feeding time

Feeding time again for Diego the Kingsnake





Diego has skipped a couple of weeks of meals to a shedding. He's all bright and shiny again. I tried something new tonight, by placing him in an enclosure that's not his vivarium to feed him. I've never seen him hit feed so hard. He got three coils around this dead rat in the blink of an eye. I'll never tire of the speed with which they strike.


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A day out with the Manitoba Herpetoculture Society to the snake dens at Narcisse.





The drive was brutally long for a couple of squigglies like Manon and me and it was cool, and it was too late to see the majority of the 50 thousand or so snakes emerge, but it was still really cool to see what we did at the Narcisse pits.


Snoot had a pretty good day out. We stopped at Inwood to take some shots with the town mascots.





Snoot got musked pretty badly here. She watched it happen and was already smelling the foul stuff as I was shooting the images. Like the smart kid she is, she resorted quickly to stink weed and was free of the garters musk in no time. The guide thought that was cool. We had a great day.





We went to Kevin's in Toulon for a BBQ at his place. Carlos made an octopus stew and I made up some focaccia. Spiced olives and trimmings and a good time it was!


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The so called dens are simply the openings for about 300 acres of underground fractured limestone where the snakes are safe from flood and frost. The geology was quite interesting.


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The short snake fencing that lines about 3km of highway leading up to the park entrance. Apparently some years it saves 25,000 snakes from becoming skid marks under car tires.


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Our fearless guide was wonderful!


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Inwood mascots. I thought they were really well done.


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Joey is Manon's age and seemed a little off his game today. I was glad to have both his parents along today. Michelle made a fantastic curried chick pea dish.


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The crew hanging over one of the dens.


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A beautiful woman with a big boa. (bci)


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The crew of us walking into den #3.


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Wade and Kane with Jackie looking on for the close up photo opportunity with a garter. A border terrier that came through later on leash, nearly throttled it.


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A dad doing what dads can do so well.


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What all the fuss is about.


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Steve is a young dad and is he ever into this four month old. It was a pleasure to watch this guy being so bonded up to Aden, the younger one.


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Wade was having fun with this big one. A common (bci) boa constrictor doesn't feel like it's common when it's 28 pounds and active. Many of us enjoyed handling and observing many of Kevin and Dan's snakes and reptiles. I wish I had taken some video of Rich showing us how it should be done. He handled the snappy ones, like the Savanna monitor like the competent keeper he is.


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It was such a great time, both at the pits and then at Kevin's where there is always a broad selection of interesting animals to entertain the curious.

New pics

More image of tarantulas and snakes. I wonder how long it will be before I tire of watching them eat.

I got my new and free reptile tank from favorville.com and it looks great! At least I'm excited about it. Used some old organic potting soil for substrate. I'd seen friend us it, so figured I've be fairly safe in experimenting.


The Kingsnake (Diego) loved it. No need for a hide now I don't think. He's been burrowing since I put him in there.


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Mr. T

Mr. T was out and about tonight. He likes guitar posture.






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springing

Inwood Manitoba for garter snakes is second to none. A friend posted some images from her adventure today and I though you all might like to see.

I was waiting all week for this guy to slough. He is brilliant in his new skin, but to get a decent image of him is nearly impossible. He's just so active when in hand. I'll be looking forward to housing him in an enclosure where the front opens and he can take a more relaxed pose. The most challenging subject I've shot yet by a wide margin.



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Pickled King Snake? No, just another shed coming on.



Another shed on the way all ready. Diego has skipped a couple of meals now and last night the rejection was intense. He made it very clear with some violent spasms that he wanted no part of the food. I thought for second that he might bolt out of the enclosure. A hissy fit! A real live hissy fit! I'm an opportunistic writer, please forgive me. It was more of a rattler fit.


Shaking his tail madly in diamond back rattler fashion and then kinking his body quickly made me flinch every time thinking he was going to strike. I watched the situation with interest, then moved on to feed the others.


The first time this guy shed, I saw him in this soaking phase and missed taking some images. I've seen images of pickled snakes out of south east Asia packaged in clear jars so you can see the snake submerged in the wine. Given the deli pack container, I thought this guy looked the part of a pickle.




