Shedding Layers

Snakes, like most other reptiles, frequently shed their skin. Now, since I have had Marbles she's only shed once back in June. And if I'm being completely honest, I didn't know about how to care for a snake when they're shedding. The first time she shed was about less than a month after I got her and I didn't care for her properly. I didn't keep the humidity high enough which caused Marbles to shed in pieces as opposed to in one long piece.

Came home to a shed today!

Last Monday Marbles didn't eat but yesterday (Tuesday) she did. I was actually quite skeptical on if I should feed her since she is shedding, but I figured since she didn't eat last week she could be hungry and dehydrated (snakes get most of their water from their food they eat as opposed to drinking water).

The other day whenever I noticed that she began shedding, I became determined to do it the correct way so it'd all come out in one piece. To accomplish this, I kept everything the same with Marbles- feeding routine, temperature, enclosure, fresh water refilled often- with the exception of handling and humidity. I did my research and found that I needed to increase the humidity from the normal 60% - 65% to 70% - 80% so she would be comfortable during this time. Also, I refrained from handling her while shedding because that could cause stress and possibly hinder the shedding process.

What a great shed!

I got home from work, saw the shed in the enclosure and was ecstatic when I pulled it out to find it was in one piece. Part of it tore off while I picked it up but it was just a little part so that's alright. I measured it and Marbles is currently 2'10"! Almost 3 ft long! The last time I weighed her she was about 415g (about a pound).

Now that she's shed and everything is good hopefully I can start handling her more!

Apartment Move Update

Alrighty, so it has now been a week since Marbles and I moved here into the apartment. Things are going really well!

The gray over her eye is skin that will be shed

I am having a much easier time keeping humidity here than when we were set up at my house and honestly I have no clue why.

Marbles is doing just fine! I went to go feed her on Monday and she struck at the mouse but didn't eat it. I thought it was because she realizes she is in a relatively new environment and she just got nervous. But it turns out there's another reason.

I took her out to hold her the other day and I noticed that her eyes were fogging up, and in the world of reptiles, that means Marbles is about to shed her skin.

For comparison, here you can see her eyes are black

I am not worried about her as this is normal for ball pythons and they're known to be picky eaters. I will continue to feed her (or attempt to) during the shed. This is only the second time she's refused food in the four months I have had her.

Marbles likes to curl up in her log hide and poke her head off. When one of my roommates comes into my room she peaks out to see what's going on

Moving on Over

Alright, so my next step in life is moving into an apartment near my college. After some discussion with the apartment complex manager, he agreed to let me bring Marbles with no pet fee and rent charge.

So to start this process off, I found this gem on the side of the road. Its a three-tier rolling beverage/snack cart. It looked really rough so I sanded and spray-painted it.

This is going to be the stand for Marbles' enclosure.






Then, I put Marbles in the cloth bag I got her in and put that in a open bucket to make transportation easier. Honestly, I thought she would freak out, but she remained calm actually.

Next, along with some help, I dismantled her enclosure and gathered her supplies and headed to the car. The drive was less than a half hour long and I had her on my lap so she did get some heat. She didn't squirm on the ride. I was careful to make sure the driver knew not to go fast around the corners so Marbles didn't slide and become scared.

We arrived at my apartment soon enough and I had my crew get everything inside. We had to set this up a little different than at my house; at my house the dresser that Marbles' enclosure was on top of was longer and wider than the enclosure itself, but the cart was not. So a piece of particle board was put down to steady the enclosure - I wasn't going to take a chance without it and have the enclosure fall. After that it was just the same set up at home, I just put a towel over the board for aesthetic purposes and the supplies on the shelves underneath the enclosure. Then I just slid her out of the bag (notice I didn't stick my hand in the bag with a snake because my mom didn't raise a fool) and she just started exploring then eventually left to open area to go into her hide over the heat pad because that's just what she does.

I am supposed to feed her today, but I am not going to. She is just now is in a new environment even though her enclosure is the same. I could run the risk of her not eating and me wasting a mouse or she could actually regurgitate it due to nerves and anxiety from the new place and the move. I will probably wait 1-2 days for her to become acclimated before I feed her again.

Perspectives

Having a snake is a lot of fun in my opinion. There are so many aspects of it: the gene types, the food types, the reptile shows, etc. and I absolutely love it!

Now normally when I tell people I have a snake they look at me in horror. And honestly I didn't expect that type of response when I first got Marbles.

Growing up, I had always been fascinated with reptiles. I was never given a reason to fear them because I was taught to respect them.

So when I first started to get these negative responses to my baby, I was shocked! How can someone not be interested in these amazing creatures?!

The funniest (and most often) comment I get is "Don't let her sleep with you. I read this news article once about how this lady let her snake sleep with her and it was just sizing her up to eat her!"

Y'all.

That's ridiculous. I understand fully that being attacked by a snake is a possibility but *if* that story is even true, there are some criteria of that situation that is a tad different than mine (and most reptile keepers):

1. Those snakes in the news are much bigger than the average pet ball python
• Marbles is about two feet long unlike some other breeds of pythons that can be up to fifteen feet long.
2. Those snakes are wild animals
• Marbles was bred in captivity, as are most snakes that are being kept.
3. Mama didn't raise a fool
• I understand that these animals are dangerous, so why would I put myself in a position (sleeping with her) where I am not able to control the situation? The answer is I don't! I have yet to meet someone that sleeps with their snake.

Other concerns that have been voiced to me:

• "What if she bites you?!"
• If we're being honest, my dog's bite hurts more than Marbles.
• On that subject, yes I have been nipped at because I either scared her by moving her too fast or I smelled like mouse. She did not lash out because she is evil.
• "What if she gets out?!"
• This is a perfectly valid concern. Snakes are strong enough to push their enclosure tops off if its just a screen with no latches or locks.
• To alleviate worry about this, I have locks on her enclosure.
• "Snakes are gross."
• All animals are gross. Cats, dogs, fishes, horses, and birds poop and pee, yet they are still kept as pets.
• Just as with all other animals, if you keep their spaces clean, then it won't get dirty.
• "I had a bad experience with X type of snake when I was younger and therefore I don't think you should get one."
• Other people's experiences with snakes does not make me love Marbles any less or regret getting her.

Like, look at my baby. She is absolutely adorable.

      

A common misconception is that pythons look scary. But look! They're not like other venomous snakes that have the pointy eyes, sharp fangs, etc. (those snakes are still beautiful) but pythons have a puppy face that just gets me every time.

Adorable. Not to mention those colors are absolutely beautiful!

*Disclaimer: These are all my opinions and I do not speak for all reptile keepers, just what I have learned by going to reptile shows, talking with reputable breeders, my own research, and my own snake keeping experiences*

Also none of the pictures are mine except the one of Marbles and I give credit to the original artists.

Long Time No See

This summer has been crazy with summer school and moving home and what not, so I apologize for the lack of content lately.

I have had Marbles for about three and a half months, which is crazy because it doesn't feel like its been that long.

Update on Marbles:
She's doing fine but she did nip me because I pulled her back when she was trying to go under my bed when we were just chilling. I accidentally killed the plants due to too much light and I am having issues with keeping the humidity up. She's been kinda feisty lately and I am trying to solve that too.

As summer is winding down I am hoping to begin to post more (school is coming up therefore I will have homework to procrastinate on just like I am now with my summer assignments).

Some future posts will hopefully be over:

1. Perception of Snakes
2. Snake Hooks
3. Enclosure Plants
4. Bonding
5. Updating the Enclosure
6. The Move to the Apartment(!!!)
7. Adjusting to the Apartment

And I am always open to new ideas as well!