Waluwadjet
10-03-2015, 06:39 PM
So today I picked up two rescue reptiles. The crested gecko is in good health, but the corn snake is...
well...
the entire reason i made an account here to be honest. I have experience with ball pythons, geckos, tortoises, and salamanders so I have the basics down but the real reason i picked her up is because she's in dire straights. I'm guessing about a 50/50 chance for her right now.
starting from the top i got her from a guy who claimed that he got her last christmas at petsmart, making her at least a yearling. I don't know whether she's male or female because this guy didn't know his stuff at all.
She's thin, but not as bony as she seemed in the original photo. her enclosure was dismal. The Uth was dried and cracking off, the water bowl is permanently stained brown due to wood chips and no changing, there was actually reptile carpet under the shavings but it had never been changed, there were a dozen aquarium rocks and a piece of a goddam mirror in the shavings, a bunch of left over sheds, and the whole thing smelled like cigarettes. Suspiciously no waste... (how long has it been since they fed her? i don't know he wouldn't answer that)
she’s extremely small and when the dude was showing her to me he picked her up by the tip of her tail and swung her around to hand to me. (then he asked me "do you have experience with snakes as she dangled upside down in the middle of a walmart parking lot) she’s like the size of a hatchling. she hasn’t grown at all since they got her from what I can tell and weighs in at a wopping 10 grams.
I don’t see any evidence of mites and her vent is clear but she’s super underweight and small, she’s not used to people (scared half to death), and since she’s been in a smokers home an RI is a serious consideration. She doesn't show any symptoms and has no breathing issues but i'm keeping her under watch. i'm also using mite repellant about once a week.
i tossed everything but the tank, which i boiled and disinfected with Wipe Out. everything else is new and cleaned as well. there's a UVA/UVB bulb on a 12/12 timer and a thermostat set at 85 degrees F steady. she's in quarantine right now and the room she's in actually has a vent, which i've turned on to keep anything airborn from hanging around.
normally i'd wait for her to settle in a bit before trying to feed her but i think i'll try to feed her a f/t pinkie tomorrow because she's just so small.
here's her original setup and picture
http://images.craigslist.org/00202_9HeJ6YZpBUs_600x450.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/87f54433722e4f12591152c307495c21/tumblr_nvnsyfa0l81s6pijdo3_500.jpghttp://36.media.tumblr.com/94767d2a0ff6a232b1ea76179d1a2635/tumblr_inline_nvm7d5yGud1rgnjyb_500.jpg
here's her current setup and some clearer pictures (there's actually five hides in here)
http://40.media.tumblr.com/58dffffb256816af8ed3d92579729c3b/tumblr_nvnzo0tMz91s6pijdo1_500.jpg
http://36.media.tumblr.com/48d12067b72dc3dfa1b2973c93734113/tumblr_nvo0dlgQGR1s6pijdo3_500.jpghttp://41.media.tumblr.com/90689abef37564abea64111d09c9349d/tumblr_nvo0dlgQGR1s6pijdo2_1280.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/cde8483c136a69145a3bfe2b8cbaed47/tumblr_nvnt97Z3kb1s6pijdo1_500.jpg
she’s so scared she lunged at me when I took the paper towel out for this and I do not blame her one bit. if the way she was handed to me and the state of her habitat is any indication then she has every right to be completely terrified. I honestly don’t mind if she never becomes a “hands on” snake as long as I get her healthy. I cut into my monthly food budget significantly to get her set up, though she was practically free (i'm selling clothes, books, and doing commissions to make up for some of the loss)
other than upping her food intake (i was thinking once a week or even once every five days until she stops looking like a toblerone) does anyone have any advice? i'll try to keep you all updated, i have a good idea of what i'm doing, i just want to get her as healthy as i can and any advice is welcome
well...
the entire reason i made an account here to be honest. I have experience with ball pythons, geckos, tortoises, and salamanders so I have the basics down but the real reason i picked her up is because she's in dire straights. I'm guessing about a 50/50 chance for her right now.
starting from the top i got her from a guy who claimed that he got her last christmas at petsmart, making her at least a yearling. I don't know whether she's male or female because this guy didn't know his stuff at all.
She's thin, but not as bony as she seemed in the original photo. her enclosure was dismal. The Uth was dried and cracking off, the water bowl is permanently stained brown due to wood chips and no changing, there was actually reptile carpet under the shavings but it had never been changed, there were a dozen aquarium rocks and a piece of a goddam mirror in the shavings, a bunch of left over sheds, and the whole thing smelled like cigarettes. Suspiciously no waste... (how long has it been since they fed her? i don't know he wouldn't answer that)
she’s extremely small and when the dude was showing her to me he picked her up by the tip of her tail and swung her around to hand to me. (then he asked me "do you have experience with snakes as she dangled upside down in the middle of a walmart parking lot) she’s like the size of a hatchling. she hasn’t grown at all since they got her from what I can tell and weighs in at a wopping 10 grams.
I don’t see any evidence of mites and her vent is clear but she’s super underweight and small, she’s not used to people (scared half to death), and since she’s been in a smokers home an RI is a serious consideration. She doesn't show any symptoms and has no breathing issues but i'm keeping her under watch. i'm also using mite repellant about once a week.
i tossed everything but the tank, which i boiled and disinfected with Wipe Out. everything else is new and cleaned as well. there's a UVA/UVB bulb on a 12/12 timer and a thermostat set at 85 degrees F steady. she's in quarantine right now and the room she's in actually has a vent, which i've turned on to keep anything airborn from hanging around.
normally i'd wait for her to settle in a bit before trying to feed her but i think i'll try to feed her a f/t pinkie tomorrow because she's just so small.
here's her original setup and picture
http://images.craigslist.org/00202_9HeJ6YZpBUs_600x450.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/87f54433722e4f12591152c307495c21/tumblr_nvnsyfa0l81s6pijdo3_500.jpghttp://36.media.tumblr.com/94767d2a0ff6a232b1ea76179d1a2635/tumblr_inline_nvm7d5yGud1rgnjyb_500.jpg
here's her current setup and some clearer pictures (there's actually five hides in here)
http://40.media.tumblr.com/58dffffb256816af8ed3d92579729c3b/tumblr_nvnzo0tMz91s6pijdo1_500.jpg
http://36.media.tumblr.com/48d12067b72dc3dfa1b2973c93734113/tumblr_nvo0dlgQGR1s6pijdo3_500.jpghttp://41.media.tumblr.com/90689abef37564abea64111d09c9349d/tumblr_nvo0dlgQGR1s6pijdo2_1280.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/cde8483c136a69145a3bfe2b8cbaed47/tumblr_nvnt97Z3kb1s6pijdo1_500.jpg
she’s so scared she lunged at me when I took the paper towel out for this and I do not blame her one bit. if the way she was handed to me and the state of her habitat is any indication then she has every right to be completely terrified. I honestly don’t mind if she never becomes a “hands on” snake as long as I get her healthy. I cut into my monthly food budget significantly to get her set up, though she was practically free (i'm selling clothes, books, and doing commissions to make up for some of the loss)
other than upping her food intake (i was thinking once a week or even once every five days until she stops looking like a toblerone) does anyone have any advice? i'll try to keep you all updated, i have a good idea of what i'm doing, i just want to get her as healthy as i can and any advice is welcome