Progression: Shadow the Eastern Indigo Snake

He sounds absolutely beautiful all over
Love the it that he got a pink mouth
Pat


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Beautiful snakes. You made a really nice choice to add to your family. Nice variety! Shadow has such a serious expression for such a little guy.

Shadow is adorable. I love black snakes and have been wanting a Mexican Black King for some time. They are very hard to find in my area.

DLena said:

Beautiful snakes. You made a really nice choice to add to your family. Nice variety! Shadow has such a serious expression for such a little guy.

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Thanks DLena. I've had a passion for this species for a long, long time, but everything had to fall in place to allow it to happen. He does look intense for sure. He has a confidence about him that belies his young age. He's an amazing representative of his species.

Karl_Mcknight said:

Shadow is adorable. I love black snakes and have been wanting a Mexican Black King for some time. They are very hard to find in my area.

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Thanks Karl. When he wrapped his tail on my finger my heart just melted.

I know someone in my local herp society that has a beautiful baby MBK from BHB in Michigan. I know he advertises some of his stuff on Fauna. I also know he bred them again this year. While not in your area, its not that far for shipping. Of course you'd need to consult with Rufus about the whole thing! The neat thing is that both eastern indigos and MBKs have tiny white speckles as babies. I don't think Tavia breeds them. If she does, she'd be my first choice of course.

The rest of the story...

What I have not yet revealed about my sweet little black snake is that he doesn't eat on his own. The breeder was up front with me and spent two hours teaching me how to assist feed. So now, after a couple of successful assist feeds under my belt, I feel free to talk about it. The hardest part is getting the fuzzy in his mouth and he spit it out twice before we had success today.

I'm learning a few tricks as I go and am still at little hamfisted, but it will get better. Having the the fuzzy really, really wet is one of the tricks. Once he decides to eat it, he walks his little jaws right down the fuzzy on his own.

It is not unusual for young indigos to need assist feeding. All 8 of my breeder's hatchlings needed help. Some, like Shadow, eat well once the prey is far enough in his mouth. Other's were still actually being force fed. I saw that, too. I wasn't ready to tackle force feeding, but I figured it was time I stepped up my game and my snake skill set.

I am however, looking forward to the day when his feeding response kicks in!

He weighed in at 57 grams before feeding today. Forgive the mouse guts, please. I know these pictures aren't the best but I was holding the phone with my left hand and keeping him from wriggling off the table with my right hand.

Well done that sound like a nightmare
But I'm sure he get the idea
Hi has got the perfect mom to do the wright thing for him
Love your pictures
Pat


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Not a nightmare, but not the most fun I've ever had in snakekeeping, either. He's gaining weight and as I get better, I'll be able to feed him a little more per feeding. First feeding I got 3 grams into him and this time it was 4 grams. If I calculated that correctly its 7% of his body weight, so not too bad. Thanks for your kind and encouraging words, Pat!

That's great I weigh mine every 2 weeks
You they are alright when gain weight
It's nice to be able to watch him grow
Pat


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In the second picture, he could be saying, "nom nom nom, fank you MaMa. I'm werning how to do chompings."

Exactly DLena. Once he starts he really seems to like eating. I think he thought it was even nommy-er with the guts spilling out, lol

You have such a tender heart, DollysMom. Shadow knows you're helping him grow big and strong. And he has Cleo and Clyde to root for him. <3

I did not know that about Indigos. Makes you wonder how does a baby Indigo survive in the wild if it needs help eating. The mortality rate must be extremely high for those snakes. I guess this one is lucky to have somebody there to cram a mouse in. LOL! Keep us posted and let us know when He/She starts eating on his/her own. And that brings up another question - How will you know, unless you see if they will eat on their own first and then if not offer the assist? Is that what you are doing?

Thanks for asking, Karl.

Yes, I'm seeing how he reacts to the mouse, or quail leg, first. I also presume that when he starts to recognize the prey as a meal that he will at least open his mouth on his own. As with all snake care, careful observation of nuanced changes will be helpful.

The breeder tells me that in the wild they are sight hunters and they actively slither around looking for something that moves. So the theory is that without that stimulation the captive bred babies need help. But like all baby snakes in the wild, some won't make it and some will become prey. Since Shadow swallows so well I'm guessing he'd eat on his own in the wild.

Shadow had just pooped and was out and about when I got this picture. While not the greatest, it's the best yet of his lovely baby speckles. I hated to disturb him, but of course I'm not going to let him sit in a poopy house. He's now all nice and clean and sitting in his favorite hide again.

This is not the best picture because I wanted to check on Shadow with minimal disturbance. Someone is going to have his 3rd shed and his 1st shed with me. Smart little guy is spending most of his time in the moss.

Thanks Ken. I've never heard of an eastern indigo that doesn't eventually eat on their own. In any case, I'm in it for the long haul and will do what it takes to keep him healthy.

Even though this has long been in the planning, I didn't get serious on a name until the babies had hatched. The name Shadow was inspired by the amazing total solar eclipse I saw in August. I needed a unisex name as well. I didn't like Eclipse as a name. However a solar eclipse casts a moon shadow. So Shadow came to mind. It's also a great name for a black snake.

Thanks for sharing about your tiny troll, Ken. I'd love to see the story someday.

One thing I don't have figured out is where in the house his adult housing will go. It will not fit in my tiny bedroom. That's a bridge I will have to cross. But everyone who knows me knows I'll provide proper housing when he gets bigger. Sometimes I have to take a leap of faith. For a person who plans animal acquisitions with a degree of care that's a little scary, but it's not like I don't have a house. It's just a matter of priority to make space in my little house.

kdickens said:

I'm sure you'll find just the right spot for his/hers 'forever' home! Keeping in mind the possible end result in size!
But you have a few days to think about that. In ref. to my book, The Trolls Of Oakwood, always avail through Amazon! It's a book you don't have to really think too much as you're reading it!

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Thanks Ken, I'll check out your book.

His final home will be 6 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft which is the generally accepted adult size eastern indigo home. They need a larger home than most snakes of their size in order to thrive. I'm leaning towards Animal Plastics when the time comes. I'll have it custom made. I'm saving up for that, too; even though I don't know where I'll put it!

The shed watch is over. Shadow gave me a perfect shed sometime between 4 and 6 this afternoon. Those eye caps are impressive! This is his first shed with me and the third in his life.