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Parthenogenesis

The big surprise – Parthenogenesis!

The problem that Drs. Chizar and Smith had was a number of odd occurrences either in their labs or other locations/situations that they were familiar with. It was the same “problem” that has been recorded multiple times in populations of western fence lizards (believe this is correct) that were entirely female. The problem that had plagued scientists was how these animals were able to produce living offspring without the presence of a male of the species. This is known as parthenogenesis and was thought to be limited to this one species. (Of course, this was convenient because it didn’t disturb the current balance of their knowledge, which had reptiles reproducing using the same genetic model as mammals.) This way of looking at reptile gender encoding was totally disrupted when Dr. Chizar entered his lab one morning to find a female Timber rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus in her enclosure with a new baby rattlesnake. This female was a research animal and had not been with a male of her species for roughly 10 years or more!

At first, it looked like a record for reptile sperm retention. DNA samples were taken along with finally determining that the offspring was male, and the results shook the scientific world to its reptilian foundation. DNA samples from the mother and offspring looked basically identical except for a few minor coding signatures that were totally missing. Along with Dr. Smith, samples of other occurrences of the same thing were compared with quite similar results. Parthenogenesis in snakes had been confirmed!

The problem this now presented was figuring out exactly how this phenomenon happened. They had to look again at a number of offspring, a couple of which had survived and a good number that had been stillborn, and recheck the gender. It began to appear that all viable offspring had in fact been male with no complete female offspring produced.

If more information on this event, and other similar events, can be found, we will post it here as soon as possible.


I'm almost certain this little peach (Crotalus horridus - Timber rattlesnake) isn't bound for my collection even if it doesn't need a male to reproduce.

More snake issues

I'm in the thick of a new interest. Check in later and I'll be onto something else. In middle age, I've managed to attain a very broad base of knowledge. Stay tuned. :P


I was hoping to get some decent images of my 50/50 California King snake, but it wasn't to be. He's incredibly quick, but handling his fast responses wasn't the troublesome points we finally gave in to.



When I'd handled him previously, I'd become aware that his cloaca was protruding. I was careful not to catch that lifted scale the wrong way, but was concerned that it was like that at all. As it turns out, I think it's part of it's defensive stratagy, indicating he's stressed about the pressure of being in hand.


Garter snakes do it too and will often ooze a subtance that is very foul smelling to encourage you to move on to other interests. I didn't notice any unpleasant smell, but there was enough of the fluid to make it unpleasant to handle. There was a pool of it on the floor before we were done.


Needless to say, the images I wanted will have to wait for another day.


If you follow the tail down with your eyes, you can see the drips flowing down.








He eats like a champ though. From what others were saying about this species, I was expecting a very strong feeding response, but it really wasn't a strike that looked entirely confident. Maybe the move and handling have been a bigger stress factor than I was giving it weight for.

More herps

** Edit ** I had to change a bunch of the links here. They should be good to go.


Last night I took Manon and Bonnie into the city to the home of an arachnaculturist. She had several people from the MHS (Manitoba Herpetoculture Society) in for an informal talk about spiders.

The displays were countless. The conversation ranged from herp hunting trips in Peru to successful spider breeding stories. The ever popular black widow and a wide variety of tarantulas were there, but there were also roaches. Big roaches. < g > Bonnie was in like a dirty shirt and had one out and onto her arm in no time. I was less inclined to touch one than run screaming in the other direction.


Our host had saved the weekly feedings for our benefit. A young corn snake and a bull snake were fed small frozen and thawed mice. Many spiders were fed crickets.


There were new world and old world critters. The old world spiders apparently have a stronger venom, but no barbed hairs on the abdomen to irritate the daylights out of ones skin like the new world varieties. There were arboreal, semi arboreal and obligated burrowing spiders to appreciate. Tank after tank went by with the more knowledgeable in the crowd, oohing and awing while excitedly asking informed questions.


Books, images, and some nicely matched and innovative nachos and salsa helped a whole lot of sleep deprivation on my part, go down a little easier.


Too many very late nights!.


