Epicrates cenchria

CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
So, I was just recently given an opportunity to fulfill a dream of over 20 years and finally own one of these gorgeous animals. I do not have much info on the one I have, at least as far as age and sex. Sadly no pictures as of yet either, but those will be coming soon once he/she has settled in.
I was just wondering if anybody else has had any experience with these lovely herps?
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
Very true on the geckos, never realized how many there are. My love of reptiles started with snakes however. And since the first time I saw a Brazilian Rainbow I was maybe 12 and instantly fell in love. So fulfilling a dream has made me a very happy man :)
 
amsdadtodd

amsdadtodd

New member
Good luck with it! I'm told they are difficult to get the setup properly established, but once it is, they are easy to maintain? They're certainly beautiful snakes!

Todd
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
Actually they are not too complicated, found multiple websites that basically say the same stuff.
The only issue is he/she is still fairly small. Eventually I will be building/buying a large enclosure. For now I have him/her in another 20L.
Using coconut fiber as substrate since it holds humidity so well. Might move to Aspen but not sure. I do have to get a bigger water dish, the one I had was smaller than I thought. They need a large water bowl to soak in. Plus it helps with the humidity. Once I get it set properly it will be much better.
Just got home from work, so after I clean up and get some food, I will try getting some pictures, hopefully they will show off the gorgeous iridescence these guys are known for :)
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
So, apparently I find the camera shy herps, tried getting him/her out and taking a few pictures...Will not leave the hide... Lol these were the best I could get. Also, yes I know a big part of why he/she will not leave the hide is that they are nocturnal. My excitement just gets the better of me and I want to share with all of you :)
IMG_20150919_172248562.jpg
IMG_20150919_172401593.jpg
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
So, now that the sun is down and she (finally checked) was out and about I tried to get more pictures. Sorry for the dark conditions, I didn't want to turn on a bright light and bother her.
IMG_20150919_195009544.jpg

IMG_20150919_195044674.jpg
 
amsdadtodd

amsdadtodd

New member
Very nice! I know they are a very easy snake to handle, they are always very present at reptile shows for that reason. Good luck with her!

Todd
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
Yeah, they are very docile once handled enough. Thanks! I will keep adding pictures to this thread as I get them. Especially her enclosure I plan to build.
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
Since it has been a while since I posted anything about Pandora an update is due.

She is EXTREMELY docile. She has virtually no issues with being head shy. As long as I move slowly, I can put a finger or two on top of her head. She also is really interested in my face. Frequently i have to adjust her so she doesnt get within striking distance. Though i did get brave yesterday and let her check it out. After a few moments she lost interest and moved to my shoulder and back. Our new bonding activity has been laying on the bed and watching viperkeeper on youtube. She really seems to enjoy "watching" him and his venomous snakes with me.
She is still fairly small. Last weight check she was 106g and the length is next to impossible to check. She doesn't stay still in any stretched out position. She is eating fuzzy mice still since she is small. She does take two per feeding though.
She did have me very worried however. After about a month of being with me and 3 feedings, she still had not shed. Her last shed had occurred back in August. I worked myself in a panic because I still had not been able to keep her humidity up as much as I wanted it to be. She also had only urinated once with no fecal matter.
Well, yesterday she decided it was finally time to shed and it was perfect. One solid shed no breaks or tears in it at all. For anybody that has had snakes, you know just how important that first shed is. Another important part of owning a snake is the first defecation, which she surprised me with today.
So after one month she is doing wonderfully. Still absolutely stunning appearance. :)
 
amsdadtodd

amsdadtodd

New member
I know what you mean with the first shed, and first defecation! And, at such a young age, they often come one right after the other! It must have been a tough wait, but glad it happened! Good luck keeping her, looking forward to updates!

Todd
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
Thanks Todd! I have been looking into Herpcages.com and vision cages as well. If I had the money I would go for one from showcase cages. Those ones are stunning. Alas having 3 human children, a cat who thinks he is a puppy, my two reptile kids, and a wife makes those out of my price range for now.
Out of curiosity, what do you keep Bo and Thai in?
 
amsdadtodd

amsdadtodd

New member
All of my herps, and many tropical plants, are kept in my herp room, which is an 8 foot square room framed in with 2x4's, wired on it's own 20 amp circuit, and insulated will inch thick foam squares from Lowes. I have two small space heaters on individual thermostats maintaining 78 degrees. Then, each tank for each animal has a UTH on a thermostat set for 88 degrees on the surface of the substrate. So, I have five 20 long tanks, one for each leo, and two 30 breeder tanks for Bo and Thai, although they are sharing one of them now, since that seems to be their preference. I have the melamine to build out two 6x2 enclosures, fronted with polycarb swing down doors, since I expect they will be outgrowing their present accomodations this winter. Their substrate is plantation soil, which is just a brand name for coco coir.

Basically, I put all the more complex engineering into the room so the more subtle needs of each species is easily met on a rack by rack basis.

Todd
 
JessJohnson87

JessJohnson87

New member
CWilson13 said:
Thanks Todd! I have been looking into Herpcages.com and vision cages as well. If I had the money I would go for one from showcase cages. Those ones are stunning. Alas having 3 human children, a cat who thinks he is a puppy, my two reptile kids, and a wife makes those out of my price range for now.
Out of curiosity, what do you keep Bo and Thai in?
Click to expand...

I have a human child, an adult man child, a Jeep that is an ongoing project, a guinea pig and the scale baby....But! You could always build your own cage similar to the showcase ones. Alas, I applaud you both for keeping snakes, they are not my favorite.
 
CWilson13

CWilson13

New member
I have considered building my own, but I am not familiar working with acrylic so not sure how it would turn out.
Story time; My love for Reptiles began with snakes when I was about 3. My mother's friends had a Burmese Python, over 12ft from what I was told later in life. Anytime we would go over there I, being the fearless child, would go right to his cage and sit there staring the whole time. According to my mother, one time in particular we went there, I ran straight in and Houdini was out of the cage. Common occurrence since he would frequently break out, hence the name. Anyhow, my itty bitty self went right to him and laid down next to him so I could pet him. He just laid there and let some snot nose kid lay across, and put his grimy child hands on him lol
That is my earliest "memory" of Reptiles. Not sure if I remember it genuinely or if it was told to me later and I remember because of that. Either way, if not for Houdini... I might be a cat person :yikes:
 
amsdadtodd

amsdadtodd

New member
It's really not such a big leap from keeping lizards to keeping snakes. I have to admit though, snakes are generally less intelligent than leopard gecko's, and most other lizards with which I've become familiar enough to recognize their intelligence. With that said, they do each have their own personalities, which do develop as time goes by. I think that's probably part of the intrigue to keeping them, learning about them as pets is so much different from learning about them as another species. Unfortunately, many people do have phobias about them.

I have one neighbor who rescues pit bulls, and walks each of them around the block, allowing neighbors to interact with them as they wish. In fact, some of her dogs were acquired because the next town over had passed an ordinance against keeping pit bulls. Since then, the state legislature passed a law prohibiting such ordinances, but that's another story. I had Bo outside one afternoon, hanging around my neck when she walked by with my favorite one of her dogs. She saw the snake around my neck though and shrieked and ran off! We still laugh about the irony it, but I don't think she'll ever be a convert!

Todd
 
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