my asian vine

[zbsadler]

Just got this guy yesterday at a local reptile show. Very good tempered snake. Rear fanged and relatively harmless to people. Just thought I would share.

sorry the pictures aren't that great.

 

[DragonBeards]

Beautiful. I've admired these guys in books a few times. The head is just so uniquely shaped, almost like it doesn't belong on its body. I love it

 

[Hannibal]

Congrats, That is the most vivid green I've seen....beautiful!

 

[zbsadler]

Thanks guys it really is a unique snake. He's about 3 1/2 ft long right now but can reach sizes of 6 ft or more. I'm really exited about the new addition to my small reptile family.

 

[lpcad]

Beautiful snake!

 

[M_surinamensis]

So... how is it doing a couple weeks later? There are some points of concern in the photos and I am curious to know if it has eaten for you, how it has settled in and the results of that all important first fecal exam.

 

[zbsadler]

Thanks for asking. The fecal exam showed negative for any parasites and he is eating great. He will only eat lizards though. It is difficult to find info on these snakes but he seems healthy as far as I can tell and from what info i have found through research. He is in shed as of right now so he is a little upset but he is almost done and hasn't had any problems with the process. What were your concerns?

 

[M_surinamensis]

Just the usual with them- they're almost guaranteed to be wild caught so they're usually slightly underweight (as he is, visible lateral folds show it). Plus generally either dehydrated or have been really thoroughly soaked, which often leads to some issues with dermatitis and bacterial infections (surface infections, spots that are "soft scales" like the brown mark in the last photo on his neck). The soaking substrate in the first photo in the cup was off, people do weird stuff at shows but that's really not good to see, kind of a warning indicator. Depending on who imported them, there's also always the good chance they haven't been cleaned up- so good deal on the negative fecal.

Glad to hear he's doing well and eating for you, lots of them just won't even take lizards all that easily and require a big investment of time tease feeding to get them off that anorexia.

 

[zbsadler]

Yea the dark scales have kind of concerned me. Any suggestions? I try to keep the humidity around 70%-90% and temps range from about 93 in the warmest area to 81 in the coolest area. I have been feeding anoles but may switch to house geckos soon. I'm using reptibark for the substrate and multiple vines and stuff for him to climb on since they are arboreal. He is very active and eats very well. In fact he would probably eat 3 times a week if he could. I feed him twice a week and he has filled out a little more. Is there any kind of medication that I may be able to pick up at a local store to help with the dark spots or do they generally heal with time in the right conditions? Thanks for the help.

 

[zbsadler]

Seeing him eat is awesome
I do feel kinda bad for the anole though.

 

[ento890]

Awesome shots.
I've always loved these guys, just wouldn't wanna have to deal with feeding them lizards, plus rear fangs are illegal here

 

[zbsadler]

Yea, feeding lizards is a bit of a downer but on the plus side I get this awesome snake lol. I wish it would take pinkys but he's not interested in them and from what I have read about it they are very hard to switch over to them.

 

[kathryn]

My friend just got one of these at a reptile show the other day! We had never seen one in person before. I'm willing to bet you probably got them from the same vendor. Hers is eating anoles as well. I'm not a fan of anoles so I don't feel very sorry for them. I really want to get one sometime in the future..

 

[zbsadler]

That's awesome I hope your friend enjoys theirs as much as I enjoy mine. I finally got mine to eat some goldfish, he ate 5 in two days lol. He won't take them out of the water so I just put them on the ground in his enclosure and he can't resist them. It's easier to get goldfish than anoles so I plan on alternating between the two. They are a more difficult snake but it is more than worth it imo.

 

[Krow]

VERY cool, I have also loved looking at these snakes, I love their bright green & the shape of their heads. I would like to have one but dealing with that much humidity annoys me, lol.

 

[zbsadler]

I have some very sad news. I woke up Wednesday morning to find that he had passed away. I have no idea why. He was fine Tuesday night and I honestly believe I was doing everything right. He had been putting on weight and was eating well. I don't really know what else to say. He was a great snake for the little while that I had him and may get another one in the future but I think I will stick to captive bred snakes for now. If anyone has any clue as to what may cause a snake to die that unexpectedly I would greatly appreciate the info. Thanks.