Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just fd out from bro Taylor....like that theres a dude in Tejas (where else...zzz)... that has likely been lurking [like a lowlife moccasin] for ~ 3 years now...who bought 3 of the 11 mussuranas Glades sold in 8 of 2002...& this lowlife has quietly bred the neonates [w/ their siblings] for mucho dinero....yuch...anyway....if this ammonia deposition survives by this advisory...so be it...
I owe it to the few remaining...those who sek to understand the ultimate colubrid..especially the bro's...Doug, Hassan n' way down south....Fabian...be advised....

...10.7.05...Yikes..I just had my neonate raised Clelia [now 3 years old & ~ 1.3 m] out for an excercise session this AM...this about 8 days post a major feeding event; (C.atrox).
It was as usual...very active & alert while out cruising.

Despite this fairly frequent handling..& It has taken half hearted feeding strikes at me.... before when I have reached in for it, & again...particularly at night.
I had no scents of mice or snakes on me, yet when I went to retrieve it, it began to repeatedly lash sideways gaping for my hand!
It even nipped at its own body & the lawn chair fabric in its haste to feed. You'd expect this behavior from a habituated boid! The strike pattern was like an elapid...as is the venom....

From now on it will be hooked & tailed!

Wild Clelia are renowned for their docility during capture...Feeding responses of C/B-LTC snakes are a whole ' experience...

You are now for-warned...

Beers, RxR

>>I just fd out from bro Taylor....like that theres a dude in Tejas (where else...zzz)... that has likely been lurking [like a lowlife moccasin] for ~ 3 years now...who bought 3 of the 11 mussuranas Glades sold in 8 of 2002...& this lowlife has quietly bred the neonates [w/ their siblings] for mucho dinero....yuch...anyway....if this ammonia deposition survives by this advisory...so be it...
>>I owe it to the few remaining...those who sek to understand the ultimate colubrid..especially the bro's...Doug, Hassan n' way down south....Fabian...be advised....
>>
>>...10.7.05...Yikes..I just had my neonate raised Clelia [now 3 years old & ~ 1.3 m] out for an excercise session this AM...this about 8 days post a major feeding event; (C.atrox).
>>It was as usual...very active & alert while out cruising.
>>
>>Despite this fairly frequent handling..& It has taken half hearted feeding strikes at me.... before when I have reached in for it, & again...particularly at night.
>>I had no scents of mice or snakes on me, yet when I went to retrieve it, it began to repeatedly lash sideways gaping for my hand!
>>It even nipped at its own body & the lawn chair fabric in its haste to feed. You'd expect this behavior from a habituated boid! The strike pattern was like an elapid...as is the venom....
>>
>>From now on it will be hooked & tailed!
>>
>>Wild Clelia are renowned for their docility during capture...Feeding responses of C/B-LTC snakes are a whole ' experience...
>>
>>You are now for-warned...
>>
>>Beers, RxR
>>

I'm really wondering what was different. You didn't have any snake scent on your hands did you? Perhaps it was catching scent of snake on the "exercise court".

The only time I've had feeding strikes aimed at me was when the snake was REALLY hungry... one time by a sub-adult. I feed them by tossing food in their cages, always at night, turning off all the lights and leaving the room. I want to not be recognised as a food supply.

Perhaps a bigger cage so personal contact for regular exercise isn't needed.

I might start using the kevlar gloves for moving them.

Thanks.

Doug T

...I do know its gonna kill me...it tried again today...I really handled the hellout of it w/ my auntivenom.com professional hook...squashed its evil head...& still the som-[bleep] tried to get me...mebbe I otta feed it?? Mebbe I otta just "give it up" n' let it chew me...

Posted by: Doug T at Mon Oct 10 12:47:25 2005 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

I'm really wondering what was different. You didn't have any snake scent on your hands did you? Perhaps it was catching scent of snake on the "exercise court".

The only time I've had feeding strikes aimed at me was when the snake was REALLY hungry... one time by a sub-adult. I feed them by tossing food in their cages, always at night, turning off all the lights and leaving the room. I want to not be recognised as a food supply.

