Giant ball python

[davevh]

Hi all

I wanted to get on here and introduce myself, and at the same time give you a little tidbit I found recently.
I stumbled upon ball-pythons.net a few weeks ago looking at an animalplastics T10 cage review. I explored a bit and liked the community on this forum. Shortly thereafter I ordered a T10 for my three balls (OK, that sounds a little wrong, but ya know..).

I have been a longtime keeper of snakes of all types. I started my first collection of snakes while growing up in South Africa and kept mostly colubrids/non venomous and semi venomous reptiles. Boa constrictors were rare and expensive items in the country but I managed to obtain two. The female had become gravid but I unfortunately had to sell her before coming to America (she was a beautiful Colombian red tail).

One of the last members of my collection was a ball python which came to me in fairly decent shape but was undoubtedly wild caught. He had some ticks which I removed and he was one of the few balls I have come across which never lost his shyness as he grew older. He used to hide under the newspaper all the time and was a very tricky feeder. Before leaving the country I found him a good home with a local herpetologist and that was the end of snakes for years to come.

Until a year ago.... I purchased a gorgeous baby female ball who is one of the friendliest and outgoing snakes I have had. 6 months later two more balls were donated to me along with a large glass terrarium which I hate but made the best of until I ordered my T10. One of the two was a little underfed and he has had problems with his eyes and skin which I have slowly nursed back to normal (I love cod liver oil for treating the eyes, it really helps). He eats like nothing on earth and has put on a good amount of weight. The larger of those two has a scar just behind his head which looks very much like a rodent bite. He has two yellow spots on his nose which seems to be fairly uncommon among these snakes but I like the look.

Anyway, enough rambling.
I am fortunate to belong to a scientific institute which works with snakes and I know many eminent herpetologists. I was at the herp building the other day when I was discussing ball pythons with the curator and he took me over to a barrel to show me something.
As the lid came off I saw the surface of ethanol and below that a large ball python head. He grabbed the head and started pulling it out the liquid and my eyes almost popped out their sockets!

It was the largest specimen I have ever seen of a ball python, and as far as we know the only preserved specimen of this length. There have been reports of ball pythons at 6 feet in length but there is no specimen to confirm this. This one measured at 6'2 inches when alive.

Since I have been really sick with flu for the last couple of weeks I have been unable to go see him, but when I can I will ask if I can take some pictures and post them on here for all you ball fans to see.

Until then, keep em rolling ...

Davevh

[stangs13]

I sure hope your not going to keep them together?

[Patrick Long]

I sure hope your not going to keep them together?

dude.....its dead


But that is awesome Dave! Do you know where it was acquired?

[davevh]

I sure hope your not going to keep them together?

Note sure if you mean the three balls that I have now or the dead specimen.
If you are referring to the three I have now I quarantined the two donated ones for 6 months and kept a careful eye on them. Then I introduced Hubble to them (my first female) and they have been fine since.
Ball pythons are fine to keep together as long as they are similar sizes and you separate them for feeding.
In fact, the Transvaal snake park in Johannesburg kept four specimens in one cage and they were some of the largest and healthiest balls I had seen.

[ladywhipple02]

Pat, dude, I believe he meant Dave's other ball pythons, the LIVE ones. He mentioned that he had only bought one T-10 cage... I believe stangs was wondering if he had purchased the one cage for all his BPs.

And yes, I would love to see pics of the specimen!

[davevh]

dude.....its dead


But that is awesome Dave! Do you know where it was acquired?

Not sure offhand but I believe the curator knows. I will find out and post the info when I get the pictures.

[ladywhipple02]

Note sure if you mean the three balls that I have now or the dead specimen.
If you are referring to the three I have now I quarantined the two donated ones for 6 months and kept a careful eye on them. Then I introduced Hubble to them (my first female) and they have been fine since.
Ball pythons are fine to keep together as long as they are similar sizes and you separate them for feeding.

No, not really. But I'll let others explain.

Is that one of your kids in your avatar? What's with it's eyes?

[Kesslers Kreatures]

Ball pythons are fine to keep together as long as they are similar sizes and you separate them for feeding.

OH NO..... BP should not be house together at all!

[davevh]

OH NO..... BP should not be house together at all!

I am curious to know some scientific or observed truth behind that statement? Convince me why?
I say this because I have observed various species in nature that share communes, for example termite mounds. House snakes, pythons and even black mambas in africa have been found in tight quarters. Ever heard of a pit viper ....

[Kesslers Kreatures]

I am curious to know some scientific or observed truth behind that statement? Convince me why?

I would love to but i know there are way more educated people on these forums than i. So i will let them explain to you why it is not a good idea