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Progression thread: Cleo the Butter Motley

Rufus has gone blue and lasted 5 or 6 days before and then he's also gone blue and cleared up the next day. I think it depends a lot on temps and humidity and every time it's a little bit different.

He actually shed one time and I never even caught the blue. I missed it somehow.

For me, I'm beginning to key in on his mannerisms and attitude more so than the color of his eyes. I can tell when he starts Hiding a lot that a shed is near.
 
Yes, definitely there are multiple ways of detecting a shed. I've missed it and had surprises for sure. Cleo was in shed when I bought her because she shed the first night home. Now that was a surprise!

I try to be "in tune" with my snakes, but it is easy to miss, especially if it goes fast.

I too believe the factors you mention affect it. To me it's both a known and a mystery all at the same time. One of the coolest things in nature and a wonderful part of snakekeeping!
 
I always have a humid hide in each of my snakes tanks now because of that!! I have those cave looking hides that just have the hole for them to climb in and I put some damp moss in the bottom, they honestly spend most of their time in those


Nicole
 
Cleo has a humid hide if she wants it and has used it off and on all winter. At this point the humidity in the viv is 50%, so I trust she's where she needs to be right now.

Her current hide is still large enough, but this is the new larger humid hide I'm making for her. My son and I had a humid hide making party last week :)

If any one wonders the blue, transparent lid is not a deterrent, though it might be too bright if you have a light on the viv.

BH230htl.jpg
 
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Gail ...This is really a good idea. I've never had one in my viv before but probably should. I don't even know what the humidity level is. Earlier this winter when I ran on the treadmill, located in the same room, I'd get static shock once in a while (low humidity) but now I don't notice it. Humidity level is higher I suppose. Anyway, I think I'll try something like this, although I don't have a lot of room in the 10 gal viv ... I'd have to do so re-arranging! Does the hole have a smooth edge where it was cut? How much moss do you put in it? Thanks !
Ken
 
Hi Ken,

This picture is before I did the final hand sanding; but yes, I make sure the edge of the hole is smooth. I loosely fill it 1/2 to 2/3 with sphagnum moss that has been soaked, squeezed dry in my hand, and then fluffed back up.

By the way, I find having a little hygrometer useful. I know some don't like the analog ones, but this one has worked out very well for me:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... hygrometer&qid=1456563442&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

(Looks like they just raised the price on it :( )

If you have more questions, let's start a humid hide making thread in DYI -- don't want to go further OT here.

Cleo is sure her best bud Loopy will love his humid hide :D
 
Clearing before shedding

Here's my pic from in blue on Friday and from today, Sunday. I know she's got her head tucked down but her eyes look totally clear again. She's also not coiled as tightly in her log so to get her all in, the pic is a little further away.

It's not long now!

lgWOWH0l.jpg

CmXb1Pnl.jpg


Here is zoomed in so you can really see her eye today:

H8HIGFFl.jpg
 
Sorry for the double post, but I see how raised her scales look (look on the edge of her bend on the left) in blue and they look smoothed down again today. That's something interesting that I can only see in the pictures.
 
That's on the shopping list for the Tinley show in a few weeks. I bought this one when I got her there in October. It was plenty big then! She was 14 grams then and is 41 grams at last weigh in. :)
 
I bought it as a cork round, but when I found I couldn't get her out of it if needed (they can really grip unlike a tp tube) I split it. To get these pics and do what I call "wellness checks" I just lift the "lid". When I'm done I put the top piece back on and she's hidden in her log again :)
 
Karl_Mcknight said:
how did you split it? Jig saw or Band saw?
Click to expand...

No, cork is pretty soft and light. There seem to be natural fissures. I literally squished and pulled along a fissure on each side and it split with my hands. I've done two so far, no tools needed. I may need to use something on a future cork round, but I'm thinking in terms of an exacto knife rather than a saw. Rarely is the split even but it naturally makes a base and lid. It also fits kind of jagged to hold itself back together. I make a trough in the substrate to cradle it.

Sorry for the artificial light but here is a pic of it in log form. Cleo is in there, but she's comfortably hidden. When I open it to check she's usually "exposed" for seconds at a time and rarely even moves. If you look closely though, you can see from her iris position in the previous pics that she is looking at me.

ivgqqqtl.jpg
 
yup, she's definitely looking up at you. I have a Cave Type hide for Rufus with a removable lid. I keep it full of moss and during shed time I wet it, but otherwise I leave it dry. It has become his favorite hiding spot. When I lift the lid all you see is moss. Then you have to start digging and picking through the moss to find him. Every time I do this, he will lift his head up and look at me as if to say, "Now why did you go and do that?"
 
Stealth shed

This one was so hidden along the back of the viv where the aspen meets the glass and under the vines! Even though I was looking for it, I may have missed it for a day. The good news is that it is perfect.

JYahyWXl.jpg


I've missed her so much. I haven't handled her for nearly two weeks and she was just as calm and sweet as could be. Love this little girl!

Here she is on my unmade bed first thing this morning. :)

SCef32ol.jpg


9HaNpcwl.jpg
 
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