Progression thread: Normal Cape African house snake [Archive]

DollysMom

11-03-2015, 12:01 PM

Vital statistics:

Breeder/Vendor: Elemental Exotics (Tavia)
Hatch date: July 24, 2015
Morph: Normal, het T- albino
Sex: Male
Purchase Date: October 30, 2015
Received via SYR: November 3, 2015
Age at purchase: 14 weeks
Weight at purchase: 8 grams
Length at purchase: 10 inches (approx using serpwidgets)
Name: Clyde (short for Clyde Van Dusen, my dad's army nick name)

The picture in the classified section here that I couldn't stop looking at (photo courtesy Elemental Exotics):

http://i.imgur.com/h9JBdZLl.jpg

I really thought about the commitment, but once I named him, I was a goner. There was no use waiting further on the decision!

From Clyde's last pre-shipping photo shoot. You can really see his beautiful little snake eyes and the iridescence that AHS are known for (photo courtesy Elemental Exotics):

http://i.imgur.com/P4i1p1Cl.jpg

There's something precious in this box:

http://i.imgur.com/frFCsrZl.jpg

Unboxing!

http://i.imgur.com/CmKUExQl.jpg

Who is peeking out of that deli cup?

http://i.imgur.com/qhilfptl.jpg

Active healthy baby!

http://i.imgur.com/yGA3ReYl.jpg

One more snapshot for good measure before his departing for the warm hide.

http://i.imgur.com/XLQyA2Vl.jpg

Welcome home little Clyde!

It has been a real joy working with Elemental Exotics. Thanks for such a healthy and beautiful little snake!

Tavia

11-03-2015, 12:05 PM

Yay! I'm looking forward to watching Clyde's progression!

DollysMom

11-03-2015, 12:11 PM

Yay! I'm looking forward to watching Clyde's progression!

My son got a new camera so I'm hoping for good photos to come! Thanks again, Tavia. You are awesome!

hypnoctopus

11-03-2015, 12:57 PM

Neat! African house snakes are a species on my wish list.

DollysMom

11-03-2015, 01:16 PM

Neat! African house snakes are a species on my wish list.

Thanks. My son has had a male named Norm for 13 years, so when I got back into snakes, it was between corns and AHS. I hope you find your own special AHS soon!

DollysMom

11-03-2015, 06:53 PM

It's evening here and I just went to check on Clyde. I never expected to see him out, about, and climbing in his fake bush. I think of new babies hiding out for a few days unless it is pitch black.

I tried to make his viv like Disneyland for house snakes. Evidently he feels secure enough to explore a little. I couldn't be happier! It's too dark for a pic of this snakey activity, but here's a pic of the viv during set up while I was testing the UTH. He was in the leaves of the bush in the center.

http://i.imgur.com/9OhR2Q5l.jpg

blacktip

11-03-2015, 08:19 PM

It has been a real joy working with Elemental Exotics. Thanks for such a healthy and beautiful little snake!

They are great! Congrats on picking up one of their babies! Tavia will be thrilled to get to watch it grow up on here.

DollysMom

11-04-2015, 07:32 AM

They are great! Congrats on picking up one of their babies! Tavia will be thrilled to get to watch it grow up on here.

:D I feel really blessed to have one of her babies!

DollysMom

11-09-2015, 04:34 PM

Clyde had his first shed with me last night. I didn't know he was in shed. Now, I know he why he looked dusky. I had thought it was my lighting since I've only had him for 6 days but he was in shed. Hiding during acclimation of a baby is normal so I had no clue from behavior.

It was incomplete and I've now corrected my husbandry by providing a humid hide 24/7.

http://i.imgur.com/h8RIx1yl.jpg

Still, it was a real bonding experience helping him shed the tail, which was stuck. After it was shed he just curled around my fingers. He has totally taken my heart. He's the sweetest little guy especially since my first handling experience with him was having him sit in damp paper towels and then running his tail through the same.

I'm always excited by the first shed with me and am so proud of my little trooper!

jagodzinski

11-09-2015, 08:47 PM

Congrats! That's awesome - very cool first handling experience.

Love seeing the pics of him and his shed :)

DollysMom

11-09-2015, 09:23 PM

Congrats! That's awesome - very cool first handling experience.

Love seeing the pics of him and his shed :)

Thanks jagodzinski! I'm looking forward to getting some new pics after he eats and has digested.

Yeah, after he nestled in my fingers, when I put him back in his viv, he had his tail wrapped around my ring finger and didn't let go until he finally decided to head for his warm hide. My heart just totally melted.

Karl_Mcknight

11-09-2015, 09:44 PM

Nanci

11-10-2015, 07:40 AM

I love house snakes!!

DollysMom

11-10-2015, 09:28 AM

Wow, I just saw this thread. Cute little snake. How big do these guys get? Are they similar in Nature to a Corn Snake?

I have been looking at Mexican Black King snakes myself and may get one next summer.

Good luck with Clyde.

They are similar in nature and care, though they need a 90 degree warm side. They are not known to need a lot of humidity, but some like mine need a humid hide due to incomplete shed-- same kind of humid hide you'd make for a corn. They are known to be docile and are good eaters of f/t mice once started. Over feeding is possible. They are prone to mouth injury from substrate if fed in viv, hence the paper towel substrate. They can be kept on aspen, but definitely not fed on it. They like a lot of clutter for security. The males get about 2.5 to possibly 3 ft and the females are 4 to 5 ft long. They are slender bodied like corns. It is said that they are a bit more bitey and flighty as babies than corns, but that's not true in my case. Clyde was quite patient and mellow during the shed assist, especially since he had just traveled from Idaho in a box last week and I hadn't handled him before!

I love Mexican black kings. I think it is a real blessing to keep and learn about more than one kind of snake. Best wishes on that.

I love house snakes!!

:D awesome!

mishima25

11-10-2015, 09:55 AM

Wow, congrats on your new baby. AHS definitely look awesome! Looking forward to see progression pics :)

DollysMom

11-10-2015, 11:09 AM

Wow, congrats on your new baby. AHS definitely look awesome! Looking forward to see progression pics :)

Thanks! :)

Karl_Mcknight

11-10-2015, 05:35 PM

now you'll just have to be sure to spend equal time with Cleo and Clyde so as not to make the other jealous

DollysMom

11-11-2015, 03:01 PM

now you'll just have to be sure to spend equal time with Cleo and Clyde so as not to make the other jealous

LOL, I'm not sure that one knows that the other exists at this moment, though their pinkies all come from the same big bag o freezer mice!

I am pleased to announce that Clyde just ate a pinky head. It was his first meal here. :licklips:

DollysMom

11-13-2015, 06:08 PM

Wish I had more than my phone and the light from a light bulb available, but I got a post shed picture of Clyde tonight. He's a lot more iridescent in real. I tried to get a pic of him on my left hand, but he kept crawling toward and flicking at the lens :)

This was the first "for fun" handling session since he arrived. He is so sweet. I kept it short and positive, but I could have held him all evening.

He's just a little love bug!

http://i.imgur.com/5v8M2p5l.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

11-13-2015, 07:25 PM

he looks relatively "Stocky." They must be a bit heavier than corn snakes?

DollysMom

11-13-2015, 07:38 PM

He's still really little so it's hard to compare. Clyde is 10 inches long and 8 grams. Cleo (corn) is 16.8 inches long and 16 grams, so that actually makes her slightly heavier per inch. I think it must be how it's distributed. ;)

She's also a month younger than he is. In general, both species are considered slender snakes.

They certainly feel different when I handle them. He does feel rounder and softer to me. Of course there really is no comparing them. I just love both of them so much!

Tavia

11-13-2015, 07:43 PM

I wouldn't really say that they are exactly heavier bodied than a corn, they are just little balls of muscle. I can't remember the exact statistics but I read somewhere that they are (one?) of or (the?) strongest species, weight for weight, of colubrids in the world. They have a grip like you wouldn't believe in such a little snake!

I've had a few flighty, zippy ones hatch that will try and fly out of your hands and nearly all of the babies are pretty quick moving placed on a surface. However, most of them are content to wrap around your fingers, finding lots of places to grip, and explore one's hands practically forever. Even when they startle, they tend to keep a grip on a finger and jump away from whatever freaked them out but do not attempt to go flying out of your hands like most other baby snakes do when startled.

They can be a major pain to incubate and get started eating (though they are usually great eaters once they've started) and breeding them has caused me a great deal of frustration this year but then I hold a baby and fall in love with them all over again. For handling, they are definitely up there in my top favorites!

DollysMom

11-13-2015, 08:01 PM

Thanks Tavia! I had not heard about their strength. I have been following the feeding, though. Best wishes with the problem feeders.

Oh yes, Clyde literally wraps around my fingers. Even when I assisted the tail shed, I was amazed how mellow he was.

