Welcome Lacey!

Yesterday, I brought home our baby Diamond Python (Morelia spilota spilota).  Excited does not cover it properly.  I had a grin from ear to ear from the moment Peter (from Reptiles Inc.) was showing me a choice of pythons from which to pick, to when I handled him\her on my own for the first time when I put her in the enclosure that I built for her.  I’ve had the same grin pretty much ever since whenever I think about her, or glance over and see her out and about.

As you can see, I have added a little picture of Lacey that I snapped quickly earlier today.  I am letting her settle for the next few days before trying to handle or feed her to minimise stress as much as possible.  If she is too stressed, she will go off her food and that will be problematic.  I don’t want to have to learn how to force feed her.

You may have noticed that I am calling her Lacey and well, her.  I don’t know the sex of Lacey yet, but, she is about the size of a shoelace at the moment so that is where we got her name from  at least.  I am taking a punt on calling Lacey a girl.  I will correct that in the even that it turns out to be wrong.  When she is more settled I will take her back to get some help with sexing her.

Interestingly, baby Diamond Pythons look very little like what they will when they are grown up in terms of their colouration.  Lacey is a sort of motely brown colour if anything at the moment.  She will grow up to be black, white and yellow in the main.  The spots you see will turn a combination of white and yellow and her dark scales will turn black.  They are a beautiful snake as adults.  In my opinion at least.  Diamond and Green Tree Pythons are my favourite snakes.  I hope to have at least one Green Tree Python one day.

For now, I am ecstatic that Lacey is home with us!  I will of course be making changes to the site to reflect that we are now owners of Dragons and Serpents!

Licensed to thrill!

I got a phone call yesterday.  It was the licensing authorities ringing to clarify something on my reptile keeping license application.  The fantastic news is that it was also made clear that my application had been approved.  Stoked about that!

Apparently I had made a mistake on the form.  I wasn’t aware that snakes can only be sold by individuals, not shops.  I had put down that I was going to purchase the snake from Reptiles Inc. rather than from Peter, who runs the store directly.  I now understand the difference and will be buying from Peter rather than his store and record that on my records to ensure compliance.  Interesting to know that now too.

I have started making preparations for my diamond python’s arrival.  Today I converted a plastic tub into a home for it in the style of what I understand goes by the handle of a ‘click clack’.

  You can see the makings of it here.  I have a 20 litre plastic tub with two pieces of dowel criss-crossing it to allow for the pythons semi-arboreal nature.

I also have put in some paper towel for substrate, a terracotta dish for water and a ceramic tile as a heat holding basking spot.  I will place a heat mat under about a third of the container where the tile is to provide an appropriate temperature at that end and allow for cooler temperatures at the other end.

You can see in this next picture that I have cut a hole in the lid of the container and glued in plastic flyscreen mesh to allow for ventilation.  Common practice from what I have seen is to also

make some holes at different points of the container to allow for better air flow.  I have also put in a thermometer as you can see here.

You may also make out a screw holding the dowel in place.  This was a little tip I picked up in a forum thread on the Aussie Pythons & Snakes site.  The thread was most informative and I used the material in that thread to create this enclosure for our impending arrival.

Testing of temperatures in the setup tonight has seen some pleasing results.  I seem to be able to get 32-34 degrees at the hot end and 20-22 at the cool end consistently.  I would like to work it out so that it was 30-32 at the warmest point, so I have a little tweaking to do.  Diamond pythons are cold climate snakes and are probably the best snake for me to start with in regards to tolerance of our climate in Canberra.  Over the next few days, I will be working on the best ways to get the temperature right.  I have a few ideas that I am working on.  The most likely scenario is to get a thermostat to ensure things are spot on.

Exciting times are they not!?  I’ll have to do something about the banner at the top of the page.  This is becoming more than our Dragon Journal in a hurry.

Taking the plunge…

Today was a big day.  I lodged my application for keeping a reptile that is not exempt from licensing.  Our Dragons are a Class A species and are therefore I don’t require a license.  For a very long time (since I was a kid), I’ve wanted to own a snake.  With the experience I have gained in keeping our Dragons, I think I am ready.