Perhaps a bigger cage so personal contact for regular exercise isn't needed.

I might start using the kevlar gloves for moving them.

Thanks.

Doug T

O.k.-o.k.; I was wondering if these mu's were gonna start wiggin out, because mine has basically stopped constricting and is "relying" solely on envenomating it's prey snakes. For example, 2 wkends ago, I offered him a 16in. ribbon. He missed the head and grabbed the tail after the cloaca and began to chew. The ribbon did a death roll and twisted it's tail dam near off. he still refused to constrict for nearly an hour and a half. The ribbon stopped struggling, so he (mu) decides to let go and get the head, the ribbon struck at him at the same moment mu struck. Only now that they're "head" locked did he constrict. My point is..is he going to become dangerous at a certain age or length? I don't bother him much, but I use extreme caution and make sure he's pretty well fed, and that sun is bright before I open his enclosure.DEFINETLY SPOOKED NOW!
Hassan

I wouldnt worry too much (yet) w/ your new little nipper, at that size they probably cant hurt you. Handle it 3-5x between feedings w/ clean hands & hopefully it'll turn out tame & mellow. These habituated feeding bites are such a pain w/ CB snakes..they just havent had the opportunity to learn...not everything is food! It must be hilarious in nature to see them learn some things will bite back! Yours non constricting is a bit odd by my experience...mine still full wraps an f/t mouse! Njoy it, thats an unusual snake in NA collections

Posted by: bloodycoils72 at Tue Oct 11 03:17:23 2005 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

O.k.-o.k.; I was wondering if these mu's were gonna start wiggin out, because mine has basically stopped constricting and is "relying" solely on envenomating it's prey snakes. For example, 2 wkends ago, I offered him a 16in. ribbon. He missed the head and grabbed the tail after the cloaca and began to chew. The ribbon did a death roll and twisted it's tail dam near off. he still refused to constrict for nearly an hour and a half. The ribbon stopped struggling, so he (mu) decides to let go and get the head, the ribbon struck at him at the same moment mu struck. Only now that they're "head" locked did he constrict. My point is..is he going to become dangerous at a certain age or length? I don't bother him much, but I use extreme caution and make sure he's pretty well fed, and that sun is bright before I open his enclosure.DEFINETLY SPOOKED NOW!
Hassan

I'm really surprised to hear of these weird behaviors. It just makes them more interesting I guess.

RR, you may want to try a pair of the gloves I linked below. It's what I use when dealing with the Beaded Lizards. A vet suggested them to me. They don't protect from crushing, but they are puncture resistant. My vet freind said he's had cats chomp down on him with these on and come out unscathed. It should be just fine for dealing with a mu with no sense of size.

Doug T

Gloves

Iagree with D totally...every pic Double-R's mu is "steel-banding" the hell outta it's prey. I watch mine pump madd loads of venom into everything I feed it. Anoles turn purple and sort of bruise through the skin, snakes just struggle for a few hours, or minutes depending on his hunger(he sometimes eats them still alive. My thing is a 6-7ft. elapid-like venom having snake that won't constrict and can't strike accuratetly is...well..eff it!
Hassan frustrated

I think you guys will find a more tolerable feeding response if you:

1-Stick to f/t rodents. Maybe once in a while a snake would be fun to use, but by what you guys are saying, it sure seems to add to an aggressive feeding response.

2-Don't be part of the feeding program. Feed the snakes at night, leave the room, don't watch. I put their meal in a dish and I check a few minutes after to see that they are eating. If I see them eating, I leave the room for the night.

3-Feed smaller, more frequent meals.

Anyway, these are just a few ideas that may or may not help. I hope they do. So far this is working for the 4 (plus-2) I'm keeping. Who knows, maybe they'll all go nuts someday.

I'd like to know if you guys try this and have success calming the snakes down.

Doug T

use the soft end and beat it over the head, it wont leave any marks and it will give him somehting to focus on LOL.
B