I want to mention that he found the little water dish you told me about and he hides under it. He also likes his cork half round warm hide and his crocodile skull. It was the crocodile he shed on. The shed was all wrapped in and out of the crocodile mouth!

I hope my son gets here with his good camera soon ;) !

DollysMom

12-03-2015, 05:59 PM

Sorry, no photos today, but I needed to note our first "monthaversary" today. Clyde has put on two grams since I got him, so he's up to 10 grams. Still a very little guy but we are on our way. He is a little sweetie and I'm so lucky to have him. <3

I hope to get some holiday pics after his next feeding!

DollysMom

12-15-2015, 01:31 PM

http://i.imgur.com/SMtdbJIl.jpg

He's been hanging in his humid hide for about a week. It's so interesting that if the hide is larger than they are, they find a way to make a cozy corner for themselves. He did not move a muscle when I took this picture.

Guess the holiday pics will have to wait :D.

Tavia

12-15-2015, 03:49 PM

Little cutie! Can't wait to see post shed pictures!

DollysMom

12-16-2015, 08:37 PM

Little cutie! Can't wait to see post shed pictures!

Lol, any day now!

DollysMom

12-18-2015, 11:44 PM

http://i.imgur.com/FynZraql.jpg

Alright! Funny, I looked at him this afternoon and predicted this for tomorrow morning. When I came home from a party tonight I saw Clyde was out of his humid hide where he had been for over a week and was under his little water dish. Then I looked closely and found his perfect little shed. :D

Karl_Mcknight

12-19-2015, 06:33 AM

Nice shed. Now he's probably gonna be hungry too.

DollysMom

12-19-2015, 10:14 AM

Nice shed. Now he's probably gonna be hungry too.

Oh yes. We had a skipped feeding while in shed so tonight there's thawed mouse on the menu! :licklips:

Karl_Mcknight

12-19-2015, 10:44 AM

with sauce?

DollysMom

12-19-2015, 11:08 AM

with sauce?

Makes it own gravy, lol.

DollysMom

12-19-2015, 12:56 PM

http://imgur.com/H7a8VoQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xZ5twVUl.jpg

Just stole a couple of quick shots of Clyde because I didn't want to disturb him much before feeding tonight. This is natural lighting. Finally have some sun so the room was brighter. His color seems a little lighter with each shed. I know they are highly variable, but is this the het T- albino coming through? Dunno about the albino factor, but I think he's amazing!

If anyone is wondering, that's an African scarf he is on. It is from Uganda and his species is from South Africa, but it's the best I could do :).

Karl_Mcknight

12-19-2015, 01:53 PM

you should make him a little bandana out of that scarf and tie it around his neck. LOL

I like the 2 little white stripes running from his snout down the side of his head. Very cool

Tavia

12-19-2015, 02:00 PM

Great pictures!

Not sure if the het influences anything or not either. I've had a few nearly black babies hatch out but they've all lightened up with each shed too. None have stayed that dark.

This was Clyde's dad when I got him, Ukiah was a good bit older than Clyde is now though, when I first got him.

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac238/MaidofChainz/African%20House%20Snake/daf2f76def5732c7a61bfd4600a627fe_zps9e1dbb89.jpg

This is a near adult picture of Ukiah in direct sun. (I need to get some new pictures of him!)

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac238/MaidofChainz/African%20House%20Snake/263260d3f057ba602950a6e537ad3cba_zps49dfd5a9.jpg

And one indoors with flash. I'd expect most the normal babies to end up a similar shade, though they vary a bit, so might be a little darker or lighter than Ukiah.

http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac238/MaidofChainz/African%20House%20Snake/109dd933c02536f948d4b802d73ed9f9_zpsa05a2d70.jpg

DollysMom

12-19-2015, 02:02 PM

you should make him a little bandana out of that scarf and tie it around his neck. LOL

I like the 2 little white stripes running from his snout down the side of his head. Very cool

Lol, not sure he'd take kindly to the bandana, lol. Yeah, I love the white stripes, too. Of course as his mama, I think he's perfect :D

DollysMom

12-19-2015, 02:06 PM

DollysMom

12-22-2015, 11:42 AM

http://imgur.com/zwYXyPvl.jpg

http://imgur.com/ND5AYO3l.jpg

Happy holidays!

Karl_Mcknight

12-22-2015, 06:09 PM

what a cutie!

DollysMom

12-22-2015, 06:23 PM

what a cutie!

Thank you so much!

DollysMom

12-28-2015, 11:59 AM

Every time I handle Clyde, I love him more. These are the first pictures I got of him in my hand. He really clings to me, except to check out the phone. I've come to the conclusion that all snakes love the phone.

He weighed in at 11 grams today so that's 3 grams since I got him and I bet if I had put him on the more sensitive scale he'd be close to 12. He definitely looks bigger.

These are not all totally in focus, but parts of all of them are, and you can really see some of his beautiful scales.

http://imgur.com/rBmCJiNl.jpg
http://imgur.com/HJplY0yl.jpg
http://imgur.com/KGVw017l.jpg
http://imgur.com/sEufivZl.jpg
http://imgur.com/G7TQZ1sl.jpg
http://imgur.com/cMzcijzl.jpg

Tavia

12-28-2015, 12:17 PM

Looking good! Can definitely tell he's gained weight.

DollysMom

12-28-2015, 12:34 PM

Looking good! Can definitely tell he's gained weight.

Oh good, I'm glad it shows!

He ate his first whole pinky with me on the 24th. It was 1.7 grams. He's eaten 2.2 gram pinkies in two halves, but in any case the pinkies are disappearing with increasing rapidity.

This is a new bag of 25 smalls from Layne Labs so I'm going to try to work him up to 2 gram whole pinkies. It's sure nice to have a variety to draw from.

Karl_Mcknight

12-28-2015, 05:15 PM

He's a real cutie for sure.

DollysMom

12-28-2015, 05:31 PM

He's a real cutie for sure.

Thank you! :D. Best regards from me and Clyde to you and Rufus!

claire.chapman11

12-28-2015, 08:37 PM

He's so pretty! A house snake is on my list of snakes to get for sure.

Sent from my XT1042 using Tapatalk

DollysMom

12-28-2015, 08:42 PM

He's so pretty! A house snake is on my list of snakes to get for sure.

Sent from my XT1042 using Tapatalk

I'm glad. You will not regret it!

Eli419

12-29-2015, 04:05 PM

He's so cute! How much was he?

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

DollysMom

12-29-2015, 06:20 PM

He's so cute! How much was he?

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

Thanks!

He cost $50 plus shipping; however, he is of course priceless to me.

I'm not sure if his breeder has anymore Cape African house snakes available, but do check the classifieds section of this forum if you are looking for one.

Eli419

12-29-2015, 07:41 PM

I'll definitely do that, thanks. I'm trying to decide between one of these ave a ball python atm

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

Pogie

12-30-2015, 11:30 AM

DollysMom

12-30-2015, 01:15 PM

I was doing some research on those guys. I love the looks of them!!! Grats on your baby :) So are these out and about more so than corn snakes? I think one of those will be on my list soon....soon....lol. I love the eyes, look like cats eyes. Great name too.

Thanks for the kind words.

No, Clyde is about the same as my corns as far as out and about. Like corns, while considered terrestrial, they will climb and I've provided vines. I often find Clyde in a vine in the evening. AHS are considered nocturnal.

Other than needing 90 F on the warm side the care is very similar to a corn snake. I keep Clyde on paper towels rather than aspen because he is a little bit of a shy eater and I feed in viv. This decision was made in consultation with his breeder and provided some continuity for him as well. They can be kept on aspen, but not fed on. I always feed after dark and leave him in the dark to eat at his own pace. He eats very readily when the conditions he needs are met. Those conditions are right size prey, dark, and solitude. No other tricks have been needed.

AHS are considered a little flightier than most corns, but once on your hand they curl around your fingers in a way that melts the hardest heart. And yes, the eyes are nothing short of amazing. The eyes have "it", lol. I've had absolutely no striking or biting, but like corns YMMV.

They live about 15 years more or less. My son has had a housie, Norm, for 13 years. I'm sad that the math doesn't give Norm much longer. I'm pretty attached to him. After some research we think Norm is a B. fuliginosus since his head stripes are much lighter (almost invisible) and his body is patternless. Both species, fuliginosus and capensis are often confused. There is a patternless form of capensis, but generally they have patterns like you see on Clyde. Clyde is a lot lighter than Norm, who is the color of a chocolate bar, but both species' normals can be from almost black to light brown. Then there are a number of morphs.

One other difference from corns is a very distinct sexual dimorphism with males being much smaller. I knew that going into it. In fact, when I first contacted Tavia, his breeder, I volunteered right away that I knew that so she knew I understood what I was getting in a male.

One thing I still don't have a good picture of is Clyde's belly. While in some of the pics and you can see the shine on his scales, his belly looks like mother of pearl. You can see hints of that at the bottom of his sides. That is also a characteristic of several house snake species including both capensis and fuliginosus.