Something that I have yet not really detailed that demonstrates my commitment to keeping reptiles in general, but, more specifically the snake that I hope to acquire is the deal I have going in relation to my health.  I had an arrangement with my beautiful wife last year that if I lost 25 kgs, I could bring home the Bearded Dragons that we now have.  Obviously I met that goal.  Problem being, I put a lot of that back on.  This time, rather than just get back to where I was, I agreed to lose 35 kgs in order to earn the privilege of bringing a snake into our home.  Well, I am just about there.  I’ve lost just over 30 kgs to date.  So, as an incentive to drop those last few kilos, I lodged the license application with the hope of being as ready as possible for the day when I break that weight barrier.

I included links and information contained in this blog in my application to demonstrate the care and experience that I have in relation to reptile keeping.  So if by any chance you are reading this and you are assessing my application, please be nice, I really want this and have worked hard to get in a position to have it.

I’ve also started getting ready for if I am successful both in my application and the remainder of my weight loss.

  I have started setting up what was originally the hospital tank when Booster was injured, ready to hold what I hope will be our new family member.  As you can see, I have put it on a nice cabinet, that was also a weight loss incentive along the way.  It won’t be on the window as it is pictured here as direct sunlight is a no no for maintaining a consistent and manageable temperature.  We’re just setting up our lounge after the arrival of our new couch and this location is temporary.

I had originally intended this to be the final enclosure for a sub species of Antaresia, which would happily live in an enclosure of this size throughout their life.  However, after doing a lot of homework, I have decided to go with a Diamond Python as my first snake due to its superior hardiness and overall nature of the species.  What that does mean though is that this enclosure will only be suitable for the next 2-3 years depending on the size of the individual.  At that time I will need to look at acquiring a larger enclosure.  I have some designs in mind and am looking forward to either building it myself, of having it made for me.

All this of course hangs on two things.  My continued weight loss and being successful in my license application.  I’m working hard for one and crossing my fingers for the other.

A quick final note about our Dragons.  Both are sleeping happily through all this cold weather.  I have checked on them regularly, ensuring that they are still alive, if not really kicking.  I have also set up the thermostat on a ceramic bulb to ensure that no matter how cold it gets during the night, they will be at least warm enough to make it through until morning.  I am a bit of a Nervous Nelly about it and probably being overly cautious as a result, but, it is our first Brumation together.

The Old Switcharoo…

This is a sad post as well as a happy one.  Starting with the sad, last Saturday we parted company with Booster who is pictured here on the left.  He hasn’t died or anything, it’s not that sad a story!

I have been contemplating the idea of acquiring a nice breeding male for quite a while.  I have always been a little disappointed that Booster was never a good handler.  As much as my kids would have liked to hold him even on rare occasions, he was never a boy I could trust to be calm.  He was never a biting risk or anything.  He just didn’t like to be handled.  Plus of course, his colouration was not of the same standard as Lolly’s.

Recently, a very nice looking male that was for sale came to my attention as well as a young man looking to get started in reptile keeping.  Combine the two and we arrive at today.  On Saturday last weekend, Booster was handed over to his new keeper.  I was happy to help a young guy starting out and I am confident that Booster will be in a good home.  He was a sleepy Dragon when I parted company with him, but, in spring, I know he’ll wake up as good as ever.

Today, I was able to take possession of our new ‘stud’ male.  I have named him Beau, after the Black and Gold Dragon in the animated series Dragon Booster, from which Booster got his name.  In the series, Beau is the Dragon of Legend and is in fact named after Bucephalus who was the famous steed of Alexander the Great although that is not referenced in the TV show.  JT has contributed what may stick as his second name ‘Double O’.  I am not sure how long Beau Double O will stay, but, Beau is definitely finalised.  Beau is pictured here on the right.

I brought Beau home around lunch time today.  He had been rudely disturbed from his attempts at brumation to be brought to me and took some slow measured investigations of his new enclosure.  It was quite enjoyable watching him slowly and methodically check things out.  What was even more pleasing was his calm nature as I was handling.  It could have been partly because of his sleepiness and temperature, but, in contrast, in the same state, Booster was still trying to leap out of my hand on the weekend.  By all reports Beau is a great handler and I am exceedingly pleased about that.

By the time I got home from work today, Beau was fast asleep in Booster’s old hide rock looking like he was made for it.  I am not sure that I will even turn the light on tomorrow, as if he is settled back to sleep, I’ll just leave him to it.  What a great transition that would be.  A new home after being woken up from a deep sleep and the possible stress that comes with both and Beau going straight back to sleep tells me that the transition could not have gone better.  Now all I have to do is wait until spring to really get to know him!