I was out to see Jason Collett this week too. My eldest wanted me out on my birthday. The Pyramid Cabaret was made even thinner in quality by Collett showing up inebriated for work. It was brutally sad, but apropos. So much so, that I had a very good time with the company I kept irrespective of the disappointing performance. It's good to have some distance with those days myself.


I was organising some images and deciding where to commit to hosting some of my habits in imaging and thought I'd post so all interested could be caught up and others could learn to avoid them


Bonnie's little girl getting a whiff of a live rat.


I smell a rat - 05 female bp (ball python) or Python Regius


I missed capturing the iridescence, but the focus was reasonable. Tweaking this little digital is sometimes tricky. The next time I buy one, I'll likely buy it very carefully around the support for excellent macro functions.


Scales close up on the male bp





This is mine now, but I've yet to get a better image. They are an very fast species of snake. He's a real brute on the musking too. He drips a foul smelling liquid when he's unhappy. Yuckerooosville!


My male 50/50 California King snake at Tim's


Thanks for the hand with the drilling ideas Dad. These are easy to make and cheap too. today I used the same technique to open up a side door. Slow and steady wins the race with tarra cotta drilling. < g >


Tera cotta hide


Some of these I've posted before.


Manon and the Brazilian red tailed boa


I love these snakes. I managed to turn down a very attractive sale this weekend. Go me!


Dream snake. Tim's Irian Jaya Carpet python


Kevin's new mountain horned dragons.


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My favourite shot of the series.


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My adult male python regius. He weighs in at just under 700 grams and measures just over a meter in length.


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I like this shot too. It shows off how big he is I think.





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My favourite of the spiders last night.


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An old favourite.


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One through ten here are a series about making a snake hook.


one 03_06


two 03_06


three 03_06


four 03_06


five 03_06


six 03_06


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The finished product.





Can you hear the garlic singing? Spring is underway.


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More that I think some have seen before.


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Both these post shed images of Bonnie's ball python were so remarkable. The change to a bright new skin is remarkable to witness.


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Yum. Another few thousand in camera purchases and I might even be happy.


Female bp The close up feature of this camera is becoming more familiar. I got some definition in the iris.



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That's iridescence the camera isn't portraying well on the top of her head.


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Snake hook construction

Mum, you'll have to be patient with me. You've seen the pattern before. heheh I took an hour after work and made myself a kick ass snake hook. There's nothing quite like having a shop is there? It's the sweetest thing I do in life is to hammer out something like this where the gratification is almost instant. I really should do more of it.


The last time I bent .250" rod was for a bike rack to fit on my road bike. I actually hauled that thing out last year and cleaned some of the bird crap off it. I think I'll finish the job and buy new rubber for it and get back to doing some cycling. It'll off set some of the running.

I put in my three miles in an absolutely brilliant sunny day. No wind, and so blue it was tough to go back inside. I was slow and heavy with whatever is ailing me, but it was nice to be out anyway. I didn't have to yank on Tom's chain once! That's a first. He's got some "go" that boy. He's absolutely trashed Megan's dish. Someone on the MHS board suggested filling the base with concrete. I thought that sounded like a good plan. However, stainless steel is an even better bet I think.









I'm so glad not to be in the city at this time of year. It's still so bright and white here, even as the sun gets carried away with the heat of spring pushing in. I found a snow sliding saucer sunk down a foot by the house today. I guess the sun's heat had soaked into the dark blue colour and melted itself down toward the dirt. Nothing showing in the garden yet, but soon. This spring I'll be jumping on the tiller early to try and beat back a bit of the pasture for a garden on higher ground. I'm sick of moss! My luck it'll be all drought for years to come. I'm hedging my bets by keeping some of the old garden going. Mother nature always finds ways to keep ahead of me though, so I'm sure to learn something new again this year.


So here's the construction series for the snake hook. It turned out well I thought.


The head cut off from the shaft of the golf club.





Turned and drilled the plug to fit the shaft and the hook material then cut it off and later trimmed it up.





Here's the plug fit over the hook material.





The hook material fit to the plug.





Bent, but unfinished hook.





Close fitting hook in the plugged shaft.





The finished hook.





The smoothly rounded hook tip.