Compared to corn snakes, there is a dearth of information about AHS. I got a fairly thin but nice book for Christmas called "The Captive Care of House Snakes" by Erik Paterson. It's published in the UK. If you are researching, you can get it from Amazon Marketplace (third party sellers).

Brian Barczyk also had an episode about AHS on Snakesbytes.tv. A YouTube search should turn that up for you.

I do hope you pursue it. In my opinion, getting your own housie is a great idea. While WC imports have slowed, make sure you get CB. CB is the way to go.

Pogie

12-30-2015, 08:10 PM

Wow, thanks for all the info! I have watched them on youtube lol. I actually subscribe to snakebytes :) I love his little shows on there. In fact that's the first time I had ever heard of these was on his youtube page.

DollysMom

12-30-2015, 08:42 PM

DollysMom

01-03-2016, 02:14 PM

I'm going crazy. I didn't know there was a 12 image per post limit, but I just hit it. I love holding little Clyde. I love taking pictures of him. He's so precious!

I finally have some pictures of his awesome pearly belly and caught his tongue in action. Of course, in the middle of it all he wanted to climb on the phone camera, lol. Even got some pics with my left hand with Clyde in my right hand. This is not easy for a very right handed person like me.

This is all natural light from a north window on a cloudy day. I know the last one is to say the least a soft focus, but I like it anyway.

http://imgur.com/yhSgskSl.jpg
http://imgur.com/ZYePd0al.jpg
http://imgur.com/Okhgxvpl.jpg
http://imgur.com/2XcEr0gl.jpg
http://imgur.com/JaAlCAol.jpg
http://imgur.com/jQYKnRxl.jpg
http://imgur.com/qrQUG6el.jpg
http://imgur.com/oiaQorfl.jpg
http://imgur.com/3HQm6YIl.jpg
http://imgur.com/xiY47yvl.jpghttp://imgur.com/zt8tHR2l.jpg
http://imgur.com/Z64XnCwl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

01-03-2016, 02:19 PM

His belly is beautiful especially the 2nd pic. And I didn't know there was a 12 pic limit either. Guess you had to be the one to figure it out and let everyone know.

DollysMom

01-03-2016, 03:01 PM

His belly is beautiful especially the 2nd pic. And I didn't know there was a 12 pic limit either. Guess you had to be the one to figure it out and let everyone know.

Guess it had to be me, lol. It's probably buried deep in a FAQ somewhere. These are just img links, too. The pics themselves are on Imgur. I could see I was going to run through the storage limit here back in October!

It's really hard to describe their bellies without a pic. Generally the phrase "mother of pearl" or "pearlescent" is used but it does not really do these little guys justice.

Tavia

01-03-2016, 03:02 PM

DollysMom

01-03-2016, 03:20 PM

Great pics!

It might be 10 for non contributors, I can't remember. Three of the forums I regularly post to are limited to 12 per post and the other is limited to 8, it's so very annoying to have that last one different!

Thanks. That always means a lot, especially coming from you. Clyde sends hellos to his birth family!

I took about 25 pics today, but some of them of course are complete blurs. One thing for sure, being a contributor here is well worth it.

DollysMom

01-06-2016, 12:34 PM

I cleaned out Clyde's viv today and totally changed out the paper towel substrate. It appears that he wouldn't have any more poop left so I weighed him. 14 grams today!

2 more grams and he will be double the weight he was when I got him a little over two months ago. :dancer:

I almost forgot my funny story. Last feeding I was placing the pinky in the viv with the tongs and it rolled into the warm hide. I didn't know Clyde was in there. I took the tongs to move the pinky out and Clyde came flying out like "whacha doin with my mouse?" He then grabbed it and proceeded to eat. It was so cute!

Karl_Mcknight

01-06-2016, 05:39 PM

Growing like a weed, he will be ready for 2 pinkies soon. Very funny about the mouse, but at least now you know, he's not about to share with anyone.

Tavia

01-06-2016, 05:41 PM

Told you he'd probably get less shy about eating! LOL!

DollysMom

01-06-2016, 05:57 PM

Growing like a weed, he will be ready for 2 pinkies soon. Very funny about the mouse, but at least now you know, he's not about to share with anyone.

Told you he'd probably get less shy about eating! LOL!

It was so funny. Yes, that was HIS mouse. He was so serious about it, too. I didn't even know he was in that hide, lol. I found out, really fast!

Tavia

01-06-2016, 06:19 PM

Yeah, one of his brother's was just as shy as him to start with, wouldn't eat with anyone watching. Would take hours to eat, then the time it would take him to grab it went faster and faster every meal, to where he'd peek out and start for the pinkie as soon as I'd put the lid back on his cage. Finally, one of the last times I fed him before he went to a new home, I opened up his cage and was lowering the pinkie towards his hide, when he came flying out and struck it off the tongs, bout gave me a heart attack! He got very, very serious about eating after that and I got used to him going after the mouse.

DollysMom

01-06-2016, 09:08 PM

DollysMom

01-07-2016, 03:03 PM

The camera loves Clyde...

http://i.imgur.com/tGpr3ppl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IBQ3z0Bl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NU4cfFDl.jpg

... and Clyde loves the camera!

http://i.imgur.com/KGXs4Nnl.jpg

nicolefowler2005

01-07-2016, 07:35 PM

Lol don't you love it when they do that!! He is one handsome devil!!

Nicole

Karl_Mcknight

01-07-2016, 09:10 PM

he's got some good climbing skills too

DollysMom

01-08-2016, 10:15 AM

Lol don't you love it when they do that!! He is one handsome devil!!

Nicole

Thank you. Yes I do love it. The curiosity and trust is very endearing.

he's got some good climbing skills too

Yes, as he scales his towering 6 inch tall bush, lol. Thanks. :D

DollysMom

02-11-2016, 12:49 PM

http://i.imgur.com/qC79ba0l.jpg

It has been a while since I've had a Clyde update. He gained 4 grams this past month and was 18 grams at his last weigh in on February 7. He's eating well and strikes at the pinky, taking it from the tongs.

Because I had been sick for the better part of two weeks and hadn't handled him much for a while, last time I tried to he was a little skittish. Not so today. He was active and crawled over my hands. He really seemed to enjoy being out.

As usual, he stretched up to and crawled right across my phone as I tried to take pictures. I only got one good one today. Because the house is a little dry in 17F weather we have right now, I didn't want to keep him out too long. I have a cool mist vaporizer going and am able to keep the viv at 50% humidity with a damp towel over 3/4 of the top. He also has a humid hide.

Here's a short video clip. Sorry it came out vertical even though I was holding the phone horizontally. I was corralling Clyde to keep him from falling off the bed with my one hand and trying to hold the phone with the other. It still gives you an idea of how my sweet baby snakey moves.

http://youtu.be/_BaXuQWSsoA

DollysMom

02-11-2016, 01:00 PM

http://i.imgur.com/Ryguxrgl.jpg

After looking over the rest of my Clyde pics today I thought I'd share a typical "I want to climb on the phone" pic, lol.

Karl_Mcknight

02-11-2016, 05:49 PM

he's super cute. I like the way he moves, quick and deliberate.

DollysMom

02-11-2016, 05:54 PM

he's super cute. I like the way he moves, quick and deliberate.

Thanks Karl! :D

kdickens

02-15-2016, 01:13 AM

Yes, as he scales his towering 6 inch tall bush, lol. Thanks.

As he 'scales' ...HaHaHa!
Little snake pun. Clyde is looking pretty good!

DollysMom

02-15-2016, 08:47 AM

As he 'scales' ...HaHaHa!
Little snake pun. Clyde is looking pretty good!

Thanks. I didn't even notice that pun!

Clyde sends his regards to his sister's bestie, Loopy. :D

DollysMom

02-20-2016, 01:27 PM

Clyde shed on Feb 17. He now weighs 19 grams. He still loves to crawl on the phone, but only when I'm holding it. If I set it down, he ignores it, lol.

http://i.imgur.com/Unn7MJ2l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SfhO7tXl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WgvUL4Tl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

02-20-2016, 01:45 PM

Don't you just want to rub that belly?

kdickens

02-20-2016, 03:01 PM

Clyde is so cool! I can't believe Loopy out weighs him! Do they stay on the small side? I'd never heard of this snake till yours. Very pretty!

DollysMom

02-20-2016, 03:44 PM

Don't you just want to rub that belly?

Yes :D

Clyde is so cool! I can't believe Loopy out weighs him! Do they stay on the small side? I'd never heard of this snake till yours. Very pretty!

Lol, someday soon Loopy will outweigh a lot of the snakes here!

