice wet mess so I went in and cleared it but she didn't come zooming over to get me, though I was prepared for that lol. So she doesn't seem to be viv-defensive. Just ... er ... defensive - feisty little madam! I love her! |
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n/a
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 23/04/2011 : 11:29:55
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quote:
Originally posted by reptilemadd
"I'll get there" thats what british rail said way back when and look what happened to them lol
LOl - I remember that - and 'this is the age of the train' (Ancient, usually.) IMO BR never recovered from the curse of Beeching.
LOL I will get there - I'll even post a pic up one of these days!
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 23/04/2011 : 13:18:21
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueDragon
Beautifully stroppy looking Snake BATS : )
I can tell why people would assume she's a Rattle Snake, but I think I'd be able to tell she wasn't.
My Corn Snake used to rattle her tail whenever she wasn't in the mood to be handled X ) And sometimes she did it while she was constricting her mouse!
Thanks, Blue - sorry, I keep missing people's posts - still distracted by the viv stack.
Yeah, Missy's a rattler par excellence too - it's so funny when they try to be fierce. I was watching a video on youtube the other day and it was made to educate people about the difference between rattlers and gophers - apparently the best way is to look at their tails as the gophers' are smooth without rattles. When you see her hissing and striking though, her face really does change shape, I suppose if a nervous American saw a 6'+ gopher in the wild he'd go, aah, rattler! I suppose many people just panic and don't think ... such a shame eh - think what they're missing ... |
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BlueDragon
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
876 Posts |
Posted - 24/04/2011 : 10:59:38
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I must be some kinda weird... I'm usually like "aww, bless. Innit lovely. Can I hold?". If I saw one of those in the wild I'd be down next to it taking photos! X ) Not to mention the fact that I like to stroke Bummble Bees. They feel like little tiny hamsters : )
It is a shame though, that people never stop to think first. |
Just me and my zoo. |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 24/04/2011 : 11:43:45
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LOL - it's good to be weird! I like bumblebees too - in fact I pick the big queens and the drones up in my hands if they come in the house. Nature is just so wondrous.
Haven't seen Ziska this morning - I propped 2 sheets of polystyrene aganst her viv windows when I went to bed so that she could wake up and explore without any distractions. Her aspen is heaped high at either end and it looks like she appreciates this as it's now riddled with Ziska-sized holes where Madam's made her own burrows ... |
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Ziska my gopher snake
