Candoia collection update!

After a hellish year with the majority of my candoia, I have finally gotten everyone on the right track

First up is Blythe, who has never given me a bit of bother in all the years I have owned her. CB Halmahera Isle boa (Candoia paulsoni tasmai)





Next is her brother Burton. He has turned into the spawn of Satan, and rarely ventures out of his evil dark phase. But isn't he such a black beauty!





Minerva Rhedd. She is still superbitch. Although, at least she eats every time she is offered now. And after 9 months and 4 different types of antibiotics, she is finally rid of the RI she came with last December. Of course I have never heard from her previous owner ever again, despite promising to pay vet bills. She has put on 300 grams and finally looks like a big chunky healthy snake. She is a Solomon Isle ground boa (Candioa paulsoni)





My little ice cream man, Berlingo. He tends to stay orange and cream these days, which reminds me of a solero ice lolly. He is a quiet wee soul, and one I have not had any issues with.... yet. He is an Isabel Isle ground boa (Candoia paulsoni)

Now on to the Candoia carinata, Kofiau Island tree boas. This group of snakes have been nothing but trouble, heartache and stress since the day I got them... despite being LTC proven adults!

First up is Lyra. She is my favorite girl. She refused to eat for 11 months, but did not loose much weight. She started eating for me in October and hasn't stopped since. Just plain FT... she didn't even need tempted with live.







Next is Obsidian Fyre. Actually he has been ok. He has always eaten, and done well in proving himself as fertile this year.





Next is Lunar Dawn. The girl I thought I was going to loose... She too decided to fast for 11 months, however her weight plumeted. She had mated in December with Obsidian, so I put it down to her pregnancy. But 10 months into gestation, she was 2 months overdue! She eventually gave birth to 5 still born babies, and she was on deaths door. The poor girl could hardly move. I tube fed her critical care and blended mice whilst she contiued to refuse food. Then I got my live mooses, and she decided thats exactly what she wanted. Now she is eating FT no bother, and is back to her usual chunky self in only 3 months.

Just after giving birth




Today, she has pee on her head... BUT she has a full belleh.



Finally, here is Bluemoon Wolfboy. He also decided to join the gals and not eat for 11 months. However, Wolfie had a major underlying issue... foot long tape worms that were protruding from his gut and actually showed as superficial masses on his side! His previous owner had never wormed the entire group when he imported them 4 or 5 years ago and had put the lumps on his side down to fatty deposits.... My vet performed minor surgery on the spot (was fascinating to watch him pull out the worms) and I took in the whole group to be wormed after that! Wolfie has decided he adores fuzzies. He loves to hug them and squeeze them and chomp their faces. Nom nom nom. He has put on considerable weight, although still has a long way to go.

Before



Today, all orange and happy and stuff...

They just have the funniest, cutest faces!! I love them all.

Absolutely beautiful.

dionythicus said:

They just have the funniest, cutest faces!! I love them all.

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LOL I think they have super serial faces Like you could cut yourself just by looking!

Kaminoke said:

Absolutely beautiful.

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Thank you

Elle, they are all looking fabulous! I'm glad to hear that Minerva Rhedd's RI has cleared up, and that she's now eating for you! She is absolutely my favorite of the group, but they are all beautiful! I'm glad they're finally starting to cooperate for you. Thanks for the update!

Suzy said:

Elle, they are all looking fabulous! I'm glad to hear that Minerva Rhedd's RI has cleared up, and that she's now eating for you! She is absolutely my favorite of the group, but they are all beautiful! I'm glad they're finally starting to cooperate for you. Thanks for the update!

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Thanks Suzy I like Minerva a lot. She is exactly what I wanted when I envisioned owning a red paulsoni. Unfortunately she has lasting tracheal damage due to how persistant the RI was. She still has raspy breathing, but after countless blood tests and mouth swabs, she most certainly does not have any sign of infection. She still eats, sheds and poops like a normal snake does. She makes absolutely no effort to over exert herself though... she is a big lazy bum, but I put it down to her poor breathing

Woah, pretty thread. Glad everyone is doing well.

These guys & gals are absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea they came in such colors. Wow. I am so glad they are doing well for you, especially since they have had health issues.

alan said:

Woah, pretty thread. Glad everyone is doing well.

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Thanks Alan. It's a pleasure to own them, finally

wstphal said:

These guys & gals are absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea they came in such colors. Wow. I am so glad they are doing well for you, especially since they have had health issues.

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Thank you! Aye the come in all sorts of colours, patterns, shapes and sizes. I'd adore some C. bibroni and some C. aspera... brick red specimens!

They are looking great Elle especially momma she looks like a different snakie

Beautiful, Elle, all so beautiful. You have been very busy working very hard. I know you are proud.

YAY!!!! They're all absolutely gorgeous, but I LOVE Burton! I'm so glad they're doing well for you again. I hope they treat you wonderfully this year and stop giving you heart attacks every other day. :laugh:

danielle said:

They are looking great Elle especially momma she looks like a different snakie

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Oh she is Shes all fat and huge and lovely!

vetusvates said:

Beautiful, Elle, all so beautiful. You have been very busy working very hard. I know you are proud.

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I am so proud of how far they have come, especially my carinata gals and Wolfie. I have put to much time, effort, tears, snots and money into them.

RobbiesCornField said:

YAY!!!! They're all absolutely gorgeous, but I LOVE Burton! I'm so glad they're doing well for you again. I hope they treat you wonderfully this year and stop giving you heart attacks every other day. :laugh:

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Thanks Robbie darling. I love Burtons colours too. Blythe rarley goes into dark phase. And Burtons light phase is more of a brown/tan colour. Nothing near as light and peachy as Blythe.

Wow, Elle! They look amazing! I really, really want a Candoia so bad! I just dont know which one I would get, they are all different and amazing at the same time.

ratsncorns said:

Wow, Elle! They look amazing! I really, really want a Candoia so bad! I just dont know which one I would get, they are all different and amazing at the same time.

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Well take my advise and NEVER buy candoia from somebody you don't know or trust. It was hell on earth trying to rehab my bad bunch, and all because I bought them from people I did not know personally, or did not know much about. Do your research and be prepared to have snakes that are freshly WC when someone says they are LTC, full of parasites, covered in mites or completely unwilling to eat anything but native lizards brought to them on a silver platter...

The CB babies I have bought from close friends are an absolute joy to own. Make sure if you buy babies you have birth records and feeding records for at least 3 months as canoida babies have a horrible habit of living for a few months then suddenly dropping dead.

Candies are great snakes, if you are willing to take things at their own pace. They are slow growing, slow shedding (once every 3 - 4 months, even babies), slow eating (Minerva takes an hour to eat one moose) and slow movers.... unless you get a pissy one. THEN you need to have lighting fast reflexes to avoid a nasty bite.

They are generally great snakes, if you understand how they like their environment, and how they like to be fed. Of course each snake is entirely individual. But their finicky natures are not to everyone's taste.

If you want candoia, consider buying from Jerry Conway. He is THE candoia man on your side of the pond. Although I don't think he has been producing much lately, I am sure he could point you in the right direction.

It's so good to see them doing well for you now Elle and I'm pleased that you can now enjoy them, instead of constantly worrying what is going to happen next! Kudos for all the hard work you put in, it has certainly paid off as they all look so beautiful and healthy!

They are all looking so beautiful Elle!! I am happy Lunar Dawn is doing so well now

Nice group! What I wouldn't give for photos of the worm removal.