Yes, the males stay smaller. They are sexually dimorphic with females being much larger. For B. Capensis the adult male breeding weight is 125-150 grams and the female 300 to 350 grams. (Source: The Captive Care of House Snakes by Erik Paterson)

I think, at least at present, you need to know about them and seek them out. I already knew about them from my son who has had his male housie, Norm, for almost 14 years. Norm was the inspiration for my getting back into snakes. It was serendipity that I saw Tavia's ad in the classifieds here and fell in love with this little guy from his picture. By the time I PM'd her I had already named him. They are hardy, easy to care for, and gentle. Not a sign of a bite or a musk, though he makes short work of his pinkies these days!

DollysMom

02-23-2016, 08:34 PM

It's not always easy to get close-ups of Clyde's sweet little face.

http://i.imgur.com/3pTqnZWl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

02-23-2016, 09:13 PM

Good picture. Is that with a phone or a real camera? It's got really good quality.

Tavia

02-23-2016, 09:20 PM

Aww, he's so cute!

nicolefowler2005

02-23-2016, 09:22 PM

What a cutie!!

Nicole

claire.chapman11

02-23-2016, 10:31 PM

He is so unbelievably adorable.

Sent from my XT1042 using Tapatalk

DollysMom

02-23-2016, 11:00 PM

Good picture. Is that with a phone or a real camera? It's got really good quality.

Thank you! :)

it's an iPhone 6 in artificial light, HDR, no flash. It's what is handiest 99% of the time.

Aww, he's so cute!

Thank you, hatch mom! :)

What a cutie!!

Nicole

Thank you! :)

He is so unbelievably adorable.

Sent from my XT1042 using Tapatalk

Thank you! :)

To all of you, thanks for your kind words. It is such a privilege to have him and to be able to share his progress here!

Tavia

02-23-2016, 11:08 PM

I love being able to see lots of updates on my babies!

DollysMom

02-24-2016, 04:12 AM

I love being able to see lots of updates on my babies!

:) x 1 million

I love updating you on him. You gave him such an awesome start!

Morwen_Isilme

02-24-2016, 02:44 PM

I am glad you made this progression thread! Such a beautiful little guy. I have always loved African house snakes. They are the closest I can get to a rainbow boa where I live.

DollysMom

02-24-2016, 05:35 PM

Thanks Morwin! They are awesome little snakes. I hope one is your future.

DollysMom

02-25-2016, 02:09 PM

Got Clyde moved into his new viv. It's a 10 gal Critter Cage with a sliding lid. Gone are the Velcro straps and clips from the 10 gallon aquarium. I don't think he can tell the difference. He slept through the whole thing in his humid hide. I did change out the paper towels and put in fresh water, but I left the decor without washing it at this time so it would have his scent. FYI the towel over it is to help keep the humidity up in the winter.

http://i.imgur.com/gbHehksl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

02-25-2016, 02:20 PM

yup, I stretch that Kitchen Seran Wrap (spelling?) over the lid for the same purpose. It is so dry here right now (25% in the house) but I am managing to maintain 40% in the cage plus a humid hide which he's in right now.

Clyde will love his new home.

DollysMom

02-25-2016, 02:32 PM

Thanks Karl. The Saran Wrap is another good idea. Clyde may love it, but I love losing the Velcro straps even more! :) Give Rufus my regards.

DollysMom

03-05-2016, 06:55 PM

http://youtu.be/Jo1oSKG96bY

http://youtu.be/Jo1oSKG96bY

I couldn't get any pics today. Every time I got close, Clyde climbed on my phone.

Here he is exploring my bed. It's a short clip because I had to run around to guard him from going off the edge.

After the video he crawled through my fingers for a while.

His color is still really golden brown since his last shed.

Karl_Mcknight

03-05-2016, 07:03 PM

rut row..... the video appears to be missing.

By the way, there's a show that comes on TV now and then called "Snake City." It's these guys in Africa that get called to eradicate or rescue wild snakes that get into people's houses, yards, etc.....

Well a few minutes ago they rescued a wild House Snake from a guys garage. It looked just like Clyde! And even though it was a wild snake, didn't even bite them. It was very sweet.

DollysMom

03-05-2016, 07:11 PM

Thanks Karl. It shows for me as an embed on my iPad, but I added a link below as an alternative. Good to know that the embed doesn't work for everyone.

I'll have to look for Snake City. I love seeing anything snake but especially corn and house snake. Yeah, Clyde's never tried to bite me though he strikes his pinkies with a vengeance. Another data point against "cage aggression" because I've always fed Clyde in his viv.

Karl_Mcknight

03-05-2016, 07:53 PM

He's fast. I like the way he moves. He'd probably be hard to keep up with if he took off. Wonder if anyone has ever tried "Snake Racing?"

In my area we have Comcast Cable, and the "Snake City" show comes on the Wildlife Channel (WILDH). I think it's part of the National Geographic / Discovery Channel packages.

DollysMom

03-05-2016, 08:25 PM

He's fast. I like the way he moves. He'd probably be hard to keep up with if he took off. Wonder if anyone has ever tried "Snake Racing?"

Oh yes, he can be very fast! I don't take my eyes off of Clyde when he's out. That's also why I always have some greenery and or/hides on the bed. I want him to have a place to stop feel more secure. He sure blew right past the fake leaves this time.

In my area we have Comcast Cable, and the "Snake City" show comes on the Wildlife Channel (WILDH). I think it's part of the National Geographic / Discovery Channel packages.

I found it. I have all future episodes set to record, and all the reruns I can find, too. It's on NatGeo Wild for me. We have it, I just never noticed the show.

kdickens

03-06-2016, 04:28 AM

Karl, thanks for the 'heads up' about Snake City. I'd never seen it before. (I've seen a couple episodes of Snake Bytes though) I 'searched' Snake City on the website 'Mopvideo.com' and found several episodes. If you've never used 'Mopvideo' it's free. There are many 'channels' to pick from although they may not all work. You just have to keep trying till you find one. I used 'shared.SX' this morning (I work 12-8am) and I saw "Into the snake pit" where he climbs down this small tunnel to get a python out. He and the camera man went down to get him out. Seems the snake had been eating the farmer's chickens. Let me tell ya, I'm not climbing down a hole to drag out a python! :eek:

DollysMom

03-06-2016, 06:59 PM

Nom, nom, nom.

http://i.imgur.com/oOWwndSl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

03-06-2016, 07:35 PM

He's a cutie. All of our children are eating today.

DollysMom

03-06-2016, 08:14 PM

Yep, Karl. Sure is nice having this little community to share these moments.

kdickens

03-06-2016, 08:34 PM

Saw your video ... he is a fast mover! Very pretty and graceful for sure.

DollysMom

03-06-2016, 08:55 PM

Saw your video ... he is a fast mover! Very pretty and graceful for sure.

Thank you, Ken! I am ever in awe of my little brown snake.

DollysMom

03-24-2016, 05:53 PM

Wow, after his shed the other day, Clyde is real sparkly. I wish it wasn't rainy today and I had better lighting, but in person he is almost iridescent.

He's a whopping 25 grams now!

http://i.imgur.com/sCZZSM7l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6aOuZoWl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SfHuVaDl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yZZxzNzl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gsdNRtel.jpg

And this Clyde last night, just being cute under his water dish!

http://i.imgur.com/DfHyWoPl.jpg

Tavia

03-24-2016, 06:04 PM

I love that water dish picture!

DollysMom

03-24-2016, 06:53 PM

I love that water dish picture!

I do too. It's pure Clyde cuteness!

kdickens

03-24-2016, 07:03 PM

Very shiny looking! (I can't believe I have a snake that weighs more than Clyde!) :rofl:

DollysMom

03-24-2016, 07:11 PM

Very shiny looking! (I can't believe I have a snake that weighs more than Clyde!) :rofl:

I was thinking that as I posted, Ken. Yes, Loopy is a big boy now! He will remain larger than Clyde from here on out. Breeding weight for male Cape African House Snakes is 125 to 150 grams.

kdickens

03-24-2016, 07:22 PM

I figured House Snakes were generally smaller than corns when I saw Clyde's weight. Good for you! Who wants a 20 ft. reticulated python crawling around the living room?

Karl_Mcknight

03-24-2016, 07:28 PM

DollysMom

03-24-2016, 07:48 PM

I figured House Snakes were generally smaller than corns when I saw Clyde's weight. Good for you! Who wants a 20 ft. reticulated python crawling around the living room?

Retic :rofl:

One thing to note is that house snakes are sexually dimorphic with the females being much larger. I knew that going in. In fact, one of first things I told Tavia when I contacted her was that I knew about the sexual dimorphism. Hard to believe that he was 8 grams when I got him. At first he could only eat a pinky head!

Here's his weight chart:

Nov 3, 2015 8 grams
Nov 22, 2015 8 grams
Dec 2, 2015 10 grams
Dec 28, 2015 11 grams
Jan 6, 2016 14 grams
Jan 11, 2016 16 grams
Feb 7, 2016 18 grams
Feb 20, 2016 19 grams
Feb 29, 2016 21 grams
Mar 21, 2016 25 grams

Tavia

03-24-2016, 08:07 PM

Love the pic of Clyde's nose sticking out of his water dish hide.

