... well this is pretty interesting ... and amazing ...



Back to ~ 9-2011; coluber went awol :{



It happened one am during "free time" outside its terrarium; it learned to come up & out in the early am’s and surf the net w/ me! … stupid me… spaced him out and went on w/ my day ... fall came and went; no fleeting glimpses, scats or sign anywhere, the clelia even got loose for several nights … & when finally captured .. was monitored for its scat … nothing. i assumed it had gotten behind the hall cupboards and up thru a crack on into the attic and then via fresh air to the outside… I hoped he could make it on birds eggs, lizards, & insects … maybe he was jerky under the dryer? i considered replacing him w/ a w/c adult fl black … but figured they’d be too tough 2 tame down … finally acquired his replacement; the neonate bonecoach … i was still bummed if not fully depressed.



1.23.12; ~ 15 weeks later. im going into the hall bathroom, & I stop short; a head & a foot of body are extended from below the

Cupboards … i gently grab him and for 30 min work him gently out of the crawl space under the cabinets. He appears a bit thin, but very beautiful, no doubt theres a shed under there!

Placed him in his enclosure w/ heat & water; his drinking was phenomenal; off the glass & finally in the h20 dish repeatedly immersing its entire head for up to 5 min steadily pumping h20 & then periscoping it backwards w/ visible peristaltic waves. This went on for over an hour, before it finally laid as if in a stupor. I have seen desiccated snakes drink before, but cannot recall ever seeing this much ingestion effort over time. The am of the 24th it was basking and observed yet again drinking deeply but this time for the typical ophidian 15-30 sec. prior to returning to basking. It finally took refuge from basking ~ 16 hrs post the major hydration. i had thought about taking a pre weight but decided against it; to expedite his recovery, my estimate is the coluber is currently at ~ 1 m & ~ 85g @ normal hydration, i don’t doubt it took on as much as 25-30 gm of h20; additionally its h20 bowl is visibly depleted! Intrsting too is that the snake appears quite docile as it was 15 weeks ago … memory ?

… its very very nice to have him back … I hope the lesson was learned … for awhile anyway!





.. so here he is pre-hydration ...

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