The flat flat. :P





The finished snake hook.

Another one home

Another Royal Python home safe and sound. I went to hear a guy talk about chameleons last night in the city. He's breeding them in his bedroom. :D You gotta love enthusiasm.

The talk was amazing, but the best was being taken into see these guys get fed.


We had watched a DVD about chameleons that was well produced and full of good information combined with lots of amazing images. Then we were taken in to see these guys nab food out of Wade's fingers.


I didn't know the tongues were quite that long. Their tongues are 1.5 times their body length. It's quite a show to see them grab food. A good time was had by all and I got to bring home another snake. It's a male ball (Royal) python to be a mate for Bonnie's. We'll have to wait a few years, but the prospects are good for having some nice looking "normals". He's about to shed, so he's blue eyed and blind as a bat. Apparently he's been quite quiet for a few months which is common through the winter. That is to say he hasn't eaten in ages.





I tucked him into his new home in a simple lab type set up in the shop. I bought a display tank at a good price last night to show something off. I really want an Irian Jaya Carpet Python, but I may have to go back to work for a while first.

snake shots

The forked tongue of the serpent.


Another tongue shot


The same only different. :P


The irredecent character is very attractive live.


There is a live rat over there! She's obviously settling in.


A head shot.


Close up shots are not easy to focus with this camera, but this shot got the eye details pretty well.


My new California King snake isn't keen on being handled when it's blind as a bat. Go figure! The milky eyes give away the pre molt stages.

Egg loving

I don't eat my eggs like this.
I promise.

Life in the fast lane

OK, so I've developed a thing for snakes. Actually, it's all those reptile, amphibian, arachniphoia type things. Always interested in perception. < g >


I do not want to be first on the scene for this shipment though.

Manitoba has only 8 species of reptiles

Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network listings for Manitoba

Whoohoo! A speciality store!


This link will only work for about 24 hours I think, so beware. River City Reptiles doesn't have a web site that I can find.


If you're interested in such things, there is a rocking good forum of local breeders and enthusiasts at

Friday, March 3, 2006

Manitoba Native Species

I would never have guessed so many. Living on the Roseau River we get our fair share.


Manitoba Native Species of amphibians and reptiles.

It shed it's skin perfectly!

Wow, what a difference a day makes! The new ball python shed it's skin today. It's so flipping bright now I could hardly recognise it. It's also so much more active. Now will it eat is the question! That's the million dollar question. I'm no snake expert, but the transformation in temperament leads me to believe that it's a possibility at least.


It was so quiet ever since I brought it home and this morning it had spilled water all over the place and was on the move. Very cool. It came across as a completely different animal. I couldn't resist taking some images with the old camera. Boo's go mine in Quebec, dang.


image #one and image #2

Mo snakes

Bonnie's little girl.


Here are some images of Bonnie's new snake. It's a ball python. It's about to shed it's skin. If I'm lucky I'll get to watch it eat for the first time on Thursday night. It's eyes are all milky blue as it prepares to slough it's skin though, so it's as blind as a bat. How comforting! Any bets as to when I get tagged?


Actually the ball pythons are pretty shy guys and not aggressive at all. We looked at corn snakes a lot, and might end up with one yet.


I'm hoping to hear back on a rescued adult ball python from Ontario this week. Maybe I can have an adult while Bonnie eases the young one into life as a pet.


The rats it eats are just under 50 grams. It's an amazing meal for such a small critter. If it eats strongly, it will have a feeding once every 5 to 7 days. It'll grow up to be at least four feet long. They are quite heavy bodied things too. Weird to have such things around your body. I remember being so scared of snakes when I was a kid. Then, silly me, didn't want to pass on my phobias to my kids. Duh! No look at the mess I'm in. < g >


You can see the heat tape between the two containers. In at least one of the images of Bonnie's snake. I've got it rigged to a simple wall switch dimmer with a remote indoor outdoor thermometer probe to keep tabs on the temperature. It's a 20W strip eleven inches by 12 inches. It works like a charm.


Tim at Cranwill's Captive Bred Snakes - www.cranwill.com> has been a very big help in getting hooked up with some good information.