Is that a combo "Hide and Water bowl" made for snakes, or did you just find that somewhere and put it to use? I've never seen one like that. It works great as a double purpose item.

With that being said, does he seem to like that as a primary hiding place?

Those little ones are actually found in the rodent section of Petco. They also have them online, sometimes on sale for a lot cheaper than in the store. I love them and have bought a ton for the babies. Nearly all the snakes I've put them in with have loved them. I've had a few that love to tip them over and had to have a different water bowl but thankfully that's been pretty rare. I really like that it maximizes their space by combining a hide with their water bowl.

Most of my adult snakes also have the dog bowl version of them. I wish that they were a bit more natural looking but they often work a lot better than the prettier, more expensive reptile bowls. Sometimes you can get them at Walmart but our local one hasn't been carrying the right style the last few years. I've been getting the bigger ones at our Shopko, they are dirt cheap and come in 3 different sizes.

DollysMom

03-24-2016, 08:27 PM

Love the pic of Clyde's nose sticking out of his water dish hide.

Is that a combo "Hide and Water bowl" made for snakes, or did you just find that somewhere and put it to use? I've never seen one like that. It works great as a double purpose item.

With that being said, does he seem to like that as a primary hiding place?

Long story short, Tavia uses these dishes for her babies. So when I asked what I could do to make Clyde feel at home before he was shipped to me, she mentioned it.

You can get them online from Petco. It's just a small animal dish.

I hadn't seen him under there for a long time, so it was especially cute when I found him there last night. I didn't know he still fit, but obviously...

It was his primary cool hide when I first got him. His primary hiding places at this time are his warm hide which is a cork 1/2 round that is almost flat and his humid hide. He can also fit under the wood base of his little plant and I find him there fairly often.

He's 3x larger than when I got him so I know he's going to need larger hides at some point.

P.S. I didn't see Tavia had already answered when I posted this, lol. She truly is Clyde's hatch mom :)

DollysMom

03-26-2016, 02:16 PM

I got a label maker so here is Clyde's new label.

http://i.imgur.com/PnCpRlml.jpg

Clyde in the critter keeper while I cleaned his house. I haven't mentioned it but he mostly poops in the corner furthest from his warm hide. It's his toilet corner. He makes cleanup easy.

http://i.imgur.com/ZNviv0pl.jpg

We all know they look different colors in different light. This is the truest representation I have of his color. He's a beautiful golden brown in natural light.

http://i.imgur.com/JWQ0uYdl.jpg

Clyde loves the phone and spent some time wrapped around it today. He does change the settings when he crawls on the screen. He's going to be taking selfies soon at this rate. Firmly anchored on my fingers, I estimate he's stretched up at least 1/2 his length here. It's amazing to watch.

http://i.imgur.com/s8588TLl.jpg

Just sniffing things out here.

http://i.imgur.com/wzJg8izl.jpg

Sweet little face.

http://i.imgur.com/4FnvVlGl.jpg

Back home in the viv. That's the cool side temp. His warm side is 90 F.

http://i.imgur.com/QaxPLJrl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

03-26-2016, 05:33 PM

LOL He's really reaching out. He wants to reach out and touch someone.

On that 3rd pic, he is so shiny. You're not putting auto wax on him are you? :D

DollysMom

03-26-2016, 05:54 PM

He stretches towards the phone like that all the time. If he didn't I'd have a lot more clear pictures, lol.

Hmm, not sure which works better, Turtle Wax or Snake Oil, lol.*

*On the off chance someone sees this takes it seriously, the waxing part is a joke -- do not wax or oil your snake to make it shiny.

Karl_Mcknight

03-26-2016, 06:05 PM

* But if you do, Turtle Wax or Snake Oil are specifically made for reptiles, right? *

DollysMom

03-26-2016, 06:08 PM

* But if you do, Turtle Wax or Snake Oil are specifically made for reptiles, right? *

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

DollysMom

03-26-2016, 07:39 PM

One more pic before the day is done. Clyde's largest pinky ever at 3.4 grams. He had no problems with it. Definitely getting him ready for his first fuzzy. He saw/smelled me getting the mouse out of the warm water, and drying it. He had his face pressed up to the glass on that end of the viv and was fixated on it.

http://i.imgur.com/5eLzf12l.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

03-26-2016, 07:44 PM

"Pinky on the Vine"

DollysMom

03-26-2016, 08:02 PM

"Pinky on the Vine"

Second time today you've had me doing this:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Karl_Mcknight

03-26-2016, 08:09 PM

well you'd be surprised at how many people don't know that baby mice grow on vines and are ripe for the picking by well trained House Snakes

DollysMom

03-26-2016, 08:15 PM

well you'd be surprised at how many people don't know that baby mice grow on vines and are ripe for the picking by well trained House Snakes

Third time:

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

DollysMom

04-05-2016, 02:47 PM

5 days ago, Clyde had his first fuzzy. It was a small one at 3.7 grams, barely larger than a big pinky, but it was still a milestone. Then today, since I had him in the critter keeper while I cleaned his viv, I weighed him. He's 30 grams! I can't believe it. He's getting to be such a big boy. I can still remember when he was only 8 grams.

kdickens

04-05-2016, 04:21 PM

Sounds like a 'Loopy weight'! I'll have to weigh him again soon though ... his last feeding was 2 reg. size pinkies! I have a few 'small' pinkies left so I'll just hold on to them for emergency use. Here's Clyde relaxing ....

nicolefowler2005

04-05-2016, 04:38 PM

Lol

Nicole

DollysMom

04-05-2016, 05:14 PM

I love that pic, Ken. Clyde did suck that fuzzy right down that's for sure.

If Clyde caught up to Loopy I guarantee you it's temporary. Between a house snake and a corn snake, it's no contest :D

Karl_Mcknight

04-05-2016, 08:58 PM

Never realized the size of Clyde's fangs. But he does look happy.

DollysMom

04-05-2016, 09:04 PM

Lol, Karl. He'll be even happier tomorrow when the mouse fairy drops by.

DollysMom

04-06-2016, 06:57 PM

Looks like Clyde has mastered fuzzy eating. Tonight's was 3.7 grams.

http://i.imgur.com/rb3vSdgl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

04-06-2016, 07:33 PM

So I'm noticing a pattern here. LOL. He loves to eat in his tree. My question is, do you have to lay the mouse on the leaf, or does he carry it up there all by himself?

DollysMom

04-06-2016, 07:42 PM

So I'm noticing a pattern here. LOL. He loves to eat in his tree. My question is, do you have to lay the mouse on the leaf, or does he carry it up there all by himself?

He comes flying out of his warm hide as soon as I open the lid and he smells mouse. As I lower the mouse in, he strikes and takes it off the tongs. It's typical behavior for his species. The leaf is just a snake holder, lol.

Karl_Mcknight

04-06-2016, 08:10 PM

wasn't there a time when he would not take food from you? Or was that Cleo? (Maybe I'm confused) I thought you had to lay the mouse in front of the Hide, turn out the lights and run away. LOL

DollysMom

04-06-2016, 08:35 PM

wasn't there a time when he would not take food from you? Or was that Cleo? (Maybe I'm confused) I thought you had to lay the mouse in front of the Hide, turn out the lights and run away. LOL

Clyde was the lay the mouse in front of the hide, turn out the lights, run away and leave him overnight guy.

Cleo needed the covered deli cup so she couldn't run away from the big old scary dead pinky.

Funny ducks both of them, lol.

Karl_Mcknight

04-06-2016, 08:42 PM

well it's cool that Clyde is "Man enough" now to snatch the mouse from you

DollysMom

04-06-2016, 09:01 PM

For sure Karl. Tongs are not optional, lol.

Karl_Mcknight

04-06-2016, 09:03 PM

Yeah I use tongs with Rufus too. Very long tongs. LOL, he launches himself at mice.

DollysMom

04-18-2016, 09:31 AM

34 grams and almost 9 months old!

http://i.imgur.com/3uTU195l.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

04-18-2016, 05:12 PM

He's so cute. I love the stripes on his head. He looks perfectly content to be in your hand.

jagodzinski

04-18-2016, 05:42 PM

So cute! That's a great pic of him :)

DollysMom

04-18-2016, 06:33 PM

He's so cute. I love the stripes on his head. He looks perfectly content to be in your hand.

Thanks. He's so cute because he will grip very tightly with his tail and then explore with his head, going nowhere all the while. Totally different feel than holding a corn snake.

So cute! That's a great pic of him :)

Thank you so much. It was the only picture I could get today. He just wants to crawl on the phone. :)

DollysMom

04-24-2016, 08:17 AM

http://i.imgur.com/y2HwplVl.jpg

I knew that Karl's Rufus was getting his driver's license, but I had no idea that Clyde could bake. They are delicious, too. And he's in shed no less. ;)

Karl_Mcknight

04-24-2016, 08:49 AM

I've had those before! They are great with hot coffee!

ummm...... wait......

He didn't make them with Mouse parts did he?

I think I'm gonna puke

DollysMom

04-24-2016, 08:54 AM

I've had those before! They are great with hot coffee!

ummm...... wait......

He didn't make them with Mouse parts did he?

I think I'm gonna puke

Oh no, only the snake version is made with mouse meat, lol. :rofl:

Karl_Mcknight

04-24-2016, 09:02 AM

<whew>

I knew about the cookies made by little elves in trees, but the donuts being made by snakes was new to me.

And Clyde is shedding...... again???
He just shed a few weeks ago. That young Son of your's must be enjoying quite a growth spurt.

You'd better buy him several boxes of those donuts, he's gonna be hungry.

DollysMom

04-24-2016, 09:17 AM

Glad I could put you mind at ease, Karl!

Clyde has been shedding regularly once a month, so it's pretty frequent. The good news is that he goes through shed quickly. He's clear again this morning; it's going to be soon now. He gained 10 grams this past month, now weighing 35 grams. It looks like his shed interval is actually getting a little longer now, more like 5 to 5.5 weeks.

Karl_Mcknight

04-24-2016, 11:09 AM

does he constrict donuts? if so, pictures please

DollysMom

04-24-2016, 11:25 AM

does he constrict donuts? if so, pictures please

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

DollysMom

04-29-2016, 08:05 PM

Freshly shed last Monday and 38 grams.

Sorry for the dark pic in the viv, but it was a last minute thought after handling.

http://i.imgur.com/VaUW2wvl.jpg

nicolefowler2005

04-29-2016, 08:44 PM

Awe she's so pretty!!

Nicole

DollysMom

04-29-2016, 08:52 PM

Thank you!

I didn't realize I had an even better pic that just needed to be brightened up a bit.

http://i.imgur.com/Pq3lpHCl.jpg

DollysMom

05-01-2016, 06:08 PM

I know how he does it and I'm still amazed watching Clyde get his mouth around the mouse. As I post this he has safely swallowed and is digesting.

http://i.imgur.com/WzVt95ml.jpg

jagodzinski

05-01-2016, 07:16 PM

Great pic! I know what you mean, I always cringe when I see how far Jag has her mouth opened - as a human its unfathomable to imagine being able to stretch my jaw like that.

DollysMom

05-01-2016, 07:32 PM

Thanks! Definitely a wonder of nature.

Karl_Mcknight

05-01-2016, 08:07 PM

aww come on!

you mean to tell me I'm the only one here that can swallow a whole watermelon?

Great pics of Mr Clyde. Good to see him eating from somewhere other than the top of a tree. Although I must admit he sure looks handsome in that pic above sitting in his tree.

DollysMom

05-01-2016, 08:14 PM

aww come on!

you mean to tell me I'm the only one here that can swallow a whole watermelon?

:laugh01:

Great pics of Mr Clyde. Good to see him eating from somewhere other than the top of a tree. Although I must admit he sure looks handsome in that pic above sitting in his tree.

Thanks. I'll tell him Rufus's dad said so!

albertagirl

05-06-2016, 11:03 AM

Oh my goodness, you got a house snake!! I've been away from the forum for a while, and this was one of the first threads I found. I'm so excited for you!! My little house snake is now my absolute favorite. I call her my miniature rainbow boa. Isn't their iridescence amazing? I will update my thread too so we can compare notes, but it seems we are having a similar experience with both of our house snake babies. :) Congratulations!

DollysMom

05-06-2016, 12:07 PM

Thank you Albertagirl. I've missed you. After I lost Dolly, I got Cleo and Clyde. Clyde is so different from my corn snakes. He's a sweet little fellow. I will look for yours!

albertagirl

05-06-2016, 12:15 PM

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that! :'(
Clearly I have a lot of catching up to do.

DollysMom

05-06-2016, 01:36 PM

No problem on not being up to date. Things can change fast. I forgot to mention that I recently adopted a rescue corn, Mandy. That was after I gave up hope of ever recovering Dolly while the others were gotten when I still believed that I would find my little escapee.

So I once again have a normal, though she is an older adult. Not a Dolly replacement. That hole in my heart will never be filled, but Mandy certainly is a new focus of snakey love. If I hadn't lost Dolly I probably would not have gotten any of the others. Funny how things happen.

albertagirl

05-06-2016, 04:31 PM

Aw, Clyde and Cleo: Dolly's parting gift to you. :)

Well, I'm still sorry to hear you lost him, but I'm glad you still decided to have snakes. They are so rewarding, and I'm discovering they somewhat thrive on neglect, which makes them kind of the perfect pet! Haha

DollysMom

05-06-2016, 05:50 PM

Caring for a snake gives a certain rhythm to life that creates for me a kind of inner peace. Life without at least one would feel a little empty. I could do it, but it wouldn't be easy.

DollysMom

05-18-2016, 02:45 PM

Clyde is 10 months old, 41 grams and cute as a button!

http://i.imgur.com/nXNGTzMl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HR5OzcWl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qD0rWVdl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7TFSZMml.jpg

https://youtu.be/vK9ZEY5TmSw

https://youtu.be/vK9ZEY5TmSw

albertagirl

05-18-2016, 02:55 PM

Oh my God he's so cute I just wanna steal him away! I love his face markings. They are quite different from Eve's, and make his face so lovable. What a sweetheart.

DollysMom

05-18-2016, 03:05 PM

Oh my God he's so cute I just wanna steal him away! I love his face markings. They are quite different from Eve's, and make his face so lovable. What a sweetheart.

Thanks so much. That means a lot coming from you!

Eve is georgeous and has beautiful markings. It's so much fun to have another housie mum here.

albertagirl

05-18-2016, 03:16 PM

I feel exactly the same way. We need to start our own fan club! Haha!
I am super in love with Eve, I was loving on her just this morning while waiting for my coffee to brew. I fed her two days ago, so missed having her out yesterday.

DollysMom

05-18-2016, 03:37 PM

Lol, hate to tell you, but on the fan club, I think we already started one!

Yeah I need my snake fixes too. I miss each one during digestion. I have only two words: staggered feedings.

albertagirl

05-18-2016, 05:33 PM

Lol, hate to tell you, but on the fan club, I think we already started one!

Yeah I need my snake fixes too. I miss each one during digestion. I have only two words: staggered feedings.

:roflmao: I absolutely refuse to feed all my snakes on the same day. I cannot have days with no snakes to hold! Staggered feedings is the only way to go. People ask why I need so many snakes, but even with 8, there are many days when by noon I'm thinking "4 ate yesterday, 2 are blue, and I've already had the other 2 out today... now what?" Haha.

Karl_Mcknight

05-18-2016, 05:35 PM

Love the 3rd pic, his eye is looking at the camera.

DollysMom

05-18-2016, 06:13 PM

Thanks Karl! Clyde loves the camera (phone). After that pic he reached up, climbed on it and put it in video mode. So I figured why not?

nicolefowler2005

05-18-2016, 09:11 PM

He is one handsome snake!! I haven't been able to check out the forum in a while and it's crazy to see how much everyone has grown!!

Nicole

DollysMom

05-19-2016, 10:34 AM

Thanks Nicole! Good to see you check in. You're just busy with those gorgeous snabies of yours!

DollysMom

05-28-2016, 12:21 PM

Clyde present this morning!

http://i.imgur.com/5RzEKCvl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

05-28-2016, 12:33 PM

Well of course we need to see his new clothes now

DollysMom

05-28-2016, 01:03 PM

He's sleeping off the big event right now, but soon, I promise. :)

albertagirl

05-28-2016, 10:17 PM

Nice shed! I've had so few perfect sheds from Eve. She's jealous!

DollysMom

05-29-2016, 01:07 AM

Ever since his first shed with me, which had a stuck tail, the sheds have been complete though some have been two pieces. I provide a humid hide 24/7 because of that first shed even though theoretically the humidity was high enough.

Tell Eve her buddy Clyde says hello!

kdickens

05-29-2016, 03:42 AM

Another nice shed! It's always good to know you don't have to 'save a tail' or soak your snake! It's getting nice out so I'll be taking Loopy out for walks in the park ... if I can find a snake leash. If not, then just out for some fresh air and some photos. I got a new camera, so I'll be experimenting with that soon!

DollysMom

05-29-2016, 08:27 AM

Looking forward to those pics, Ken!

DollysMom

05-29-2016, 01:41 PM

We aim to please, but don't think it's easy to get anything but a blur with all that pent up housie energy, post shed! ;)

Clyde had a good outing and got some much needed exercise!

http://i.imgur.com/CbPseYXl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EIVovmUl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/wdTasagl.jpg

And finally a measuring picture. Clyde is approximately 19.7 inches long (Serpwidgets snake measurer) and weighs 46 grams

http://i.imgur.com/YiMgcWnl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

05-29-2016, 04:14 PM

He's a growing boy!

Love the 3rd picture. He looks so Shiny with his new suit.

DollysMom

05-29-2016, 04:35 PM

Yes, he sure is growing. I was aiming for 50 grams at one year, but he's going to get there at 10.5 to 11 months.

As always thanks for the compliment, Karl. He's such a cutie if I do say so myself.

DollysMom

06-19-2016, 04:03 PM

Happy Father's Day to everyone from Clyde! I named him after my late dad so he's extra special today.

Clyde also has a special Daddy snake, Tavia's Ukiah.

He weighs 50 grams. He's currently gaining about 2 grams per feeding which is weekly.

http://i.imgur.com/0NBvwpEl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pF6FQvll.jpg

And here's one for Albertagirl and Eve. This is the usual AHS pic, lol. I have so many like this it isn't even funny!

http://i.imgur.com/pGIrMbdl.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

06-19-2016, 04:13 PM

He's a big boy now.

Love the 2nd pic, he's looking right up at you.

He's a very handsome boy.

DollysMom

06-19-2016, 04:19 PM

Thanks Karl. That's my favorite from today as well!

albertagirl

06-19-2016, 04:45 PM

Tavia

06-19-2016, 05:07 PM

nicolefowler2005

06-19-2016, 06:03 PM

They really like to get right up to the camera!! Mine never sit still long enough to take a picture unless they don't know I'm taking one!!!

Nicole

albertagirl

06-19-2016, 07:31 PM

All of mine have somewhat stabby tails, think its just a House snake thing.

Thanks Tavia. :)

DollysMom

06-19-2016, 07:43 PM

Bahahahahaha! I love it! Pretty much every time I pull my camera out it ends with that exact shot. He's looking as handsome as always. What a cutie!
Hey, is his tail really sharp and pokey at the end? Eve's is, and his looks the same, but it's hard to tell. It's almost like she could use it as a deterrent if she learned to stab with it. LOL I'm wondering if that's a house snake thing, or if she just has a weird tail. None of my other snakes' tails are quite so sharp or stabby.

I knew you'd appreciate it!

Here's one of those pics that I kept but never shared. I accidentally took a flash photo of Clyde in his viv. The flash distorts the color, but also gives an amazing view of the tail tip. And this was in February when he only weighed 20 grams.

http://i.imgur.com/aYU1eJSl.jpg

All of mine have somewhat stabby tails, think its just a House snake thing.

And our little Clyde is no exception. Thanks for confirming that!

They really like to get right up to the camera!! Mine never sit still long enough to take a picture unless they don't know I'm taking one!!!

We don't call them sneaky ones for nothing!

albertagirl

06-19-2016, 08:48 PM

Thanks for adding that picture, DollysMom. Yup, looks about the same. So interesting these little differences and similarities.

DollysMom

06-20-2016, 12:17 AM

You are welcome. I'm sure you've also noted how strongly they can grip with that tail!

albertagirl

06-20-2016, 02:14 AM

Oh yes. She's so cute when she doesn't want me to put her down, she holds on so tight! Just another thing I love about housies.

DollysMom

07-06-2016, 12:08 PM

Clyde is a handful, lol! Literally. 54 grams of muscle and snakey cuteness.

http://i.imgur.com/7mjdMgYl.jpg

Seriously, I got some pics that while not the best, show his pretty pattern. It doesn't always show up so well in pictures.

http://i.imgur.com/fC4MKkZl.jpg

I let him crawl on the blanket on the floor this morning. He crawled to me as often as he crawled away from me. He still wants to crawl on the camera.

http://i.imgur.com/r5NSOM7l.jpg

Karl_Mcknight

07-06-2016, 05:16 PM

He's getting so big. Your little boy is growing up.

Tavia

07-06-2016, 05:46 PM

He looks so much like his dad!

DLena

07-06-2016, 05:54 PM

Wow. His pattern is really nice. Will my baby mature to look like Clyde or will she keep her stripes? And have a cute pointy tail?

Tavia

07-06-2016, 06:04 PM

Wow. His pattern is really nice. Will my baby mature to look like Clyde or will she keep her stripes? And have a cute pointy tail?

She is a bit more striped than Clyde, I think, so her pattern will stay a bit different. Very pointy little tails they have!

DollysMom

07-06-2016, 06:18 PM

He's getting so big. Your little boy is growing up.

I know. I moved him to weekly feedings a while back and he's still growing like a little snakey weed!

He looks so much like his dad!

I'm glad you think so. I think that every time I see Ukiah's picture. I'm so proud that he looks like his very handsome daddy!

Wow. His pattern is really nice. Will my baby mature to look like Clyde or will she keep her stripes? And have a cute pointy tail?

Thanks. While they are all precious, patterns are something I prefer about capensis over fuliginosus (there are supposed to be patternless capensis, but no patterned fuliginosus).

Just wait until the first time Clyde's sister wraps her little tail around your finger or thumb and grips on. It's different than a corn snake grip. It's a hold on for dear life grip, often while stretching the rest of themselves full out. You will love her stripey self and her little pointy, grippy tail so much.

DLena

07-06-2016, 07:08 PM

Thanks, DollysMom. I can hardly wait for her to come home. Tavia needs cooler shipping weather. Urgh.

DollysMom

07-06-2016, 08:09 PM

Thanks, DollysMom. I can hardly wait for her to come home. Tavia needs cooler shipping weather. Urgh.

Yeah, that can be hard to come by this time of year! I feel for you. I had to wait a month to adopt Mandy and that seemed like forever. At least your little one is in very good hands and with someone who will not ship until conditions are right.

DLena

07-06-2016, 08:59 PM

You always know what to say to make people feel better. Thanks for you.

albertagirl

07-07-2016, 11:59 PM

He's such a lovely color. A lot lighter than Eve, so his pattern is way more apparent. Good thing you like the patterns and I like more patternless! We both got the perfect housie for us!
I had Eve out this morning too, but I think she's about to shed again so I'll be missing her for the next few days. Thank goodness for Clyde to fill the gap! :) Haha

DollysMom

07-08-2016, 09:45 AM

Thanks, Albertagirl!

I think Eve is stunning. I do love the endless variations among housies.

I never doubt that our perfect snakes find their ways to us!

DLena

07-08-2016, 10:04 AM

I'm patiently waiting for my little girl. I'd like some name suggestions.

DollysMom

07-08-2016, 10:11 AM

Oh my goodness DLena! Which direction do you what to go? African names? Give me a direction and I'll start giving you some. :D

BTW, I actually had named Clyde tentatively before contacting Tavia. Once the PayPal was sent it was firm, lol.

Suggestion: Start a thread with a pic or two of your girl (Just give photo credit to Elemental Exotics) and ask for name suggestions. Give any directions or personal preferences. I assure you, you will get some.

DLena

07-08-2016, 10:31 AM

Okay. I'll do that Sunday.

DLena

07-08-2016, 10:33 AM

Thank you very much, DollysMom!

DollysMom

07-08-2016, 10:39 AM

Sounds like a plan DLena! Looking forward to Sunday.

DollysMom

07-10-2016, 04:00 PM

http://i.imgur.com/bTxTGr2l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WxFLFDQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4rVTQ2Xl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/u6VVDRdl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PW1exKJl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WwfG0GGl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HrskKVQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DW8ZSRil.jpg

albertagirl

07-10-2016, 06:02 PM

Good afternoon little man. Growing like a weed!
I accidentally read "sunday afternoon dump" and was afraid to scroll down. Thank goodness my eyes were playing tricks on me. :P

Karl_Mcknight

07-10-2016, 06:05 PM

Love the 4th pic, the one where he is looking up at you.

DollysMom

07-10-2016, 07:55 PM

Good afternoon little man. Growing like a weed!
I accidentally read "sunday afternoon dump" and was afraid to scroll down. Thank goodness my eyes were playing tricks on me. :P

:rofl:

I wasn't even trying that time. Actually the snake dump of the week prize here went to Cleo post shed. It was shall we say, massive? I didn't post a pic of that to everyone's eternal happiness.

Love the 4th pic, the one where he is looking up at you.

Thanks, Karl.

I sometimes wonder if I take and post too many pics of my snabies, but then I come to my senses, lol.

Karl_Mcknight

07-10-2016, 08:10 PM

there is no such thing as too many pics. I personally enjoy looking at the snake pics more than I enjoy reading some of the posts that appear on this forum.

DollysMom

07-10-2016, 09:18 PM

Thank you, Karl :D

albertagirl

07-10-2016, 10:48 PM

:rofl:

I wasn't even trying that time. Actually the snake dump of the week prize here went to Cleo post shed. It was shall we say, massive? I didn't post a pic of that to everyone's eternal happiness.

Thanks, Karl.

I sometimes wonder if I take and post too many pics of my snabies, but then I come to my senses, lol.

For this we thank you! The not posting of Cleo's contribution. Lmao

I say, if people don't want to look at pictures, they can just not click on your thread. And for those of us who can't get enough, post away!!

DollysMom

07-10-2016, 11:57 PM

Thank you, Albertagirl :D

DollysMom

07-16-2016, 12:13 PM

Poor baby Clyde doesn't fit anymore. It didn't stop him from trying.

http://i.imgur.com/iKFGAUxl.jpg

DLena

07-16-2016, 12:25 PM

What a sweet baby. He's really trying to make that hide work, isn't he?!!

DollysMom

07-16-2016, 01:11 PM

What a sweet baby. He's really trying to make that hide work, isn't he?!!

Evidently it works for him. You should see him now, he's all curled up under there. The whole thing is lifted up and you can see his sides. And yes, there is water in there and he hasn't spilled a drop!

Karl_Mcknight

07-16-2016, 02:06 PM

I love the look he's giving you in that pic, it's almost as if - "What the ......."

DLena

07-16-2016, 02:25 PM

Wow. He's got some mad skills! Lol

DollysMom

07-16-2016, 04:16 PM

I love the look he's giving you in that pic, it's almost as if - "What the ......."

Yep, he sure is, lol.

Wow. He's got some mad skills! Lol

Really. I'm amazed!

kdickens

07-17-2016, 02:37 AM

HaHa! That's a great pic! He's thinking, "I can't believe this water dish is shrinking!" I had a small heavy plastic bowl for Loopy but since upgrading his viv the small one was out of the question! I already had a heavy ceramic bowl (I was using it as a weight for the cover) so now I use that instead. Although probably don't need them yet, I've started using Zilla screen clips and they work great.

DollysMom

07-17-2016, 09:47 AM

Thanks for sharing that, Ken!

I didn't remove Clyde's little water dish. I just don't have the heart to do that. And it's not like he doesn't have a second ExoTerra water dish. What I did yesterday was make him a new, better cool hide out of a half round of cork. When I say made, I mean shape it with sawing and X-Acto knife. I hot glued a piece of cork in the one open end to make it darker and more secure. I saw him check it out last night. :)

It is not in the least to soon to start using the screen clips for Loopy. The more screen clips the merrier. They can and do escape when least expected. After my tragic loss last fall, I firmly believe that the more security the better. There's no such thing as a snake enclosure that is too secure.

DollysMom

07-24-2016, 06:28 PM

Clyde is still digesting today so no photo shoot or party. I did what is best for him and let him sleep in.

He has brought so much joy to my life. Thanks to Ukiah, Indigo, and Tavia for bringing him into the world.

Here's a picture from the other day. Not too great, but at least it is recent. No, he didn't get an iPad for his birthday. That's mine, lol.

http://i.imgur.com/KZOIXyll.jpg

:dancer::dancer: Happy Birthday Clyde! :dancer::dancer:

Karl_Mcknight

07-24-2016, 06:44 PM

Well happy birthday Clyde!

So, <ahem> what did he get for his birthday?

DLena

07-24-2016, 07:08 PM

Happy Birthday, Clyde! You are one handsome young man.

Asmodeus

07-24-2016, 08:34 PM

what a handsome birthday boy he is!!

DollysMom

07-24-2016, 09:50 PM

Well happy birthday Clyde!

So, <ahem> what did he get for his birthday?

Thank you, Karl.

He got two presents. I made him a new cork cool hide last week and he got 2 pieces of green Eco carpet-- one to wash and one to use. I figured after how sucessfully you've used reptile carpet with Rufus, I'd give it a try.

Happy Birthday, Clyde! You are one handsome young man.

what a handsome birthday boy he is!!

Thank you, DLena and Asmodeus. He is a handsome boy and a sweet boy.

I forgot to mention it but he weighed in at 58 grams this week!

DollysMom

07-26-2016, 11:24 AM

Now I know why Clyde hasn't pooped yet and was still in hiding on his birthday. Somebody is going to shed :)

http://i.imgur.com/786TXt5l.jpg

DollysMom

08-02-2016, 05:09 PM

http://i.imgur.com/d8lAmzKl.jpg

Finally got a post shed pic of Clyde today. Fortunately, my son was able to take it. Clyde was really wrapped around my fingers. He is so cute and inquisitive. He kept trying to crawl on my son's phone, too. His post shed weight is 62 grams.

DLena

08-02-2016, 05:43 PM

He knows how handsome he is... well worth the wait to see his fine new self!

Asmodeus

08-02-2016, 07:21 PM

oh he is so handsome! his face looks so curious!

DollysMom

08-03-2016, 12:00 PM

He knows how handsome he is... well worth the wait to see his fine new self!

oh he is so handsome! his face looks so curious!

Thank you both! Needless to say, I love him to pieces.

kdickens

08-05-2016, 02:50 AM

Happy belated birthday, Clyde! Hope he had a nice one ... digesting! Now he's all shiny and new! I just noticed his eyes in these last pics ... cool pupils! Kind of evil looking :)
Was this birthday #1?

DollysMom

08-05-2016, 04:52 AM

Hi Ken! Thanks. Yes, first birthday.

The eyes are one of the things I love about house snakes! Those little vertical pupils are so cute.

DollysMom

08-09-2016, 05:51 PM

Just getting my Clyde fix today. :)

It's amazing how different the color looks depending on the angle of the light. All of these pics are within the same small area of my front room.

http://i.imgur.com/qvUyCuPl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QLo3HAFl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/n3S6IZ3l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yS1xc7Ol.jpg

DLena

08-09-2016, 08:17 PM

Gosh he's too perfect. I love those eyes, too. Very different from corns. Thanks for the fix!

DollysMom

08-09-2016, 08:29 PM

Gosh he's too perfect. I love those eyes, too. Very different from corns. Thanks for the fix!

Thanks! For snakes with such similar care and feeding they sure do look and handle different. I can hardly wait for you to get Coco! You will melt the first time she grips you with her tail.

DLena

08-09-2016, 08:58 PM

:santa:
It will feel like Christmas and Chanukah all rolled into one!

Magdalen

08-11-2016, 12:27 AM

OOoooh he is just lovely. I keep going back and forth on what snake to get next and a house snake is on the list.

DollysMom

08-11-2016, 05:54 PM

:santa:
It will feel like Christmas and Chanukah all rolled into one!

Indeed it will!

OOoooh he is just lovely. I keep going back and forth on what snake to get next and a house snake is on the list.

Thank you so much. His breeder is Tavia and she either has or will have more Cape African house snakes. I highly recommend her.

DollysMom

08-12-2016, 11:15 AM

Clyde Eats a Fuzzy (frozen thawed) HD

I have to start out by apologizing for the quality. I definitely need a tripod. It was also too dark, but I was able to brighten it up with YouTube's processing. (I didn't replace the thumbnail so that shows how dark it was originally.)

The best thing is I finally got a video of Clyde eating, and near the end it clearly shows how his lower jaw works. You can actually see the lower jaw bones through his skin. In spite of the quality issues, that's still pretty neat.

Clyde was 62 grams at his last weigh in and the fuzzy was 6 grams.

https://youtu.be/HF6k5I3w2xA

https://youtu.be/HF6k5I3w2xA

DLena

08-12-2016, 11:42 AM

What an excellent video. The head-on view is something I've never seen. His mouth works differently from the corns. What a good boy eating that huge mousy! Does he always eat in his viv? Why? Should I do the same with Coco when she arrives? You feed Mandy and Cleo in a bin, right? I bin my corns.

Tavia

08-12-2016, 12:07 PM

It's interesting, different species have different ways of getting established, some almost all only eat in a small, dark, confined space and others will mostly only start if you disturb them as little as possible, sneak the mouse in near their hide and leave them be for a few hours.
The House snakes in the main seem to be the latter type but after eating consistently for awhile, become much less shy.

Coco is used to eating in her viv but has passed the shy stage of eating and is now at the boldly enthusiastic stage, so you can probably feed her in any manner you chose.

DLena

08-12-2016, 12:32 PM

Thanks Tavia. You and Gail are wonderful people.

DollysMom

08-12-2016, 01:46 PM

Thank you DLena and Tavia.

Clyde eats in his viv. Tavia has already explained, but I got Clyde at 8 grams and he was a very shy eater. In fact my pinkies were too big and his first 1.5 months he ate one or two pinky halves. Then in December I got a bag of day olds and started him on whole pinkies. He's been on fuzzies since April. At this point he's just about ready for large fuzzies, or two small fuzzies -- I'm feeding 10% of his weight for now. Here's his iHerp:

http://www.iherp.com/Public/Animals/ViewAnimal.aspx?AnimalID=182861

I tried feeding him in a bin but he wasn't interested. So I'm sticking with his comfort zone. He eats enthusiastically and grabs the mouse from the tongs.

They are all so different. I'm sure you will learn Coco's preferences very quickly, DLena!